GDK Hometown Tours: Jack Jouett House 1

SPEAKER 1: HEY GUYS, WE ARE HERE AT THE JACK JOUETT HOUSE RIGHT HERE IN VERSAILLES, KENTUCKY FOR OUR HOMETOWN TOURS, AND I’M HERE WITH MY FRIEND SUSAN HUGHES. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
SUSAN HUGHES: YOU’RE QUITE WELCOME.
SPEAKER 1: NOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT WHO EXACTLY WAS JACK JOUETT JR. WHO IS HE, AND WHY WAS HE SO IMPORTANT TOO?
SUSAN HUGHES: JACK JOUETT JR. WAS A VIRGINIAN, AND DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION HE WAS ASLEEP ONE NIGHT AT THE CUCKOO TAVERN IN VIRGINIA NEAR CHARLOTTESVILLE, AND HE HEARD HOOF BEATS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. HE LOOKED UP AND REALIZED THAT A TROOP OF BRITISH SOLDIERS, LED BY BANASTRE TARLETON, WAS MARCHING BY HEADED TO CHARLOTTESVILLE TO CAPTURE GOVERNOR THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THE VIRGINIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HE GOT ON HIS HORSE AND RODE 40 MILES THROUGH THE BACK COUNTRY TO WARN THOMAS JEFFERSON AT MONTICELLO, AND THEN ONTO CHARLOTTESVILLE AT THE SWAN TAVERN TO WARN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO GET OUT OF THE WAY.
SPEAKER 1: WOW, SO HE LITERALLY HELPED SAVE THE WAR THEN. I MEAN, IF HE WAS ABLE TO HELP THOMAS JEFFERSON STAY ALIVE, THEN THAT’S A GOOD INDICATION THAT, THAT PROBABLY HELPED US SAVE THE WAR.
SUSAN HUGHES: ABSOLUTELY. AND WHILE PAUL REVERE GETS A LOT OF CREDIT, PAUL REVERE RODE 15 MILES, ON ROADS, WITH HELP, AND GOT CAPTURED AT THE END.
SPEAKER 1: OH, YEAH.
SUSAN HUGHES: JACK JOUETT DID IT BY HIMSELF, 40 MILES, CROSS COUNTRY, AND HE DIDN’T GET CAPTURED.
SPEAKER 1: WOW, THAT IS AN INTERESTING STORY. AND LET’S TALK ABOUT TOO, WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT ABOUT KEEPING THIS HOUSE ALIVE, AND KEEPING IT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN COME VISIT.
SUSAN HUGHES: WELL, WHEN JACK JOUETT, A COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER HIS ESCAPADE, JACK JOUETT MOVED HERE TO KENTUCKY, SETTLED JUST ACROSS THE RIVER IN MERCER COUNTY FIRST, AND THEN MOVED OVER HERE, AND STARTED BUILDING THE HOUSE THAT WE’RE STANDING IN FRONT OF IN 1797. HE WAS AN IMPORTANT PLANTER. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE KENTUCKY GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HE WAS ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION THAT MET TO MAKE KENTUCKY A SEPARATE STATE. HE WAS IMPORTING BLOODED LIVESTOCK, HORSES AND CATTLE, FROM EUROPE TO IMPROVE THE BREEDS OF STOCK HERE. HE HAD AN EARLY BOURBON DISTILLERY ON THE PROPERTY.
SPEAKER 1: WOW.
SUSAN HUGHES: SO, HE WAS A REAL IMPORTANT FELLOW. HIS REPUTATION FROM VIRGINIA FOLLOWED HIM HERE, AND HE WAS RUBBING ELBOWS WITH PEOPLE LIKE HENRY CLAY, AND THE BRECKENRIDGES, THE CRITTENDENS, ALL THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE.
SPEAKER 1: WELL, WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING A LOT MORE ABOUT WHO JACK JOUETT WAS, AND SOME OF HIS IMPORTANT FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL. BUT, WE’LL BE BACK RIGHT AFTER THIS SHORT BREAK. KEEP IT RIGHT HERE.