" OLD MULBERRY PLACE "
In the Richmond Times
Dispatch of January 2,1938, Vera Palmer has a Story of the Jourdan Woolfolk
homestead. A large red brick house set in a grove of ancient oaks, enclosed
with a picket fence. The upper and lower porches extend the full length of the
house, A handsome front porch adds to the dignity of the old mansion. Jourdan
Woolfolk was the third chi;d of John George Woolfolk, eldest son of Robert
Woolfolk Second,His Mother was Elizabeth Powers Broadnax. Maria, eldest
daughter was born October 28,1790. Ann Hoomes was born March 17, 1793. Jourdan
was born
July 23,1796. Sophia Frances
was born January 12, 1799. An infant decease,(_ then Charles, born September
20, 1802, and John born July 7,1805. Lea C. Woolfolk,of Louisville, seems to
have visited this cousin John Woolfolk fifty years ago and to have gotten from
him the family data he brought back
These Virginia Cousins
married as follows; Maria to Hames Coleman, Jan-5,1809. Ann Hoomes to Wm.Grymes
Maury,July 14,1808.Jourdan M. to Elizabeth Taylor Winston, Nov.9, 1820. Sophia
Frances to John M. Burke,
May 21 1817. John M. to
Loisa F. Scott, Jan.10.1850. The obituary of John George Woolfolk appeared in
The Richmond Enquirer April 23,1819. He was a._ man of enterprise and business
sagacity. Like Robert Woolfolk Third: and like him, accumulated a considerable
fortune for those times. He is commended as a man of great integrity, generous
soul, benevolent and gracious in manners, very humane, charitable, and beloved
by all Kinsfolk and acquaintance.
The old homestead was seven
years building, from bricks made on the spot, lumber sawed out of the forest,
only one wall was lathed; the rest receiving the plaster right on the brick,
Jourdan Woolfolk had one hundred
Slaves. With a Mr. Ayres he
operated a stage coach line, covering a distance of several days travel. He
gave close attention to drives and teams, undergoing much exposure to see that
his patrons were properly served and his teams and teamsters did their duty. He
got home sometimes himself nearly frozen to death. In this old homestead the
old family secretary contains hundreds of old letters from the various Woolfolk
relatives. Col.Richard Woolfolk wrote back from Kentucky in 1789 to his first,
cousin, John George Woolfolk an interesting letter. He said
"We have not united
with any church yet. Religion here is in a very low state, much as it was in
Virginia 15 years ago" When the Civil War came to Jourdan Woolfolk's
estate suffered its ravages. He was to
old for service, but the Federals ransacked the house from cellar to garret. No
injury was offered to the homestead, but Mr. Woolfolk was so stripped of
clothing that he had to appear at the breakfast table in his wife’s sacque
instead of a shirt He hid the wine on the roof of the house but one of the
servants gave away the secret. 'The red liquid flowed freely down Yankee
throats; and one ransacker strung Mrs. Woolfolk's fine china cups so he could
put them around his horse's neck and Gary them off. Stock was driven off; yet
confederate soldiers camped on the place all winter and were given every aid
possible. A drummer boy died and was buried in the family cemetery. The negros
say even to this day that he beats his drum of dark and stormy nights, and they
give the old burial ground a wide berth. The dark of the moon is when they most
dread to hear "the last tatoo".
The plantation was named for
the one hundred acres of mulberry trees. The cultivation of the silk worm was
to intricate a business,so the old place was devoted to the customary crops.
The estate is now a
modern farm, and is still in
the possession of descendents of the first Woolfolks. The negros on the farm
are descendents of the same old slaves who served so faithfully long ago.
A picture is given of the
old kitchen and fireplace, with two typical colored cooks , adepts at all
culinary arts. The life in old Virginia is almost identical with that here in
Kentucky. When Edmund Woolfolk was about to leave Virginia a man who owed him
for building a house had nothing tangible but a young Negro girl by the name of
Kizzy. Edmund went to his yard horseback and took the girl away. She doubtless
shed tears parting with her people; but she became the mother of a large family
when she got to Kentucky. She had her own cozy cabin, and in her old age sat
and smoked and told of times back in "Ole Verginny" . She was a great
favorite with the whole family. She knew the family of Robert Woolfolk
Secorid,and said that they used to be called "Robin" from one
generation to another. Aunt Kizzy had a "chiss"[chest] in which she
kept the nicest cake for children. Her coffee and tea were kept in it, too; and
it had such fascinating odor, our mother used to say. Aunt Kizzy kept a little
fire at her side to drive away gnats in summer; and as she smoked she would
enchant the children from the "big house" with her stories of hants.