Friends of the Holt Home

04/03/2026

There were so many memories to capture yesterday that we have two posts of photos.

Breckinridge County Middle School
Breckinridge County High School
Breckinridge County School District

04/03/2026

Last fall, the Holt Home’s annual Student Day was unfortunately canceled due to bad weather. Each year, all Breckinridge County School District 5th grade students are invited to take part in this special day of hands-on history and learning.

Yesterday, we were proud to welcome the 5th grade class of 2025 for a well-deserved “make-up” day—and it was worth the wait.

Students toured the Historic Joseph Holt Home with guidance from the Breckinridge County High School /Breckinridge County Middle School JROTC cadets, who shared both the history of the home and their role in supporting events and community service.

They also experienced history brought to life through presentations by “Abraham Lincoln” and “Ulysses S. Grant,” making powerful connections to the time period in which Joseph Holt lived and served.

Adding to the experience, staff and students from the Kentucky Archaeological Survey and Western Kentucky University demonstrated real archaeological techniques, giving students a chance to see—and experience—how history is uncovered.

It was a day full of hands-on learning, curiosity, and connection to the past. Most importantly, it created lasting memories for a group of young students who now have a deeper understanding of the history right here in their own community.

Breckinridge County Historical Society
Kentucky Heritage Council - SHPO
104.3 The River

03/26/2026

🇺🇸BCHS JROTC at the Holt Home 🇺🇸

Today, the Breckinridge Co High School JROTC visited the Historic Joseph Holt Home to introduce a new generation of cadets to the history and community service that define this site.

Upperclassmen and senior cadets not only shared the story of Joseph Holt and the home, but also mentored younger cadets (including 8th Graders from the middle school) on the important role JROTC has played here since 2023.

From providing tours to supporting logistics and performing ceremonial duties, these cadets have been instrumental in two of the Holt Home’s largest events—Annual Community Day and Student Day.

Their continued commitment ensures that both the history of the Holt Home and the spirit of service it represents are carried forward to the next generation.

👏 Thank you to these outstanding cadets for your leadership and dedication!

Breckinridge County School District
Breckinridge County Middle School
Breckinridge County High School

03/26/2026

Fun Fact Friday – A Revolutionary Founder of Stephensport

Did you know that the town of Stephensport was named for an early Breckinridge County political leader and Revolutionary War veteran?

Richard Stephens served as a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. After the war, he received a massive land grant along the Ohio River as payment for his service. Over time, Stephens accumulated more than 100,000 acres in what is now Breckinridge County and became one of the largest landowners in the region.

In 1803, the river town of Stephensport was laid out on land owned by Stephens and named in his honor. He later served the young Commonwealth of Kentucky in government, including terms in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1819 and the Kentucky Senate from 1823 to 1827.

From Revolutionary War soldier to state legislator and town founder, Richard Stephens played an important role in the early political and economic history of Breckinridge County.

03/26/2026

This is the JAG Clock in the JAG Room at the Holt Home.

This piece sits quietly inside the Historic Joseph Holt Home… but it carries a connection to something much bigger.

It has ties to the U.S. Army JAG Corps and a tradition that says it should never stop ticking.

It’s inspired by the historic clock in the Pentagon tied to the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps—where it’s said the clock must never stop, symbolizing the “heartbeat” of the Corps.

When former TJAG LTG Flora D. Darpino was a young officer, one of her responsibilities was making sure that clock was always wound—even returning on weekends to check it.

A similar clock here at the Holt Home serves as a reminder of that legacy and of Joseph Holt’s lasting connection to military law and service.

02/23/2026

02/23/2026

Black History Month invites us to reflect on the full history of the Joseph Holt property.

The 1860 U.S. Census Slave Schedule records that 19 individuals were enslaved here. Today, archaeological research is helping us better understand where they lived and how this landscape functioned in the decades before the Civil War.

Preserving this home means preserving the complete story — including the lives of those whose names were not recorded, but whose labor shaped the property and this region.

History is not selective memory. It is careful study, honest interpretation, and a commitment to understanding how the past shaped the nation we all inherited.

01/28/2026

❄️ Winter at the Historic Joseph Holt Home ❄️

When snow settles over the Holt Home, time seems to slow. The quiet grounds, bare trees, and softly falling snow offer a glimpse of how winter once looked here in the 19th century- long before electric lights, paved roads, or modern comforts.

For the Holt family and those who lived and worked here, winter was a season of endurance and reflection. Fires burned steadily, letters were written, books were read, and the world beyond these hills felt far away. Yet even in the coldest months, the home remained a place of thought, conversation, and connection to a nation in motion.

Today, as the Holt Home rests beneath a blanket of snow, it reminds us that history doesn’t disappear with the seasons- it waits quietly, ready to be rediscovered when the doors open again.

01/28/2026

Thank you for this. It;'s wonderful.

12/18/2025

🎄🎥 Take a Christmas Tour of the Holt Home—Online!

If you missed our Christmas Open House on Sunday, December 14th, you can still enjoy a beautiful walk-through of the Historic Joseph Holt Home thanks to Old Folks Adventures.

📺 Watch the video tour here:
👉 https://youtu.be/mTUkIjW79qA

🎥 Courtesy of Old Folks Adventures https://www.youtube.com/

While the Holt Home is not open during the winter months, we look forward to welcoming visitors again during the warmer season. The home is open to the public on the 4th Sunday of each month in May, June, July, and August.

📅 Our next public event will be Concert on the Lawn in June — more details coming soon!

Thank you to Old Folks Adventures for helping us share the beauty and history of the Holt Home with a wider audience. We hope to see you in person this summer.

104.3 The River
Breckinridge County Historical Society
Kentucky Heritage Council - SHPO
Kentucky Proud

12/16/2025

PJ O'Donoghue and his daughter Alison Mattingly also provided sounds of the season during the afternoon at the Christmas Open House.