The Abner Gaines House 150 Old Nicholson Road, Walton, KY 41094

The Abner Gaines House, located at 150 Old Nicholson Road in Walton, Kentucky, is a historical museum that commemorates the life and legacy of Abner Gaines, a member of the prominent Gaines family. This Federal style house, built in 1814, served as an inn and stagecoach stop on the first stagecoach line between Cincinnati and Lexington. Abner Gaines was not only a tavern and innkeeper, but also a Boone County Justice and Sheriff. The house features three stairways and ten carved mantels, showcasing the grandeur of the time period.

Abner Gaines and his wife Elizabeth had 13 children, several of whom went on to achieve notable success in various fields across the United States. The house is also linked to the tragic story of Margaret Garner, an enslaved woman who sought refuge in Cincinnati before being apprehended under the Fugitive Slave Act. Her story inspired Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Beloved.

The Abner Gaines House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, recognizing its significance in American history. The historical marker at the site provides a brief overview of the house's history and its connection to the Gaines family's legacy. Visit the Gaines Tavern History Center to learn more about this fascinating piece of Kentucky's past.