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Homeplace on Green River, located in Taylor County, is a 227 acre farm being restored as a permanent reminder for all ages of the role agriculture has played and is continuing to play in the lives of South Central Kentuckians. The idea of Homeplace on Green River was conceived in the late 1990s. It was established in 2001 as a joint project of Adair, Green and Taylor counties.
The original home, which remains the centerpiece of Homeplace on Green River, was built in 1804 by Isaac Tate and has been expanded over the years. The farm has been the home to only three families in its 207 years - the Tates, the Buchanans and the Halls. Three generations of Tates owned the farm between 1803 and 1906 when the Henry A. Buchanan family purchased it. The Buchanans diversified the farm operations to include fruit, vegetables, feed crops and dairy cattle. In 1954 the farm was sold to the Hall family and Hall brothers, Buster and Carl, developed a very successful cattle business. It was the Hall family that sold the farm in 2001 to establish Homeplace on Green River.
The farm is operated by a foundation directed by a 24 member Board with representation from the three counties. Funding for initial purchase of the property was provided by The Farmland Protection Program. A major effort is underway to renovate the house as well as a nineteenth century bank barn and several other historic outbuildings. Once developed, Homeplace will also include nature trails, picnic areas and other opportunities for family activities. It is adjacent to the Tebbs Bend Battlefield and the Tebbs Bend-Green River Nature Area.
The restoration of Homeplace on Green River involves many groups and organizations in addition to the three county governments. The Nature Conservancy, U.K. Cooperative Extension Service, TOUR Southern and Eastern Kentucky (TOURSEKY), Tebbs Bend Battlefield Association, Heartland Waterways Tourism Corridor, Kentucky departments of agriculture and fish and wildlife, USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Services and others are playing a role in the reestablishment of the farm. Homeplace depends on state and federal agencies, local businesses, individuals and other organizations for funding of its on-going operations.
Homeplace on Green River is incorporated as a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. The total 400 acres that comprise Homeplace on Green River and the adjacent Tebbs Bend/Green River Nature area owned by Taylor County is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Board of Directors Executive Committee
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