Thomas Jefferson designed this archetypal Federal-style mansion on the sprawling estate of slaveholders John and Lucy Speed. It was built using slave labor sometime between 1815-16 on the site of a former hemp plantation. Abraham Lincoln spent three weeks on the plantation in 1841, while courting Mary Todd. The home still contains period furniture from the early 19th Century, a stone barn, a blacksmith's shop and a museum store. Seven days a week, the staff arranges tours for tourists visiting the grounds and the visitors' center also provides a comprehensive map that is a great guide to the 18-acre estate.
