Built in 1853 by Oliver Anderson, he was born in 1794, in Nicholasville, Kentucky. He co-founded the firm of Anderson and Jackson, a successful hemp and cotton business in the 1830s. In 1819, he married and they had 10 children. Mary died in 1842, and he later remarried. In 1851 Anderson sold his portion of the hemp business and moved to Lexington, MO, where 2 of his sons had settled.
When Anderson arrived in Lexington, it was a prosperous commercial center in a rich agricultural area. Slave-owning planters were seeing substantial profits from hemp, tobacco and cattle. Factories and warehouses lined the riverfront, and the town was home to 3 colleges. In 1860, Missouri's 5th largest town with a population of over 4,000 people, had a river front lined with factories and warehouses and 3 colleges.
In Lexington, he entered into a business partnership with his son-in-law, Howard Gratz. (Colonel J O Shelby's step-brother was Henry Howard Gratz.)
Anderson built a large warehouse and ropewalk for the maunfacture of hemp. "A ropewalk is a long straight narrow lane, or a covered pathway, where long strands of material are laid before being twisted into rope. Due to the length of some ropewalks, workers may use bicycles to get from one end to the other.
Ropewalks historically were harsh sweatshops, and frequently caught fire, as hemp dust ignites easily and burns fiercely."~~Wikipedia
Anderson prospered and built a large, elegant residence. The local newspaper reported in September 1853: "One noticed . . . that the new and magnificent dwelling house of Col. Anderson, on the bluff overlooking his rope walk, had grown rapidly in a short time. It is said that this building will be the largest and best arranged dwelling house west of St. Louis. The location is romantic and beautiful. . ."
Built in the Greek Revival style, the rooms are 20 feet square with 15 foot high ceilings, and a 15 foot wide central hallway. A massive walnut staircase rises through two landings to the third floor of the house. A wing at the rear of the house has 5 smaller rooms, including an indoor kitchen, pantry and servants' quarters.
The financial panic of 1857 hit the hemp market and added to the financial downfall of Oliver Anderson. Earlier Anderson had assumed the debts of his son-in-law, Henry Gratz, which started financial problems for Anderson. In the fall of 1859, Anderson auctioned off all his real estate, personal property and slaves. The Anderson House was included in this sale, but his sons purchased the house, while another son-in-law, Thomas P. Akers, acquired the rope factory. The Anderson family was able to continue to live in the house until the Civil War.
An advocate of slavery, he was arrested when Federal troops occupied Lexington in July 1861. The Anderson family was evicted when the home was confiscated by the Union forces for use as a hospital.
During the Battle of Lexington, Sept. 18-20, 1861, the Anderson House changed hands 3 times on the first day of the battle. After the Southerners forced the Union defenders out of the house, the Union staged a bloody countercharge and retook it, only to be repulsed once more by the Southerners a short time later.
During their brief reoccupation of the house, the Union troops murdered 3 Southern prisoners at the base of the grand staircase. A bullet hole remains in one of the staircase risers. The battle caused extensive damage to both the interior and exterior of the house and damage from rifle and cannon shot is still visible on the east side of the house and in several interior rooms. A cannon ball came through the attic and through the attic floor into the second floor hallway: the hole in the ceiling remains today.
After his arrest by Federal troops, he posted bond, was paroled and banished from Missouri. He returned to Kentucky and lived with his wife until her death in 1867. Six years later, Anderson died at the home of his son-in-law, Henry Gratz, in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Anderson House was purchased after the war by Tilton Davis, who lived in it for 50 years and preserved the home. Reported to be haunted, in 1958, the house and portions of the nearby battlefield were donated to the state park system as part of the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site.
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