Iroquois Area Business Association

Farnsley-Kaufman House

Auction Nets $8300

Home · News · Sports · Business · Features · Louisville Scene · Classifieds · Jobs · Cars · Homes · Marketplace · Contact Us · Search

Local/Regional » Neighborhoods » News Item Wednesday, November 7, 2001

SOUTH END/SOUTHWEST
Sales net $8,300 for improving old home
Farnsley-Kaufman House will receive auction proceeds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rowena Bolin
Special to The Courier-Journal


An auction held last month by Friends of the Farnsley-Kaufman House surpassed the group's goal of $7,500.

''We estimate that we netted approximately $8,300,'' said Doug Farnsley, chairman of the group's board.

The Oct. 27 event at the FarnsleyMoremen House, 7410 Moorman Road, was the fourth auction that the group has sponsored to help pay for restoration of and repairs to the historic Farnsley-Kaufman House at Cane Run Road and Lees Lane.

The house originally belonged to David Farnsley, whose brother, Gabriel, owned the grander FarnsleyMoremen House. It was built as a log home in 1811 and received a brick addition in 1830. Doug Farnsley is a great-great-great nephew of David Farnsley.

The Farnsley-Kaufman house sits in front of Farnsley Middle School. The Jefferson County Board of Education, the owner of the property, had planned to raze it in 1997 when it built the middle school, but the group organized to save it.

The big item at this year's auction was a dinner for six to be served at the Farnsley-Moremen House. It will be the first dinner to be held in the restored house, Farnsley said. In previous years, the dinner has been held in the Farnsley-Kaufman House, he said.

Jack Medford, president of Medford Property Co. Inc., paid $1,025 for the dinner. It will be prepared by Garrett Sanborn, culinary arts instructor at Western High School. Medford gets to choose when the dinner will be held.

Medford has purchased the dinner at the three previous auctions, as well. ''He's been a very good supporter, a very good friend to our group,'' Farnsley said.

Medford said he supports the group's goals because members ''are trying to preserve a bit of our heritage that is most important.''

A new item in this year's auction was a signed print of a proposed logo for the Friends of the FarnsleyKaufman House. The print is a picture of the house with a tree and grapevine laden with grapes in the foreground. Farnsley said grapes were grown on the property and wine was made there years ago.

In four years the group has raised about $190,000, including grants, for the house's renovation. Work on the home is less than half finished. Farnsley said the group doesn't have an estimate on how much more money is needed.

Contributions can be sent to Friends of the Farnsley-Kaufman House, c/o Douglass Farnsley, 400 W. Market St., Suite 1800, Louisville, Ky. 40202.