Elmwood

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Historical Marker #1040 commemorates Elmwood, a historic home in Springfield.

A tumultuous time in Springfield’s history was the summer of 1862, when multiple Confederate armies invaded the commonwealth. During that campaign, General Braxton Bragg’s Confederate army passed through the city, preceding Union General Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio. Buell made his headquarters at Elmwood, the Springfield home of Hugh McElroy, just prior to the battle at nearby Perryville on October 8, 1862.

Elmwood was built in 1851 by W. S. Davison, the son of the town’s first merchant. The style is typical of the Italianate style of the bluegrass architect Thomas Lewinski (1800 - 1882), who built many structures in this style including the Christ Church in Lexington. The Italianate style features severe arches, stucco walls, and Palladian windows.

The Elmwood estate originally had a cupola on top as pictured in the painting by E. Cheatham in 1959. The cupola was destroyed by a tornado and the greenhouse on the side of the home no longer stands. The intricate paisley-shaped Palladian windows can be viewed from the road as well as the hexagonal columns of the front porch.