Federal Hill exhibit now open at KYGMC

Some belongings of the Marshalls, a local historic family, are now on display at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center.

According to KYGMC Education Coordinator Tandy Floyd, the Federal Hill exhibit is currently being displayed in the Wormald Gallery at KYGMC.

She said there are several artifacts that showcase significant moments in the lives of the Marshalls.

Some of the items directly relate to and represent the courageous behavior of the Marshalls, Floyd explained.

Among the items is a sword that was presented to Col. Thomas Marshall, the head of the Marshall family, by the House of Burgesses, the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly.

According to Ginny Butler, president of the Elizabeth Wallingford Trust, Marshall was presented the sword after his display of bravery in the Battle of Brandywine that took place during the Revolutionary War.

She shared a story about Marshall’s actions during the battle.

“Col. Thomas, twice during the war, his horses are shot from underneath him but he survives and he gets another horse and he’s going right on,” Butler began. “Then the man, who’s the commander of the group is shot. So he (Marshall) just takes over the command to save the day and win the battle. For that, he was awarded a beautiful sword.”

According to Butler, KYGMC had the sword in possession before the Federal Hill exhibit opened. She said the sword was gifted to the museum by a granddaughter of one of the Marshalls.

Butler commented on the sword’s presence at the museum.

“That’s wonderful,” Butler remarked.

Floyd went on to describe other items on display in the Federal Hill exhibit.

One of the items is a set of China that was given to Marshall and his wife by John Marshall, one of their sons, Floyd said.

At the request of President John Adams, John Marshall traveled to France in 1797 in an attempt to end attacks on American shipping.

With the event later being known as the “XYZ Affair,” the government of France refused to open negotiations unless America agreed to pay bribes, Floyd explained.

She noted John Marshall’s part of an American diplomatic commission that was sent to France in July of 1797. The commission was sent to France with plans to negotiate a solution to problems that threatened a war between the countries.

Butler shared some remarks regarding the sword and china, among other items, being on display at KYGMC. She noted the importance of the Marshall family being the focus of the exhibit.

“We are so excited because the Marshall family is just full of history and they’re such patriots and we want to preserve the house and teach everyone about the history of these people,” Butler said.

Butler said the Elizabeth Wallingford Trust was gifted the Marshall house and five acres of property by Lisa Fryman, the widow of Thomas Fryman, a direct descendant of Thomas Marshall.

She claimed the trust is lucky that representatives of the museum showed an interest in the house and the artifacts inside.

“They have made a wonderful exhibit, with the history and with the artifacts,” Butler remarked. She called Thomas Marshall a “true American patriot” as she continued to discuss the Marshall family’s significance in American history.

According to Butler, Thomas Marshall attended school with George Washington when he was a boy. She said they became friends, worked as surveyors together, and fought side by side at war.

Butler explained Washington and Thomas Marshall worked together in meetings in Virginia and voted for the state’s independence from England.

She noted that Marshall was a lieutenant during the French and Indian War and became a member of the Virginia convention. Washington and Marshall worked together before Kentucky was even considered a state, Butler added.

Among the many things Thomas Marshall played a role in, he was a key organizer of the Culpeper Minutemen, according to Butler. His two oldest sons, John and Thomas Marshall, eventually served as some of the minutemen.

The Culpeper Minutemen was a militia group formed in the district around Culpeper, Virginia, according to a website dedicated to the group..

During the Revolutionary War, several soldiers had to return home due to a lack of food and money or having to tend to their farmland. Thomas Sr., John, and Thomas Jr. were among the 5,000 who stayed.

Butler noted there were originally about 11,000 soldiers involved in the war. The Marshalls stayed and fought alongside Washington at Valley Forge. She went on to share a story that has been passed through her family for generations.

While the Marshalls were at Valley Forge, there was a “cold and terrible winter.” After over half the soldiers had left, Washington led a boat of men in a surprise attack against the British on Christmas Eve.

According to Butler, her ancestors have passed down the story that Thomas Marshall Sr. was in the boat with Washington when this happened. She speculated it was due to their friendship and Washington’s desire for Marshall to be there.

“That’s a great story,” Butler remarked. Floyd went on to share information about Thomas Marshall’s sons.

According to Floyd, John Marshall worked and became a lieutenant under Henry Lee, a former governor of Virginia. While working under Lee, John Marshall went to New York and captured Haitians at 3 a.m.

Floyd noted that Marshall went past the British army that was across from New York on this mission. She added that only two Americans were “lost.”

“This was just magnificent,” Floyd said. Butler noted that John Marshall also served as the fourth United States Supreme Court Chief Justice and is likely the longest serving since.

She said John Marshall could also be the only person to serve in all three branches of the United States government.

According to Butler, he served in the house of representatives, as secretary of state under John Adams, and was a chief justice. Floyd suggested this information gives her “chills.”

“He’s the one that really gave the judicial system strength,” Butler said.

Floyd went on to discuss James Marshall, a third son of Thomas Marshall Sr.

James Marshall was sent overseas to speak on Lafayette’s behalf as he was imprisoned in Austria, according to Floyd. It is said that, because of James, Lafayette was released.

Butler continued to discuss the Marshall home on Federal Hill.

After the war, Thomas Marshall Sr. was commissioned by Washington to come to Kentucky to pay soldiers in land, due to a lack of funds. Marshall was in charge of distributing land to the soldiers, Butler said.

Following the distribution of land, Marshall went on to live in an estate in Versailles. The estate is called Buck Pond, according to Butler. Marshall resided there until 1800 when he moved back to Federal Hill to live with his son, Thomas.

The latest story told to Butler was that, when Thomas Marshall Sr. returned to Mason County, the family added on to the house on the hill. She explained they added on a “beautiful” ball room and a bedroom for the parents and grandparents.

Thomas Marshall Sr. lived for two more years after returning to Federal Hill. She noted that he, along with some other members of the Marshall family, is buried in the family cemetery on the property.

Floyd added that Marshall was given over 180,000 acres of land in Virginia after the French and Indian War. That land later became part of West Virginia and Kentucky. She noted that was a reason why Marshall came to the area.

She shared some remarks on the history of the Marshall family.

“It’s not just history of Kentucky, it’s history of the frontier, history of the American process, because they were right there at the very beginning. These people were right there when they decided to break away from English government,” Floyd said.

KYGMC Executive Director Robert Boone added to Floyd’s statement in saying John Marshall could be considered the founder of the American judiciary system, due to his role in the three branches of United States government.

He tied this to his interest in Thomas Marshall Sr. being buried in Mason County.

“It’s just really amazing to think that his father is buried at the family graveyard. You know, the father of the father of the American judiciary system. It’s incredible,” Boone remarked.

Butler went on to discuss the current state Marshall home on Federal Hill.

According to Butler, they are in the process of restoring the roof on the main house and a smaller building on the property. Butler said the smaller building was used as a land grant office.

Boone said the Marshall home was one of the first brick houses in Kentucky. He, Butler and Floyd agreed in saying the property was close to being destructed completely.

“So glad you guys (the Elizabeth Wallingford Trust) got hold of that house before it fell completely down,” Floyd remarked. Butler noted there have been some private donations to aid in the restoration of the Marshall home.

Butler and Boone went on to discuss upcoming events related to the Federal Hill exhibit on display at KYGMC. According to Boone, there will be a seminar at the property on April 20 at 10:30 a.m.

According to Butler, there will also be a celebration on Saturday, May 11 at the Marshall house.

She explained there will be living history, tours, people dressed in costumes to portray the Marshall family, pioneer activities, music, food, and gun shows from the time period, and a croquet set.

Boone sees the seminar and Federal Hill exhibit as an opportunity to promote the May 11 event, he said. He noted the importance of celebrating the history of the Marshall family and their historical actions.

The Federal Hill exhibit is on display at KYGMC until May 1, according to Boone.