Captain Jack Jouett, Jr., "the Paul Revere of the South," rode 40 miles on the night of June 3 and 4, 1781, to warn Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia House of Delegates that British Colonel Banastre Tarleton was headed to Monticello and Charlottesville to capture them during the American Revolution. Jack Jouett moved to Kentucky and in 1797 built a one-and-a-half-story brick Federal-style cottage in Woodford County. A circa-1780s stone cabin that was on the site when Jouett built his house was turned into an outdoor kitchen, attached to the house by a roof and dogtrot. Jouett raised hemp, operated a distillery, imported blooded horses and cattle from England, and served in both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Kentucky General Assembly. His son, noted painter Matthew Harris Jouett, grew up in the house.

Guided tours of the house and grounds are offered from April through October. Special events include art shows featuring original Matthew Harris Jouett paintings, garden tours, archaeology programs, and architectural tours.