Daniel Carter Beard Boyhood Home
Encyclopedia
The Daniel Carter Beard Boyhood Home is a National Historic Landmark
located in the Riverside Drive Historic District
of Covington, Kentucky
, overlooking the Licking River
, across the Ohio River
from Cincinnati, Ohio
. The two-story brick domicile, built in 1821 and one of the two oldest buildings in Kenton County, Kentucky
, it was the boyhood home of Daniel Carter Beard
, a founder of the Boy Scouts of America
and their National Scout Commissioner from its 1910 founding to his death in 1941.
Born in Cincinnati in 1850, Daniel Carter Beard's family moved to Covington, Kentucky
when he was eleven years old. Growing up, he routinely heard stories of Daniel Boone
. Beard so idolized Boone that Beard and his friends dubbed themselves the "Boone Scouts" and sought to emulate Boone. These Boone Scouts would engage in several activities, including sneaking past sentries of the various Union Army camps in town. This emulation led Beard to a life of camping, handiwork, and nature that foretold his later life. Beard would leave the house when he went to college, and moved to New York City
following his graduation. Beard's family would leave the house in 1878 to move to New York City to join Daniel.
Beard was last in Covington in 1934, when a parade was held in his honor, where scouts from Kentucky
, Ohio
, and West Virginia
came to show their appreciation.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1966. William Booth Memorial Hospital owned the building when it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and used it as a nursing school, with nursing students living within; the hospital is still just north of the Home. The home is now a private residence.
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
located in the Riverside Drive Historic District
Riverside Drive Historic District
The Riverside Drive Historic District is a historic district located at the west bank of the confluence of the Licking River and the Ohio River in Covington, Kentucky, directly across from Cincinnati, Ohio....
of Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
, overlooking the Licking River
Licking River (Kentucky)
The Licking River is a tributary of the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the Kentucky River to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east.-Origin of name:The Native...
, across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
from Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The two-story brick domicile, built in 1821 and one of the two oldest buildings in Kenton County, Kentucky
Kenton County, Kentucky
Kenton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States. It was formed in 1840. In 2010, the population was 159,720. It is the third most populous county in Kentucky behind Jefferson County and Fayette County. Its county seats are Covington and Independence...
, it was the boyhood home of Daniel Carter Beard
Daniel Carter Beard
Daniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard was an American illustrator, author, youth leader, and social reformer who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which Beard later merged with the Boy Scouts of America .-Early life:...
, a founder of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and their National Scout Commissioner from its 1910 founding to his death in 1941.
Born in Cincinnati in 1850, Daniel Carter Beard's family moved to Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
when he was eleven years old. Growing up, he routinely heard stories of Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
. Beard so idolized Boone that Beard and his friends dubbed themselves the "Boone Scouts" and sought to emulate Boone. These Boone Scouts would engage in several activities, including sneaking past sentries of the various Union Army camps in town. This emulation led Beard to a life of camping, handiwork, and nature that foretold his later life. Beard would leave the house when he went to college, and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
following his graduation. Beard's family would leave the house in 1878 to move to New York City to join Daniel.
Beard was last in Covington in 1934, when a parade was held in his honor, where scouts from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
came to show their appreciation.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1966. William Booth Memorial Hospital owned the building when it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and used it as a nursing school, with nursing students living within; the hospital is still just north of the Home. The home is now a private residence.