Lloyd Tilghman House
Encyclopedia
The Lloyd Tilghman House is an historic home located in downtown Paducah, Kentucky
. It is also known as the Tilghman-Woolfolk House and the Lloyd Tilghman House and Civil War Museum.
, who had just moved with his family to Paducah that year. Tilghman was a West Point
graduate, having finished 46th out of 49 in his class, but spent less than a year as a Second Lieutenant. He moved to Paducah, then a community of 3,000 people, due to being assigned there by his employer, the New Orleans and Ohio Railroad, as a railroad civil engineer
for the first railroad to connect Paducah to major cities to the south. Tilghman did not purchase the house; Woolfolk remained the owner of the property. Tilghman and his wife, seven children, and five slaves called the residence home until 1861, although Tilghman spent much of his time working on a railroad in the Isthmus of Panama
. At the time of his departure from the home, he was one of two colonels of the Kentucky State Guard whose stated purpose was to defend the state's neutrality. He officially left Paducah in June 1861, delaying his departure to prevent more pro-Union officers from leading the state militia in Paducah.
Woolfolk's family then moved into the home. When Federal troops finally arrived in Paducah, their headquarters were directly across from the Woolfolk home. Woolfolk was pro-Southern and flew a Confederate flag in response, sparking a riot in December 1861 that included Union soldiers, particularly those of the 11th Indiana Regiment. The incident would begin Brigadier General Charles Ferguson Smith
's decline as he saw his subordinate, Ulysses S. Grant
, raised above him almost immediately.
Woolfolk was banished from Paducah and the United States to Canada
on August 1, 1864 by Union Brigadier General Eleazer A. Paine
. Two weeks later his wife and family were also banished to Canada, which resulted in eight of Woolfolk's household, four others from Paducah, and eleven from Columbus, Kentucky
following Woolfolk into exile. These acts infuriated the Kentucky governor, and Paine was removed from command in Paducah after only 90 days.
It is now used as a Civil War Museum focusing on the western theater of the war. Upon its grand reopening on March 25, 2006, the museum focused on Western Kentucky's role in the war. On December 1, 2008 the Sons of Confederate Veterans
purchased the home from the foundation, with each group paying half of the remaining $150,000 mortgage. The museum is to keep its previous operation hours of noon to 4pm, Wednesday through Saturday, from March to November.
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
. It is also known as the Tilghman-Woolfolk House and the Lloyd Tilghman House and Civil War Museum.
Early years
The Greek Revival house was built in 1852 by Robert Woolfolk on the behalf of Lloyd TilghmanLloyd Tilghman
Lloyd Tilghman was a railroad construction engineer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Champion Hill...
, who had just moved with his family to Paducah that year. Tilghman was a West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
graduate, having finished 46th out of 49 in his class, but spent less than a year as a Second Lieutenant. He moved to Paducah, then a community of 3,000 people, due to being assigned there by his employer, the New Orleans and Ohio Railroad, as a railroad civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
for the first railroad to connect Paducah to major cities to the south. Tilghman did not purchase the house; Woolfolk remained the owner of the property. Tilghman and his wife, seven children, and five slaves called the residence home until 1861, although Tilghman spent much of his time working on a railroad in the Isthmus of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. At the time of his departure from the home, he was one of two colonels of the Kentucky State Guard whose stated purpose was to defend the state's neutrality. He officially left Paducah in June 1861, delaying his departure to prevent more pro-Union officers from leading the state militia in Paducah.
Woolfolk's family then moved into the home. When Federal troops finally arrived in Paducah, their headquarters were directly across from the Woolfolk home. Woolfolk was pro-Southern and flew a Confederate flag in response, sparking a riot in December 1861 that included Union soldiers, particularly those of the 11th Indiana Regiment. The incident would begin Brigadier General Charles Ferguson Smith
Charles Ferguson Smith
Charles Ferguson Smith was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican-American War and as a Union General in the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
's decline as he saw his subordinate, Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, raised above him almost immediately.
Woolfolk was banished from Paducah and the United States to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on August 1, 1864 by Union Brigadier General Eleazer A. Paine
Eleazer A. Paine
Eleazer Arthur Paine was an American soldier, author, lawyer, and a controversial general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was formally reprimanded for brutality toward civilians and violating their civil rights while commanding troops in western Kentucky.-Early life and...
. Two weeks later his wife and family were also banished to Canada, which resulted in eight of Woolfolk's household, four others from Paducah, and eleven from Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus is a city in Hickman County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 229 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbus is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
following Woolfolk into exile. These acts infuriated the Kentucky governor, and Paine was removed from command in Paducah after only 90 days.
Post-war
After the war the house was a residence until 1906, where it would see various commercial uses. It was slated for demolition in August 1986, but after work by Growth, Inc. the building was saved. In 1987 the roof was stabilized, and in 1992 it came under the care of the Tilghman Heritage Foundation. A total of $150,000 was spent to save the building from 1986 to 1998.It is now used as a Civil War Museum focusing on the western theater of the war. Upon its grand reopening on March 25, 2006, the museum focused on Western Kentucky's role in the war. On December 1, 2008 the Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans
Sons of Confederate Veterans is an American national heritage organization with members in all fifty states and in almost a dozen countries in Europe, Australia and South America...
purchased the home from the foundation, with each group paying half of the remaining $150,000 mortgage. The museum is to keep its previous operation hours of noon to 4pm, Wednesday through Saturday, from March to November.