NEW BEGINNINGS

The Tyler family first settled near the Falls of the Ohio in what would later become downtown Louisville. By 1784, Moses Tyler’s father, Edward Tyler II, owned and operated a tavern on Main Street, while other members of the family were already putting down roots about a day’s ride east—on the land that would become Blackacre.

Edward Tyler II supported the Revolutionary War effort by supplying wood planks, flour, and courier services to the army of George Rogers Clark. He was later paid for these supplies by the state of Virginia. Like many early settlers, Edward acquired land by purchasing a treasury warrant. This warrant entitled him to claim a specific number of acres by surveying the land with a transit and measuring chain. Once surveyed, he received a land grant—proof of ownership. Despite the name, this land was not freely given. Military warrants differed only in how they were earned, not in the land itself.

Moses Tyler had already been living and working at Blackacre for several years before the land was officially transferred to him. Together with his sons, he worked tirelessly to establish the homestead. The Tyler family made a living producing whiskey and held one of the earliest distillery permits in Kentucky. Moses transported whiskey along Floyds Fork and the Salt River to supply his father’s tavern—and soon expanded operations to serve customers as far away as New Orleans.

Today, visitors are invited to explore the historic homestead structures and learn more about the beginnings of Blackacre and the Tyler family legacy.