Lucy Dupuy Craig Woolfolk diaries
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Lucy Dupuy Craig Woolfolk diaries
- Date
- 1863-1865 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.1 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Pope Villa
- Architecture, Domestic -- Kentucky -- Bluegrass Region
- Domestic Life -- United States
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically.
- Preferred Citation
- 2012ms351: [identification of item], Lucy Dupuy Craig Woolfolk diaries, 1863-1865, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Lucy Dupuy Craig Woolfolk was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on November 9, 1833 to Elijah Wisdom Craig (1779-1857) and Almira Grosvenor Craig (1802-1845). She was one of eleven children. Her siblings were Henry D. Craig, Mary Carpenter Craig, Laura Grosvenor Craig, Sarah Wisdom Craig, Susan Dunham Craig, Horace Grosvenor Craig, Almira Victoria Craig, Albert Dewees Craig, and Anna Maria Craig.
- Lucy Dupuy Craig married Joseph Sowyel Woolfolk (1828-1914) on September 30, 1858. Together they had six children: Almira Grosvenor Woolfolk (1859-1903), Martha "Mattie" Craig Woolfolk (1861-1866), Mary "Mamie" Brannon Woolfolk (1864-1957), John Grosvenor Woolfolk (1867-1914), Lucy Dupuy Woolfolk (1868-1914), and Joseph Grosvenor Woolfolk (1871-1916).
- Lucy Dupuy Craig Woolfolk, her husband, and their children lived at the Woolfolk family estate at Oak Hill Farm in Woodford County, Kentucky, for many years. Joseph S. Woolfolk worked as a farmer on the family land, primarily raising horses and cattle, while Lucy managed the household and raised the children with the help of servants. In 1865, the Woolfolks purchased the residence named Pope Villa, which was designed by architect Henry Benjamin Latrobe. They hired Lexington architect and former University of Louisville professor Major Thomas Lewinski (1800-1882) to remodel the house and took up residence there in 1866. While living in Lexington, Joseph was engaged in several businesses, including coal mining, iron production, grain production, and, ultimately, real estate. The Pope Villa was owned and occupied by the Woolfolk family and their descendants until 1914.
- Lucy Dupuy Craig Woolfolk was a devout Episcopalian. She died on July 21, 1875 in Lexington, Kentucky, and is buried in Lexington Cemetery.
- Scope and Content
- The Lucy Dupuy Craig Woolfolk diaries (dated 1863-1864; 0.1 cubic feet; 3 folders) consists of two diaries documenting the daily activities and observations of Woolfolk, a resident of Woodford county, Kentucky. The collection includes a typed transcript of the diary entries. Since the diaries have torn pages and loose boards and need to be handled carefully, researchers may be advised to consult the transcripts.
- In her diary entries, Lucy describes household tasks such as sewing clothes, knitting, cooking, nursing her baby (Mamie Woolfolk), and caring for her other children and husband (whom she refers to as "Mr. W"). Each entry typically includes a description of that day's weather. The later diary entries detail the process of purchasing and renovating their home, the Pope Villa.
- Lucy also writes about her leisure activities: reading novels and the Bible, making shopping trips to Lexington, calling on friends and family, sending and receiving correspondence, attending Episcopalian church services, playing the piano, and reading the newspaper. She mentions attending social events such as a tableaux vivant, a candy pull, and "Court Day," a market day that coincided with court sessions at the Lexington Court House.
- Lucy's diaries provide insight into her thoughts and reactions to the daily happenings of the Civil War, on a local and national scale. She mentions men from the region who have been killed in action, deserters and Confederate soldiers who stop by the property, Lexington's fortifications in preparation for battle, and skirmishes that occur near her home. She also records such events as Stonewall Jackson's death, the capture of Savannah, General Lee's surrender, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the explosion of the steamship Sultana, and the trial of Jefferson Davis.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
