The historic mansion known as Barbourville once belonged to wealthy American lawyer, Governor James Barbour, but ever since fire destroyed the home in 1884, it has sat as a protected ruin in the back of a vineyard.
Barbour's signature home was built in 1822 based on designs by his close friend, Thomas Jefferson, who mimicked certain features from his own Monticello home. The eight-room home was not the most ostentatious house ever built, but it was grand in its own way, with multiple two-story chambers. There was also supposed to be a large dome added to the top of the house, but this feature was eliminated while the house was being built. While the house itself was not extraordinarily large, the boxwood gardens surrounding it were known for their size.
On Christmas Day in 1884, fire raged through the estate, destroying everything but the stone foundations. Even much of the these were damaged however. Luckily the grand fluted columns were left intact.
Today the ruins are held on the grounds of the Barbourville Winery. While they sit on private property, they are also recognized as a protected historic landmark. While there aren't too many presidents passing through the estate's crumbling halls these days, they are the site of a number of weddings which take advantage of the historic sights.