Bodley-Bullock House

This Federal-style mansion, built in 1814, is one of Lexington's oldest and most distinguished homes. The house has served as a residence for prominent families and witnessed nearly two centuries of Kentucky history.

The Bodley-Bullock House stands at the corner of Market and Second Streets in Lexington's historic Gratz Park district, built circa 1814 by Samuel Long for Mayor Thomas Pindell. General Thomas Bodley, a War of 1812 hero and court clerk who famously admitted Henry Clay to practice law, purchased the residence for $10,000 shortly after its completion. The Federal-style home features what is considered the finest cantilevered elliptical staircase in any Kentucky Federal-style house, a graceful three-story spiral that would later become the focal point of its most famous ghost stories. Bodley lost the property during the financial panic of 1819, and over the following decades the house changed hands several times, serving as headquarters for both Confederate and Union forces during the Civil War.

The house's most consequential chapter began in 1912, when Dr. Waller O. Bullock, co-founder of the Lexington Clinic, and his wife Minnie purchased it for $11,000. Minnie Bullock became the longest-standing resident and a prominent figure in Lexington's civic and cultural life, dedicating herself to historic preservation efforts including the restoration of the nearby Hunt-Morgan House. She was also a vehement teetotaler who absolutely forbade alcohol from being consumed under her roof. When Minnie died in 1970, the property passed to Transylvania University, and the Junior League of Lexington undertook its restoration in 1984, converting it into a house museum and event venue.

It did not take long for Minnie's ghost to make her ongoing presence known. The most striking evidence has come from wedding photographers working in the house. Multiple brides have received their photograph proofs only to discover the image of an unexplained woman and a small child standing on the grand spiral staircase behind the bride, in a spot where no one had been standing during the session. Museum staff and the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, which has operated Gratz Park Ghost Tails and Tours, attribute this apparition to Minnie herself, scandalized by the festivities taking place in her home.

Electrical disturbances are another hallmark of Minnie's displeasure. During one wedding reception, the foyer lights fully turned on and off four times in succession, as if urging the lingering guests to leave. Perhaps the most telling incident occurred after the board of trustees voted to permit alcohol to be served at events in the house, directly contradicting the terms of Minnie's original will. The next day, a large crack was discovered in the glass covering the boardroom table, with no evidence of any physical cause. Staff took it as a clear message from their former mistress that the decision did not sit well with her.

The house is now open to the public for tours, special events, and Gallery Hop evenings. It remains one of approximately seven documented spirit locations within the three-block Gratz Park area. Visitors and staff continue to report cold spots, the sensation of being watched, and occasional glimpses of a figure in period clothing near the doorways and windows. Minnie Bullock, it seems, remains the most devoted resident the house has ever known.