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Monday, June 14, 2004

Cannonballs and Hemp Seed

Lexington Herald-Leader

Excerpted

Question: What is the large concrete building at the intersection of Newtown and Ironworks pikes? I heard that it was used to store ammunition at one time. ‹Tom Dixon, Lexington

Answer: This Civil War-era barn, currently on Cobra Farm at the intersection of Newtown and Ironworks pikes, served not only as a hemp barn but also as the location for making cannonballs during the war. Hot lead was poured into molds, which was how Ironworks Pike got its name. Also, the loft in the barn was used as slave quarters.

This hemp barn is a two-story, solid brick structure. It is white with green trim and measures 40 by 50 square feet.

During the 1800s, hemp was a major crop in Kentucky, used extensively for making rope. The barn was used to store hemp seed. State production of hemp accounted for half of all industrial hemp produced in the United States.

By the 1860s, the hemp industry began to decline because the availability of superior fibers reduced the demand for hemp. A second, brief period of hemp importance in Kentucky occurred during World War II.

The current owner is not sure when the barn was built, but the house on the property was erected in 1813 for Stark Taylor and was called Pleasant Retreat, according to a book by Clay Lancaster, Ante Bellum Houses of the Bluegrass. Stark Taylor died in his home on Newtown Pike on April 24, 1859 when he was 73 years old.

Copyright © 2004, Lexington Herald-Leader. All rights reserved.

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