About Us

The Hutch

THE HISTORY: As the hand-hewn beech logs were laid into place to form the original walls of The Hutch, the American Revolutionary war was raging, Benedict Arnold was planning his famous act of treason, and Daniel Boone had just escaped capture by Chief Blackfish and the Shawnee, about 80 miles east of here. The farm at that time was part of the western frontier of Virginia. The original house was finished in 1780, eight years before the US Constitution was ratified, and nine years before George Washington was inaugurated as our first president. Our home was built nearly three decades before Abraham Lincoln was born, just 30 miles or so from here. It had been standing 83 years when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 

This farm was truly on the frontier. On at least one occasion, the home was visited by a group of Native Americans who were likely traveling along the Beech Fork River. They were given food and moved along peacefully. Through prohibition and beyond, the farmland was home to moonshine stills, some of which were operated by our Grandfather, Olie Hutchins, as he worked to pay off the farm mortgage. The “dinner bell” that hung atop a pole outside the kitchen was used to warn those at the still when a stranger – potentially a revenuer - came down the hill.  This same bell is now displayed near the front patio.

 

THE LOCATION: We are proud to share this unique home with our visitors. We are centrally located for key sites on the Bourbon Trail:

· 2.2 miles from Willett Distillery

· 2.9 miles from Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience

· 17.5 miles from Maker’s Mark Distillery

· 4.6 miles from Barton’s Distillery 

· 19 miles from Jim Beam Distillery

We are also a short drive (4.7 miles) from Bardstown, named by Rand McNally in 2012 as The Most Beautiful Small Town in America. Its streets are lined with shops, restaurants, bourbon-themed bars, and the Oscar Getz Museum of Whisky History. Louisville can be reached in just under an hour, and Lexington in just over an hour. Whether you are interested in the history of bourbon, the history of frontier settlement, or the history of the Catholic Church, you will find pathways to the past not far from Hutchins Lane.

THE FAMILY: At least 30 babies were brought into the world from within the thick walls of this home. Our grandmother, Bernadette Hutchins, rode by horseback to deliver many more children into families throughout this area. The farm fed generations of Ballard, Greenwell, and Hutchins families. It was the center of gatherings throughout our childhoods, with fried chicken dinners drawing together the children and grandchildren - and eventually great grandchildren - of Olie and Bernadette. 

THE FEATURES: Today, the farm is owned by 8th generation descendants, the children of Sonny and June Hutchins - Catherine, Frank, John, Connie & Laura. They, along with their spouses, manage the farm and The Hutch. The newly remodeled house has three bedrooms; one with a King bed, one with a Queen, and another with two Queens. There is also a sofa with a pull-out bed. There are two bathrooms, both with showers. There is a fully functional kitchen with an adjoining sunroom. Outside, there is all the peaceful beauty of a working Kentucky farm, highlighted by a sitting area overlooking a pond and the Beech Fork River valley.

THE HUTCH!