Joseph Holt Mansion

On a Sunday afternoon in 1997 while driving along State Highway 144 near Stephensport, Kentucky, Susan Dyer and her husband passed the Joseph Holt Mansion and her life changed forever. Originally built in the 1850s with some features dating to the 1870s — once part of Holt’s 10,000-acre estate — the home had been vacant for more than 50 years and deteriorated due to time, the elements, and lack of upkeep.

Joseph Holt Mansion tells the story of Susan’s tireless efforts to save the Holt mansion, initially by bringing awareness to the historical importance of Judge Joseph Holt and the Holt home to the people of Breckinridge County, Kentucky. Although told it couldn’t be restored, Susan began a campaign to restore the mansion to its former glory. Joseph Holt Mansion describes Susan’s “never say never” attitude and the thousands of hours spent in fund raising, grant writing, and leading the charge along with other volunteers and public officials to save the Holt mansion.

Judge Joseph Holt was born in Breckinridge County in 1807 and was buried in the Holt Family Cemetery east of the mansion in 1894. The mansion was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Read Joseph Holt Mansion and learn the story behind the efforts to restore a true piece of Kentucky heritage.

Susan Dyer receives the Award of Distinction

Award of Distinction: The Award of Distinction is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to state and local history as a volunteer, board member, or member of an organization. The award was given because of the wonderful work of the Joseph Holt Home.

Susan Dyer

In 1997, Susan Dyer, a middle school social studies teacher, stopped in front of an abandoned 19th-century mansion in her native Breckinridge County. This had been the home of Joseph Holt, an influential Kentucky Unionist and Abraham Lincoln’s judge advocate general who prosecuted those who conspired to assassinate the sixteenth president.

Susan later told Kentucky Living magazine, “As I stood there and gazed upon this beautiful home, I could feel the sadness of the home, and I knew there was much history surrounding the place. I just felt the history needed to be reclaimed and retold.”

And reclaim it, she did. Thanks to her tireless efforts, the Joseph Holt House has now been preserved and is open for tours and events.

While Susan will always give credit to others for this preservation project’s success, her vision and tenacity made it happen. The former Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission co-chair, Tommy Turner said, “I guarantee you it would never have happened without Susan pushing it. She has talked to everyone from the White House on down…and has spent countless hours and countless dollars, I’m sure, out of her pocket, to make this come about.”

Susan has also worked to host community events at the Holt home and has created many partnerships to raise awareness about the property. This includes having the US Army JAG Corps celebrate their 248^th birthday at the house and more. She also wrote the book Lincoln’s Advocate: The Life of Judge Joseph Holt to raise awareness about Holt’s story.

Susan worked actively with the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and, in 2023, she and the Friends of the Holt Home were awarded the Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation Grassroots Preservation Award.

A KHS staff member said working with Susan was always wonderful because of her dedication, kindness, sense of humor, and willingness to build friendships with everyone she encountered. An added benefit, he said, was that when you worked with Susan, a chocolate cake would always arrive in the mail a few days later. And those chocolate cakes were incredible.

While her cakes alone deserve an award, we are pleased to present Susan Dyer with the Award of Distinction for her work to preserve the Holt House and her dedication to the history of Breckinridge County. Congratulations.

U.S Army JAG Corp celebrates 248th birthday at National Historic Place in Breckinridge County

The Ida Lee Willis Preservation Foundation

Grassroots Preservation Award

May 17, 2023

Recently, one of Breckinridge County’s own Susan B. Dyer and the Friends of the Holt Home, Inc. received The Ida Lee Willis Memorial Foundation Grassroots Preservation Award in Maysville, Kentucky on May 17.

The purpose of the foundation is to recognize and honor worthy historic preservation efforts of all sizes across the Commonwealth.  Since the foundation’s beginning they have done this by sponsoring Kentucky’s signature preservation awards each year to highlight outstanding projects, service, and commitment. Nominations for the awards are invited from the public, reviewed by a panel of judges representing the foundation, state agencies and affiliated nonprofits. The awards are presented at an annual ceremony each May recognized as National Historic Preservation Month.

Each year many individuals, businesses, organizations, and local governments make significant contributions to preservation of Kentucky’s heritage. Through rehabilitation of an important building or structure, advocacy, investment of time or resources, or a lifetime commitment to encouraging and promoting historic preservation in the Commonwealth, all demonstrate an understanding of and appreciation for value of preservation and reusing Kentucky’s historic resources and protecting archaeological sites.

Since 1979 the Ida Lee Willis Foundation was chartered in honor of Ida Lee Willis, the first state historic preservation officer and director of the Kentucky Heritage Commission known today as the Kentucky Heritage Council/ State Historic Preservation Office.

Joseph Holt Home website

Save the Judge Holt Home facebook page

LTG Charles Pede, 40th TJAG Visits Holt Home

Susan Dyer receiving a medal from LTC Charles Pede, 40th TJAG on his visit to the Holt Home

The Judge Advocate General of The United States Army shaking hands with Susan Dyer. Work continues to make the home a National meeting place!

Photo credit Judy Nottingham and the Breckinridge County- Herald News

Meade County RECC article