Monroe Homeplace

The Monroe Homeplace has been called the most musical home in America, as the birthplace of three famous musicians and of the American musical form known today as Bluegrass. After farm chores were done, local traditional musicians gathered there, including Bill Monroe's legendary Uncle Pen. In summer, music and dancing took place on the porch or in the yard, and in cooler months furniture was moved outside so square dances could be held in the home. So much music was played there that the fibers of the wood changed in response to the vibrations, leaving the house a musical instrument itself. The site is believed to be the original home site of the first Monroes who arrived from Virginia in 1832. Bill Monroe was born in a log cabin on this site in 1911, and after that cabin was destroyed by fire when he was five years old, a framed house was built on the same spot around the original sandstone chimney. The homeplace was restored by the Bill Monroe Foundation in 2001.

Kentucky · United States