Visitor centers and rest stops are often thought to be merely places to stop to stretch your legs and use the restroom during a long journey, but this unique attraction is worth a visit on its own. Located in Paducah, Kentucky on I-24 near the state border with Illinois, the Whitehaven Visitors Center is easily the state’s most unique. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Also known as the Anderson-Smith House, this one-of-a-kind 1860s Southern-style mansion turned visitors center is full of both history and charm.
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Built in 1865 as a simple two-story brick farmhouse by tobacco dealer Edward L. Anderson, the home was remodeled in 1903 in the Classical Revival style with a grand staircase, elaborate plaster ceilings with crown molding, and a large portico with eight Corinthian columns.
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The home changed owners throughout the years and eventually fell into disrepair. Vandals broke all but one of the glass panes, while water damage rotted ceilings, floors, and portico and a portion of the east wall collapsed.
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In 1981, the home was sold to the Paducah Junior College. They didn’t want to demolish the historic home but they didn’t have the money to restore it either. Later that year, Kentucky governor John Y. Brown Jr. — with Kentucky Secretary of Transportation Frank Metts — decided the historic home could serve as the I-24 welcome center. While many opposed this idea, wanting a more modern welcome center closer to both the interstate and the Ohio River, this historic home won.
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The home was carefully restored using as much original material as possible, and the welcome center, renamed Whitehaven, was opened to the public in 1983.
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Today, visitors will find an information desk and restrooms as well as memorabilia from across Kentucky, including an area dedicated to Kentucky politician and US vice president Alben Barkley.
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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 1, 1984, the Anderson-Smith House is the only historic house in the United States that is also used as a rest area.
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This beautifully furnished and decorated landmark serves as Kentucky’s gateway to the South, and is so worth a visit.
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The Whitehaven Welcome Center is located at 1845 Lone Oak Rd., Paducah, KY 42003. The lobby and restrooms are open 24/7 while the Welcome Center is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The next time you’re driving through Paducah, be sure to stop by to see the most unique visitors center in Kentucky for yourself.
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If you liked this, you might also enjoy learning about the oldest general store in Kentucky.
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