William W. Goddard House / Wildwood
This handsome Italianate villa with its three story tower was built by William W. and Sarah Eliza Goddard circa 1870.
Goddard was a tobacco grower, cattle breeder, horseman, and fervent supporter of the southern cause during the Civil War.
He named one of his children Rebel to commemorate the conflict. The family lived in a log structure located to the rear of this house prior to the building of their home.
William W. Goddard House / Wildwood
338 Curry Pike
Harrodsburg, KY 40330
The Goddards
The Goddards immigrated from Scotland in the 1700’s, settling in Maryland near Baltimore. Michael Goddard was born in Maryland and died in Georgetown, Kentucky in 1836. He married a widow - Margaret McCleary Pigman.
Michael and Margaret had six children, Evalyne, Eliza, George, Catherine, William Wirt, and Anastasia.
William Wirt Goddard
William married Sarah Eliza Glave in Cynthiana, Kentucky on January 29, 1857. As a child Sarah Liza had some type of eye infection and doctor prescribed leeches on her eyes to clear up infection, a "cure" which left her nearly blind.
The story is that William courted Sarah and asked for her hand in marriage but her father discouraged him, advising that she would not make a fit wife since her eyesight would prevent her from properly caring for her household. William countered that she would not have to ever worry about that because he would always have help for her. So they were married.
Sarah Liza and William moved to Mercer County where he bought several hundred acres of the “best farmland in Kentucky, Wildwood Farm.”
Farmland was cleared and a log cabin was built and William and his bride began raising a family: Glave born in 1857, Nick born in 1859, Mame born in 1861, and Rebel born in 1863 (and named for the “whole rowdy bunch of Confederates”), Paul born in 1865, Ralf born in 1867, and Ina born in 1869. All these children were born in the log cabin before the the beautiful Italianate home was finished in 1870.
Two children were born in this house: Rea was born in 1874 and Will was born in 1876.
William was imprisoned for a short time during the Civil War for aiding the Confederate Army.
The Goddard Children
Each of the Goddard children prospered and led interesting lives.
Glave left the farm as a young man to go work on Colonel Dan Moore’s ranch in “Western Territory.” He came back years later to work in insurance and married his brother’s widow, Annie Bell. Glave and Annie Bell bought Beaumont College which became Beaumont Inn.
Mame married Robert Curry. She lived to be 98.
Nick was the first husband of Annie Bell, father of William and Pauline Goddard. He died from typhoid fever in 1893.
Rebel married Katherine Edelen. Rebel was one of the pioneer settlers of Coldwater, Kansas, living there for seven years and was elected clerk of district court. When he returned to Harrodsburg, he became a renowned horse breeder and judge. During WWI he was in charge of the Remount Service at Fort Knox, Ky.
Paul married Mattie Mitchell, also a native of Harrodsburg. Paul owned a mens’ store on Main Street but left to manage a citrus farm in California which his brother Ralf had purchased. He and his wife never returned to Kentucky.
Ralf married Lalla Drain from California. He became a real estate developer and bought Signal Hill where oil was discovered, which made him quite wealthy.
Ina married Joe Watkins from Kansas Territory. She came home for a visit and never went back. No one asked her about it.
Rea married Howard Owens.
More Information
W. W. Goddard's life and deeds are recorded in "Uncle Will of Wildwood."
The preceding was written by Helen Dedman, wife of Charles M. Dedman, who is the great, great grandson of WW Goddard.