The historic Hensley Settlement is located at the top of Brush Mountain within Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in southern Kentucky. The settlement contains 12 homestead log cabins, a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a springhouse.
In 1903, Barton Hensley Sr. purchased the acreage and divided it into 16 properties for his extended family. The settlement, which never had electricity, was self-sustaining, and everything was grown, raised, and hand-made. People traveled by foot or by horse.
A one-room schoolhouse was erected in 1908, which was in operation until 1947. By 1949, Sherman Hensley was the only resident who relocated off of the mountain in 1951.
Hensley Settlement was dedicated as part of the Cumberland Gap NHP in July 1959. The National Park Service and the Job Corps began restoring the property in 1965, and is today serves as an Appalachian living history museum.
Cumberland Gap NHP offers a 3½ to 4-hour tour that departs from the visitor center and involves a shuttle ride to Hensley Settlement. There is a one-mile walk through the settlement. The tours have a limited capacity and reservations a month in advance are recommended.
| (606) 248-2817 |
| Website | |
| 91 Bartlett Park Road, Middlesboro, KY 40965 | |
| (606) 248-2817 |
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[…] Today, Cumberland Gap NHP encompasses 24,000 acres of forested, mountainous terrain, making it one of the largest national parks in the eastern United States. It includes countless overlooks and natural features, such as White Rocks and Sand Cave, 85 miles of easy to strenuous hiking and backpacking trails, numerous family-friendly and backcountry campsites, a visitors center with interactive exhibits, and historic sites including Hensley Settlement. […]