Botherum was originally a farm of about 30 acres purchased by Madison C. Johnson in the early 1800s. Johnson was the president of the Northern Bank of Kentucky and a confidant of President Abraham Lincoln. He married a sister of Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sally Ann, who died in childbirth in 1828. In 1851, Johnson hired architect and builder John McMurty to build the cottage as it is today. In 1973, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Carloftis and his former partner purchased the home in 2012. While they did much of the restoration work themselves, they enlisted the help of several local vendors to complete the masterpiece.
Since renovations have been completed, Botherum has received several awards from notable organizations including the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation and the highest honor in the state, the Preservation Project Award from the Ida Lee Willis/State Historic Preservation Office.

Botherum Gardens
Before & After


Botherum Interior
Before & After




Botherum Potting Shed
Before & After


Botherum Pool & Carriage House
Before & After

