 In 1795 , Rowan began construction of Federal Hill , his family estate , on land that his father @-@ in @-@ law gave him as a wedding present . Due to limited financial resources , the time required to import building materials from the east , and the craftsmanship required to construct the large home , the mansion was not completed until 1818 . After a fire destroyed the log cabin in which the Rowans lived in 1812 , they moved into the part of the mansion that was completed , and continued to live there while construction on the rest of the house was finished . Federal Hill was once believed to be the first brick house constructed in the state of Kentucky , but more contemporary sources give the designation to the William Whitley House , also known as Sportsman 's Hill , which was completed in 1794 near Crab Orchard , Kentucky . 
