The park's centerpiece is Federal Hill, a former plantation home owned by United States Senator John Rowan in 1795.

[4] During the Rowan family's occupation, the mansion became a meeting place for local politicians and hosted several visiting dignitaries.

The farm is best known for its association with American composer Stephen Foster's[5] sentimental ballad "My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night".

Federal Hill, commonly known as "My Old Kentucky Home", is a historic 7,501 square feet (696.9 m2) mansion that was planned and commissioned by Judge John Rowan and his wife Ann Lytle.

With Rowan in residence, Federal Hill was a local power center in the realms of legal, political, and social events.

Prominent visitors to the home included Marquis de Lafayette, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay.

Carpenter Alexander Moore was hired to repair the damage, as he had worked on the design elements and woodwork in 1818.

The Commission renovated the property and gave the farm to the Commonwealth of Kentucky for use as a state park, with the official dedication on July 4, 1923.

The mansion is constructed on a native limestone foundation that supports an English basement and two and a half stories, with an exterior primarily of brick that were fired on-site and laid in the Flemish bond pattern.

A burial ground of enslaved men, women, and children is located to the southwest of the mansion, adjacent to the site of the property's "sugar camp.".

The official ceremony revealing the quarter was held in the park, and was said by then-governor Paul E. Patton that the mansion and the accompanying thoroughbred were: "...the two most visible, beloved symbols in Kentucky".

[15] The park features an amphitheater that is home to the long-running outdoor musical, The Stephen Foster Story, which is staged during the summer.

[16][17] Recently, the amphitheater has incorporated new musicals into its performance schedule, in addition to The Stephen Foster Story.