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The Monroe family lived in a small, but comfortable cabin on the Monroe family farm, called Jerusalem Ridge, just outside Rosine, Kentucky. This beautiful, peaceful and majestic setting is where Bill, Charlie and Birch Monroe grew up and learned the roots of what was to eventually evolve into what we know as "bluegrass" music. Their formative years on Jerusalem Ridge, the trials and tribulations, the joys and the heartaches, all provided a rich source of subjects and material which became the inspiration for many of their songs and firmly established their legacy in bluegrass music

Hard times eventually drove Bill and his family north to seek gainful employment and Jerusalem Ridge, his precious childhood home was sold to help pay outstanding debts, a move Bill regretted until he died in 1996. It was then that a devoted fan, friend and bluegrass disciple, Campbell Mercer, formed The Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Music Foundation, dedicated to promoting and preserving the music, life and legacy of the Monroe brothers. Mercer and the foundation embarked on an ambitious plan to buy the 930-acre Monroe family farm and build a museum and amphitheater in Rosine where bluegrass music can be played during annual spring and fall festivals. Thus was born, The Rosine Project.

In 2001, Mercer left his veterinary practice and moved to Rosine to become Executive Director of The Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Music Foundation whose first priority was to save Monroe’s deteriorating childhood home on Jerusalem Ridge two miles west of town. The five-room wooden structure was painstakingly restored to its 1917 glory and now is filled with family heirlooms and mementos from Monroe’s illustrious 70-year musical career.

Though there have been many challenges, The Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Music Foundation continues to flourish and support continues to grow for it's plans to restore Jerusalem Ridge and the Monroe homeplace to it's original splendor, and to preserve it's historic significance in American cultural history for years to come.

To learn more about The Monroe Bluegrass Music Foundation and how you can help support their efforts, visit their website at: www.billmonroefoundation.org

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