Klein was born into a family with a long tradition in farming and raising plants and he and Martha Lee continued that tradition. They developed a varied crop and livestock farm that would, in its heyday, provide just about all the growing family needed other than flour, sugar and coffee. They also developed what would become one of the most successful ornamental plant nurseries in the region, specializing in yews and hollies.
Over the years, Klein built most of the buildings that made up the farmstead, from the family’s home to support buildings for the farm, greenhouses and even the iconic castle that served as the family’s pool house. Klein’s creativity and craftsmanship are evident throughout the property from hand carved corner stones to leaded windows, intricate woodwork and his signature millstones incorporated throughout.
Mr. Bernheim was grateful to the people of Kentucky for allowing him the opportunity to be successful, and he made many contributions throughout the community. His love of sculpture was manifest in several gifts to the public, including the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Louisville Free Public Library and the statue of Thomas Jefferson in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse. He also donated the statues of Henry Clay and Ephraim McDowell which stand in the Statuary Hall in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., representing Kentucky.
In 1929, Mr. Bernheim bought and endowed the land that would become Bernheim Forest, now over 16,000 acres. He dedicated this land as a gift to the people of his new homeland. Mr. Bernheim wanted to provide a place for the renewal and restoration of the bond between people and nature. His vision included the combination of an arboretum and natural forested areas infused with the arts, to create a unique site to experience nature. To make his vision a reality was not easy. Due to the land's previous use by the sale and iron ore industries, the landscape at the time of his purchase was heavily abused and nearly devoid of trees.