Author: Nate Kissel

Marion County Courthouse – Lebanon, Ky.


After visiting Lebanon for the first time, I know two things – first, this town loves ham, and secondly, John Hunt Morgan is all over the place here. I thought the famous Kentucky Confederate calvary officer and general was well represented in Lexington, buy Lebanon is another story. And I guess that makes sense, because Morgan burned much of the town during the Civil War, and according to the historic markers, he was also responsible for the burning of the courthouse that used to stand on this spot. His goal was to destroy treason indictments in the courthouse issued against his men. This courthouse was built in 1935.
Apparently Lebanon was a bustling railroad town, until the Civil War, and later the end of the railroad age brought it the quiet status it enjoys today. Oh, and it’s annual town festival is called “Ham Days.” Seriously. Like I said, this town loves its country ham.


BONUS PIC FOR PETER – Now this is the coolest thing about Lebanon’s courthouse. What you see above is the courthouse square. These buildings, several of which are occupied by the offices of attorneys and engineers, literally sit on the courthouse lawn, with just this little sidewalk separating them. While several of them have clearly been well maintained, a couple could use some work. One of the buildings on the square had a big hole in the door, and a couple of cats were hanging out inside sunning themselves.

Boyle County Courthouse – Danville, Ky.


Ah Boyle County. One of my favorite places on earth. I spent 4 years here in Danville and I think it’s what really cemented my love of small-town Kentucky.
I love the Boyle County Courthouse mostly for what you cannot see in this picture. The courthouse square is pretty large, and the building is L-shaped, with the doors and cupola pictured here at one end of the L. When Peter and I visited here earlier in the summer, he commented about how strange this makes the courthouse look. It’s not the standard square or symmetrical building you see in any other county in the state, and for that I love it.
Anyway, this present courthouse was built in 1862, and according to historic markers, it served as a hospital during the Civil War.

Mercer County Courthouse – Harrodsburg, Ky.


UPDATE: apparently the “massive historic preservation” I spoke of in this post isn’t historic preservation at all. According to the Herald Leader’s recent courthouse series this building is being torn down and replaced. Really, really sad.

I apologize for my lack of any photo editing software to lighten this one up a bit (one thing I miss about working for the paper is the access to cool photo software) but I just had to choose this picture of the Mercer County Courthouse. Mercer is one of two courthouses I saw today that appears to be undergoing massive historic preservation, and the effect created by the absence of the clock in the clock tower was pretty cool.
I have to be honest here – Harrodsburg is one of my favorite little communities in central Kentucky, mostly because I spent some time here during an internship with the local paper during my senior year at Centre. Harrodsburg has a combination of all of my favorite elements – well-maintained buildings, tons of history and friendly people. In addition, Harrodsburg seems to have a very active historical society, judging from the wealth of historic markers and tour guideposts throughout. Anyway, the present courthouse is the fourth to occupy the spot, and it was built in 1928.


BONUS PIC FOR PETER – One thing that I hate to see in any downtown area is the giant hole that develops when a building is taken down in a row of buildings. With historic commercial blocks you always get that great line of buildings with different heights and styles, and when one gets knocked down, it tends to look like someone knocked out a tooth from a beautiful smile. These buildings usually make way for parking lots, and when one building comes down, sometimes the whole block starts to deteriorate – think Rosenburg Block in Lexington. Anyway, Harrodsburg’s got the right idea here. This park sits in the middle of a block between two buildings. Pretty cool.

Scott County Courthouse – Georgetown, Ky.


I was feeling a little sleepy today, so my trip to Georgetown was my only stop. This was not the first time I’ve seen the Scott County Courthouse, and its still pretty amazing. I like how much the courthouse is clearly built to be viewed from the front. With the statute of justice and the way in which the tower is pushed towards the front makes it pretty unique, I think. According to Wikipedia, this is the fourth courthouse on this spot, the land for which was first donated by Elijah Craig. The style is apparently “Second Empire” – named after the Second French Empire, most notable for the mansard roof style that is so apparent here on the courthouse up by lady justice. The total cost of this beautiful building back in 1877? – $34,600,

Bourbon County Courthouse – Paris, Ky.


Bourbon County’s courthouse in Paris gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so. It’s pretty impressive. It sits up at the top of the hill in Paris, and dominates the downtown area. I’m not sure if its always been this way, but it looks like some of the old buildings on the courthouse square have been torn down over the years, leaving a bunch of open parking areas downtown.
In another French connection with the Commonwealth, according to the historic marker Bourbon County was named for the French Royal family for the assistance given during the Revolutionary War. Bourbon was among the original counties of Virginia. the first courthouse was constructed on this site in 1787. At that time, Paris was called “Hopewell.”

I was told by my friend Kyle that the reason the Bourbon County Courthouse is so huge and ornate is that at the time of its construction, Frankfort had not been chosen as the state capital and Paris was still in the running.

Montgomery County Courthouse – Mt. Sterling, Ky.


Mt. Sterling is a beautiful town, but I have to admit I was a little disappointed by the courthouse. It’s pretty much a new building, and if I didn’t know any better it could have been a bank. The area surrounding the courthouse, though, is particularly cool. It’s surrounded by brick streets and painstakingly restored buildings. Yet again, another cool town I can imagine being very cool to live in.
Like the Bath County Courthouse, the Montgomery County Courthouse was burned in the Civil War. According to the historical markers, Confederate Cavalry burned the courthouse on Dec. 2, 1863 in order to prevent its use as a Union garrison.


* EXTRA PIC FOR PETER – above is the aforementioned really awesome brick streets and restored buildings that surround the courthouse.

Bath County Courthouse – Owingsville, Ky.


Okay, so I had never, ever even heard of Owingsville. But there is a ton of history here. And how did Bath County get its name? Surprisingly, it was given the name because people used to come here to take baths. Seriously. According to the sign at the courthouse square, there were many well known mineral springs in the area. Bath County was also home for some time to Louis Philippe, the last King of France during his exile. Weird, huh?
Anyway, according to the signs at the courthouse, the Bath County Courthouse was among the 22 courthouses burned during the Civil War. But the burning of Bath’s courthouse was unintentional. As Confederate forces approached, the Union soldiers abandoned the area and an overheated stove started the fire.


* BONUS PIC FOR PETER – So this one caught me completely off guard. You know General John Bell Hood? Famous Confederate General remembered for Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Fredricksburg, etc.? He was born in this house in Owingsville. I had no clue.

Nicholas County Courthouse – Carlisle, Ky .


Nicholas County is a special place for me, because it is the childhood home of my best friend Kyle. Ever since I’ve known him, I’ve been regaled with tales of Nicholas County. This wasn’t my first time in Carlisle, but it was the first time I visited the courthouse. It’s a beautiful building that sits up high on the square, and is pretty impressive. The light-up flag on the top of the cupola is sorta depressing on a historic building, but I bet it looks pretty sweet at night. One thing I noticed about Carlisle was that it seemed to have a pretty large downtown for the less than 2,000 people who live there. Kyle informed me today that prior to the Great Depression, Carlisle was comparable to Lexington as a hub for tobacco and livestock commerce. Now, it has what might be the most disturbing and terrifying museum I have ever seen – A doll and toy museum. I swear, the museum’s windows house these two larger dolls that sit and stare out at you with their soulless empty gaze. Man…that’s an image you can never forget.
Anyway, I’ve learned a lot about Carlisle and Nicholas County today, as Kyle informed me that:
* it used to be the cite of Blue Lick Springs, a 300-room hotel and spa.
* it is the birthplace of both Gatewood Galbraith and Barbara Kingsolver.
* Daniel Boone also lived in Nicholas County for a while.

Harrison County Courthouse – Cynthiana, Ky.

I set out this morning knowing that I would drive to Cynthiana to begin my trip through the east/central part of the Bluegrass, but I really had no idea what I was in for. I must admit that I got a bit lost on the way to Cynthiana, but getting a little lost was probably the best thing I could have done. This area of Kentucky is absolutely gorgeous. If you want to see some of the most beautiful stone fences and rolling countryside, follow my route. It was amazing. What continues to suprise me on these trips is how completely distinct different areas of Kentucky are. Owen County and Harrison County nearly touch each other, but they couldn’t be more different in geography.
Anyway, Cynthiana is a pretty little town, with a motto that is something like “A town as beautiful as its name.” I learned at the courthouse that the origin of the name “Cynthiana” is actually a pretty interesting story. According to the plaque on the courthouse, Robert Harrison (interestingly, not the county’s namesake, but the man who donated land for the courthouse square) had two daughters – Cynthia and Anna. Combining the two names gave us the name of the county seat.
According to the sign on the courthouse, the present courthouse is the third – built in 1853 with the clock and bell added in 1856. Wings were added in 1914, and it was listed on the National Historic Register in 1974.
What keeps surprising me about this project is how many times I find myself thinking “I could live here.” Cynthiana was no exception.


* BONUS PIC FOR PETER – I’ve decided that if I see something that is particularly noteworthy, I’m going to give everyone a bonus picture. This is labeled as the “Old Log Court House”- and has a pretty awesome history. It’s the oldest building in Cynthiana, built in 1790. Henry Clay practiced law here, and both the county’s first newspaper and a notable early arithmetic textbook were printed here.