Category: No Destination

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.

Woodford County Courthouse – Versailles, Ky.

I love Woodford County. I hope someday to live there, but surprisingly, I’d never been to downtown Versailles (pronounced Ver-SALES). This was my last stop for the day, and as you can see in the picture the skies were starting to cloud up. I have to say the courthouse is pretty interesting. First off, its HUGE. It takes up the whole block, and there wasn’t an inch of green space that I could see. A courthouse with no courthouse lawn, but, to each his own I guess. At least it eliminates any of the public forum/free speech concerns that surround courthouse lawns. Anyway, there are two sets of stairs that lead up to the doors from the sides, giving the courthouse a very imposing feel – very HALLS OF JUSTICE. I like it.

Anderson County Courthouse – Lawrenceburg, Ky.

So . . . Anderson County has an amazing courthouse. The picture above really doesn’t do it justice. I don’t know a lot about architectural styles, but this building is a pretty amazing combination of the ornate and the simple. Huge cupola that rises tall above this small town, some really amazing Corinthian columns all on top of a base of irregular limestone bricks.
I couldn’t find much about the courthouse online anywhere, but I found a TON about the statute in the foreground. It’s one of Kentucky’s many Confederate war memorials. According to Wikipedia, (sorry), it was installed in 1894, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. Interestingly, the statute is not of a general – instead, it’s a Confederate soldier in winter clothes.

Franklin County Courthouse – Frankfort, Ky.


Okay, so I’ve never been a big fan of the Franklin County Courthouse. The city of Frankfort is pretty cool in spots – lots of older historic buildings. This is one of the few courthouses in Kentucky that I’ve been inside of as a reporter or law clerk, and I think that’s part of the problem. Its beautiful inside, but as far as the outside, it’s hidden down by the Kentucky River near Singing Bridge. Due to this weird location, I think it gets totally lost.
I actually know a lot about this building too, thanks to the historic Frankfort walking tour. According to the materials from the Franklin County/Frankfort Tourism Commission, the building was built in 1835, and designed by Gideon Shryock who designed a ton of buildings in Frankfort. It was remodeled in 1909, and an addition was added in 1949.

Owen County Courthouse – Owenton, Ky.

Let me just say this at the start. Call me a nerd, but I have found that there is this really amazing feeling when you’re approaching the county seat and you see this towering courthouse cupola sticking up over the rest of the buildings between the trees. Especially when that towering courthouse is ridiculously awesome.
So I decided to start this whole thing in a place that I’d never been to, and the winner was Owen County. Owen County is sort of an island right in the middle of the big triangle (between Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati) and I’ve never had a reason to go there. So, I set out today with a map and a camera and no idea what I would find. The county seat of Owen County is (not surprisingly) Owenton. Anyway, I really thought this was an excellent way to start out the project. The building is pretty cool. It has these impressive brick columns and a really pretty little courthouse square. I looked it up on the National Register of Historic Places and it was built in the 1850s. Probably the coolest part is unseen in the above picture, as behind the courthouse is the old county jail, which is also on the National Historic Register.

No Destination – June 5, 2009

Starting out in Nicholasville, we journeyed through Jessamine, Madison, Garrard, Mercer and Boyle counties. Here are some pictures from yesterday’s journey:

As always, there is a lot to learn in central Kentucky.

  • Tates Creek Road in Lexington is the border – for several miles – between Jessamine and Fayette counties.
  • The Valley View Ferry has a “perpetual and irrevocable” franchise issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1785 (that’s why the Virginia flag also flies on the ferry). It has not since ceased operation. It has been operated by Madison, Fayette and Jessamine counties since 1991.
  • “C6, H0” remains visible in Danville to remember when Centre College’s football team (in an undefeated season) beat Harvard, 6-0. It is the only graffiti that the Centre trustees permit on campus.
  • What do they do with the dead? After the October 1862 Battle of Perryville, the Confederate forces quickly fled the area and a mass grave was constructed for the deceased rebel soldiers.

No Destinations – May 27, 2009

On May 27, we started in Fayette County and drove through Woodford, Franklin and Scott counties. It was a fun drive with an in-depth exploration of downtown Frankfort – the state’s capital. Learned:

  • Bibb lettuce was developed in Kentucky
  • Kentucky has an “official” covered bridge; it is the Switzer covered bridge in Franklin County
  • Justice John M. Harlan, the lone dissenter in Plessy v. Ferguson (the case established the “separate but equal” doctrine, which was repudiated in Brown v. Board of Education; ) , lived for a time in Frankfort. In his famous dissent, Harlan wrote: “But in view of the Constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.”