After a disappointing visit to Lancaster, I wasn’t sure what to expect upon my arrival in the county seat of Lincoln County. Adding to my dilemma was that I was immediately drawn to one of the most dilapidated strucutures: the old Baughman Mill. Built in 1884 with logs from the first steam mill in the county, the mill operated until consumer demands and and market supply changed. The mill is located next to the old L&N Depot (which FDR visited while campaigning for President in 1932). In researching for this post, I came across another picture of the old mill taken only last year; note that an entire wing has since been demolished.)
History is very important to Stanford (and to Lincoln County). The county was one of three originally created when the Virginia legislature divided the Kentucky territory into three counties (5 counties existed in 1792 when Kentucky became a state). Stanford is the second oldest community in the state and its Main Street was once part of the Wilderness Road (making it the oldest Main Street in Kentucky).
Another neat structure was the First Presbyterian Church – the congregation was organized in 1788 and the structure (original destroyed by a 1838 tornado) was built in 1888. Pictured left, it seems oddly reminiscent of a courthouse.
But history is not all that is left for Stanford. Despite not having rail service for many years, the economy of the county seems relatively strong. The tourism director seemed quite positive and excited about the current state of the county. The optimism seemed warranted – a large, new library is under construction.