Tag: Franklin

NoDestination: Capitol Murals

Admittedly, the picture above is not my own. It was taken by Finance Secretary Jonathan Miller (posted via Twitter @millerky). Pictured is First Lady Jane Beshear (right) unveiling pictures of the four murals that will be placed at the top of the rotunda above statues of Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln. The four murals represent agriculture, industry, civilization and integrity.

The original design for our 1910 capitol was to include murals, but funding was never available. Artist Frank Millet was scheduled to come to Frankfort to create murals for the captiol, but he died on the 1912 maiden voyage of the Titanic.

Today, Terry and Marion Forcht (the owners of Forcht Bank) are funding the project. EverGreen Architectural Arts of NYC is designing the new murals which are being installed as part of the Centennial Celebration of the Capitol.

No Destination: Frankfort Co. Courthouse

Yesterday, the facilities committee of the AOC announced great news for the Franklin County Courthouse. The 1835 Gideon Shryock-designed structure (and the historic Good Shepherd Catholic Church) will be preserved in the creation of the new Franklin County “Judicial Center.”

This blog – particularly Nate’s Kentucky 120 Project – has touched on the creation of judicial centers at the expense of historic downtowns and city centers. Strike Franklin County as a win for historic preservation!

A rendering of the “new”courthouse is below (photo from: kentucky.com). Additions made in the mid 1900s will be torn down and new wings will be added to the 1835 structure. The old Catholic Church (c. 1858) is expected to be a non-profit center. At one point, authorities considered adaptively reusing the church itself as part of the courthouse (housing two courtrooms).

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.

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.”