Tag: Henry Clay

No Destination: Danville Presbyterian Church

The Danville Presbyterian Church is the oldest Presbyterian Church west of the Allegheny Mountains, having been established in 1784 by Rev. David Rice.

The historic marker outside of the church mentions those who here worshippped:

James G. Birney, whose presidential candidacy in 1844 caused defeat of Henry Clay; John C. Breckinridge, whose 1860 candidacy resulted in election of Lincoln; Samuel D. Burchard, whose “Rum, Romanism and Rebellion” defeated James G. Blaine in 1884. Marker #754.

Rev. Rice actually organized three Presbyterian congregations in what would become the central Kentucky region, though he is most connected with this Danville congregation. Rev. Rice routinely delivered sermons opposing slavery; as a delegate to the 1792 Kentucky Constitution convention he unsuccessfully sought a clause that would have banned slavery in Kentucky.

The congregation moved to its present location in 1831 and a second congregation was begun in 1853. In 1869, the Presbyterian Church split and the two congregations took separate paths. The two congregations eventually rejoined in 1969 and restored this structure before returning in 1996.

NoDestination: The Old Talbott Tavern

For over 200 years, the Talbott Tavern has provided accomodation to travelers passing through Bardstown. In the old courthouse square sits the stone building marked by several additions. Bardstown – originally called Salem – was established in 1780, a year after the then-called Hynes Inn opened.

Originally the terminal of a western stage coach line coming east from both Philadelphia and Virginia, the Hynes Inn remains the oldest western stagecoach stop still in operation. Its earlier guests included George Rogers Clark, Daniel Boone and exiled-King Louis-Philippe of France. Later Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison and Abraham Lincoln would visit. Henry Clay, John James Audubon, Stephen Foster and Jesse James also rested at the Talbott Tavern. Romanian Queen Marie lunched here in 1926 and General George Patton also passed through. To say the least, it has a “who’s who” list of patrons!

A fire ravaged much of the structure in the 1990s and “generic” renovations were made. Most unfortunate was the loss of murals painted by the entourage of King Louis-Philippe. It would seem that the paintings could be restored, but that funding has remained unavailable.

NoDestination: Amos Kendall House


At 413 Broadway (Frankfort) sits the house in which Amos Kendall resided from about 1816 to 1828. Kendall, a Massachusetts native, migrated to Kentucky about 1814. He tutored the children of the Henry Clay family before starting his newspaper: the Argus of Western America. His politics transformed and Kendall became a great supporter of the Democratic Party of Andrew Jackson. The Argus was very pro-Jackson in the campaign and Jackson took Kendall to Washington where he began the Washington Globe.

The Globe was the voice of the Jackson administration. Kendall was later named the Postmaster General of the United States in which office he served through the van Buren administration. He was one of Jackson’s closest advisors and was the author of many of Jackson’s most remembered speeches/texts (annual addresses to Congress and Jackson’s veto of the National Bank’s recharter).

After leaving politics in 1840, Kendall made a fortune as the business manager for Samuel Morse (inventor of the telegraph). Retiring in 1860, Kendall then lived the rest of his live as a philanthropist giving money to churches and a school he organized “for the deaf and dumb.”

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.

walkLEX: Henry Clay’s Law Office

At 176 North Mill Street sits a one-story structure erected by Henry Clay in 1803 as his office. From this office, Clay practiced law until 1810. During this period, Clay was twice elected to the state senate and from that office was selected to fill an unexpired term in the United States Senate.

Henry Clay, the “Great Compromiser,” delayed the inevitable Civil War through his Compromise of 1820 and his role in pacifying the Nullication Crisis (when South Carolina thought it could nullify acts by the federal government). He was several times the Whig’s candidate for President.

His law office is one of Lexington’s few remaining early professional buildings. Although it was enlarged in 1830, these additions were removed as the building was reconfigured to its 1803 design by the Commonwealth in 1969. Soon after, a renovation followed. The building is now nestled within First Presbyterian Church’s property and is the home of the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship.

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.