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Historic Sites in Kentucky
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Cumberland Gap National Historic Park
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is located at the far
southeastern corner of the state. Here you will be taken back in
time to the history of early America. For nearly 150 years the
forbidding Alleghenies kept early colonists from Kentucky.
Although the gap had been used for centuries by Indians, it was
not until 1750 that Dr. Thomas Walker documented its location.
Daniel Boone and John Finley followed in 1769, making their way
to the fabled Bluegrass region. In 1775, Boone returned with 30
axmen to mark what became the Wilderness Road. By 1783, some
12,000 settlers had entered Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap.
Begin your adventure at the visitor center, which has an
orientation program, museum, and crafts sales area. Pinnacle
Overlook features a panoramic view of three states. Nearby is
Fort McCook, built by Confederate troops in the Civil War to
guard the passageway through the mountains. Visit Hensley
Settlement, a restored Appalachian community of log cabins and
split rail fences that flourished for nearly five decades on an
isolated plateau. Founded in 1904 by Sherman Hensley, the
community had a peak population of 160 in its heyday during the
Depression years. For information call: (606)248-2817
Fort Boonesborough State Park
Fort Boonesborough State Park is the site of Boonesborough,
established in 1775 by Richard Henderson and Daniel Boone of the
Transylvania Company. Boone, in the advance party, first
constructed several log huts in a sycamore hollow which led to
the Kentucky River. The settlement was later moved by Henderson
to a nearby rise on the river bank. A hollow squared stockade
enclosing about an acre of ground with blockhouses and cabins
was eventually completed in September 1778 - just in time to
withstand a nine-day attack by Indians and Frenchmen, later
known as "The Great Siege." Today, Fort Boonesborough has been
reconstructed as a working fort complete with blockhouses,
cabins, and period furnishings. Resident artisans perform
pioneer craft demonstrations on 18th-century antiques and impart
pioneer experiences to modern-day visitors. For information
call: (800)255-7275
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Located in the Bluegrass region of the state, the peaceful
atmosphere and simple beauty of the most completely restored
Shaker community in the country will make you feel as though you
have wandered back in time. There are 30 original buildings and
more than 20 miles of stone fences preserved on 2,700 acres of
gently rolling countryside. Given the name "Shakers" because of
the trembling they did during their devotional dancing, the
United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing
believed in simplicity, pacifism, celibacy and separation from
the world. The Shakers at Pleasant Hill had almost 500 members
during their peak in the 1830s. Innovative builders and farmers,
the Shakers are credited with a variety of inventions, from the
clothespin and circular saw to the modern flat broom and
water-repellent fabric. Today, as you wander through the
buildings, watch artisans use Shaker tools and methods to
demonstrate crafts such as weaving, yarn dyeing, broom making,
candle dipping, quilting and woodcrafting. For information call:
(800)734-5611
My Old Kentucky Home State Park
Located in Bardstown, My Old Kentucky Home State Park is known
throughout the world because of the beautiful song written by
Stephen Foster. His inspiration for the ballad was his cousins'
plantation, Federal Hill, now the focal point of the park. The
home, completed in 1818, rests on a sloping 285 acres deeded to
the Commonwealth in 1922. Its builder, Judge John Rowan, was a
man of great distinction, serving both on the Kentucky Court of
Appeals and in the U.S. Senate. At Federal Hill, Judge Rowan
entertained such brilliant and celebrated guests as Henry Clay
and Aaron Burr, and his home became a landmark for lavish
entertaining during a colorful era of Kentucky's history. It was
in 1852 that Stephen Foster visited his cousins, the Rowans, and
wrote the ballad "My Old Kentucky Home." The home's decor,
including rare and beautiful furnishings, is much as it was when
Foster was a guest here. Authenticity to the smallest detail is
maintained wherever possible. Guides in antebellum costumes lead
tours through the home, extending gracious hospitality
reminiscent of the leisurely South. If visiting during the
summer, you will want to experience the tradition of Kentucky's
longest-running outdoor drama - "Stephen Foster - The Musical."
This celebrated musical features colorful period costumes,
lively choreography, and more than 50 Foster songs. For
information call: (800)255-7275
The State Capitol
Nestled among the rolling hills of the Bluegrass in a beautiful
Kentucky River valley is Frankfort, chosen the state capital in
1792. So much of Kentucky's history has been written here; the
old frontiersman Simon Kenton pleaded relief from taxes, Daniel
and Rebecca Boone lay in state in the Old Capitol, Henry Clay
practiced his oratory, former Vice President Aaron Burr was
charged with treason and the stories go on and on. In Frankfort
visit one of the most beautiful State Capitol buildings in the
country. The Beaux Arts-style building was dedicated in 1910 at
a total cost, including furnishings, of $1,820,000. The rotunda
features statues of prominent Kentuckians and a dome patterned
after Napoleon's tomb in Paris. Outside is the giant Floral
Clock, 34 feet in diameter and supported by a 100-ton base. On
the east end of the capitol grounds is the Governor's Mansion, a
beautiful Beaux Arts mansion on a bluff high above the Kentucky
River. Twenty-two Kentucky governors have lived here.
Constructed of native limestone in 1914, it was modeled after
Marie Antoinette's summer villa. Free tours are available of
both the capitol and the Governor's mansion. For information
call: (502)564-3000
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