Kentucky - Frankfort & Lexington - Horses & Bourbon!

[giradman]

Central Kentucky (KY) - Introduction

Each year usually in the fall, Susan & I visit our son & DIL in Carmel, Indiana which is a town along the northern beltway of Indianapolis, a city slightly larger in population than Charlotte, NC (the largest city in our state). We usually fly (2 planes needed, typically via Greensboro to Charlotte to Indy on USAir) - an annoying all-day process, so this time, I decided to drive (about a 9 hour trip) but typically limit myself to 6 hrs/day at the most; SO, where to stop on the way there and back?

The trip traveled through the state of Kentucky (KY) - now we have visited western KY, i.e. Louisville (home of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs) & environs (e.g. Mammoth Cave and Bardstown - bourbon capital of the world!), but have NEVER seen the sites in two important central KY cities, i.e. Frankfort & Lexington - thus, my choice of stops.

The two maps below show our routes: 1) Going via I-77/74 through West Virginia, then 64 into Kentucky to our first night destination, Frankfort (the capital of the state) - two nights - then I-64 to I-65 into Indiana and finally to Carmel for 3 nights; and 2) Retuning from Carmel to Lexington for three nights - then back home via a different route around Knoxville (a travelogue from last year) on I-75 and then I-40. I'll concentrate of the many activities we did in the Kentucky towns w/ just a post or two on our stay in the Indianapolis area. Dave
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[giradman]

Kentucky - Location, History, & Geography - Places Visited

Kentucky is one of the most unique states in the USA because of its geographic location and natural beauty, Civil War history, horse culture, and bourbon production - the state was also the second (after Vermont) to be admitted to the original 13 states of the Union in 1792; both presidents of the Union (Abraham Lincoln) and Confederacy (Jefferson Davis) during the Civil War were born in Kentucky; quoted below just the introduction to the state in Wiki's article (Source).

Kentucky geographically borders 7 other states, a crucial location relative to the Civil War - the northern and western borders are defined by water, mainly the Ohio River and also on the west for a short distance, the Mississippi River - along this border the state touches (from east to west) West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri; on its western boundaries, West VA & Virginia; and on its southern boundary, the state of Tennessee; the maps below show these relationships; on the first map, I've put a capital 'C' for the 11 states of the Civil War Confederacy along w/ the 4 border states (Kentucky in red and arrows on the 3 others, i.e. Missouri, Maryland, & Delaware - Missouri & KY were the MOST important in this struggle).

The last map shows the geographic divisions of the state - most of our time was spent in the 'bluegrass' areas (Kentucky is known as the 'Bluegrass' State and the name given to the string music developed and popularized by Bill Monroe, a native). I've also put arrows on the places we visited on this current trip and also one on Louisville, which Susan & I have been to multiple times, so will include a post or two on that city, along w/ the Mammoth Cave, a visit by us in the late 1960s. SO, let's begin the travelogue. Dave

P.S. West Virginia (adjacent to KY on the east) seceded from Virginia during the Civil War and was admitted to the Union in 1863 (the middle of the struggle), so just an additional consideration.

Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth (the others being Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts). Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.

Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures due to the fertile soil. One of the major regions in Kentucky is the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky which houses two of its major cities, Louisville and Lexington. It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources, including the world's longest cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park, the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States, and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River.

Kentucky is also home to the highest per capita number of deer and turkey in the United States, the largest free-ranging elk herd east of the Mississippi River, and the nation's most productive coalfield. Kentucky is also known for horse racing, bourbon distilleries, automobile manufacturing, tobacco, bluegrass music, college basketball, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

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[giradman]

Frankfort, KY - State Capital - Day of Arrival

We arrived in Frankfort by mid-afternoon the first day, checked into our hotel and had time for a tour & tasting at an historic bourbon distillery, i.e. Buffalo Trace which is claimed to be the oldest continuous operating distillery in the bourbon area (even making 'medicinal' products during Prohibition in the USA). Below a short quote on Frankfort which is a small town located on the meandering Kentucky River and surrounded by rolling hills - the fall colors were beautiful.

Also, a second longer quote on the Buffalo Trace Distillery, a fun tour - some images below - aerial views of the city w/ an arrow on the State Capitol (more in a future post) and the distillery w/ a double-arrow on the Visiting Center/Gift Shop and the famous water tower, plus my own pics of the bottling line, a storage warehouse w/ aging oak barrels, and some of the many products made on the grounds - one of the most famous (and more expensive) is the Blanton's w/ the little horse on the top.

We stayed in Frankfort two nights, and had one full day which involved visits to the Frankfort Cemetery, the State Capitol and surrounding buildings and a drive to Bardstown (Bourbon Capital of the World!) w/ a tour of the famous Jim Bean Distillery - click on the links for more information - more later on our full day and probably a post about bourbon whiskey for those who have an interest - a unique American product made in a relatively small area in the bluegrass portion of Kentucky. Dave

P.S. Why Frankfort as the Kentucky State Capital? Well, there was tremendous debate between picking either Louisville or Lexington (the largest cities) - the compromise was a location 'in-between' and the choice was a place on the Kentucky River.

Frankfort is the capital of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the seat of Franklin County.[1] Based on population it is the fifth-smallest state capital in the United States and a home rule-class city[2] in Kentucky; the population was 25,527 at the 2010 census. Located on the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the principal city of the Frankfort, Kentucky Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Franklin and Anderson counties (Source).

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a distillery located in Frankfort, Kentucky. It has historically been known by several names, including most notably, the George T. Stagg Distillery and the O.F.C. Distillery.[2] Its namesake bourbon brand, Buffalo TraceKentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, was introduced in August 1999. The company claims the distillery is the oldest continuously-operating distillery in the United States.[3] Located on what the company claims was once an ancient buffalo crossing on the banks of the Kentucky River in Franklin County, the distillery is named after the American bison. The Sazerac Company, an American family-owned producer and importer based in New Orleans, Louisiana, purchased the distillery in 1992 and is now the parent company of Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Under its old name, George T. Stagg Distillery, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 2001, and designated a National Historic Landmark on March 11, 2013.

Records indicate that distilling started on the site that is now the Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1775 by Hancock Lee and his brother Willis Lee who died in 1776.[9][10] The oldest building on the site, the Riverside house, was constructed in 1792 by Commodore Richard Taylor and is still standing.[citation needed] The first distillery was constructed in 1812 by Harrison Blanton.[11] In 1870 the distillery was purchased by Edmund H. Taylor and given its first name, the Old Fire Copper (O.F.C.) Distillery.[4]Taylor sold the distillery eight years later to George T. Stagg along with the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery. This second distillery was sold within the year to James Graham, in order to add more land to the O.F.C. Distillery. In 1886, Stagg installed steam heating in the storage warehouses, the first climate controlled warehouse for aging whiskey in the nation (Source).

The company claims the distillery to be the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States.[3] Another distillery with similar historical extent is Burks' distillery, now used for production of Maker's Mark. According to its citation in the registry of National Historic Landmarks, Burks' Distillery's origins extend to 1805,[6] and Burks' Distillery is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest operating bourbon distillery.

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[scifan57]

Thanks for another very interesting travel story. I eagerly await each additional post.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for another very interesting travel story. I eagerly await each additional post.

Thanks Scifan.. and others for looking at my Kentucky travelogue - will add some more posts this weekend - Dave

 

[giradman]

Kentucky Bourbon - Unique American Whiskey

Since I've mentioned a bourbon distillery already (Buffalo Trace) and we visited several others, some discussion of this Kentucky product might deserve an early post, especially for those 'bourbon lovers' who may be reading this thread.

As of 2013, approximately 95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky. The state has 4.9 million barrels of bourbon that are aging – a number that exceeds the state population (Source - note, also same source for all of the quotes below). Nearly all of this bourbon whiskey is produced w/i 75 miles of Lexington, KY - Bardstown which is between Louisville & Lexington (see one of the maps in the first post) is considered the Bourbon Capital of the World - the quotes below are from the source given: 1) First describes the whiskey and the potential origin of its name; 2) Second lists the criteria for calling a whiskey bourbon (probably the two most important are the use of corn 51% or more of the mix - rye & malted barley are the other grains mixed and the use of NEW white oak charred barrels - these are recycled usually to other countries, such as Scotland for single malt whiskeys); and 3) Third talks about Bardstown and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

As to the production of bourbon, please click on this Buffalo Trace link - there are multiple steps starting w/ the selection of the grains, cooking & fermentation of the mash, distillation, barrel storage and selection. Visiting these distilleries is a fun activity - the first smell in the air is that of the cooking & fermenting mash - another is in the barrel storage facilities, where water & alcohol escape through the porous oak while acquiring the flavors and color of aged bourbon - the second smell is wonderful and is called the Angel's Share - yes the barrels loose substantial volume annually (more water than alcohol, so the proof of the latter stays about the same - according to one of our guides).

Bourbon whiskey is a type of American whiskey: a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name is ultimately derived from the FrenchBourbon dynasty, although it is disputed whether Bourbon County in Kentucky or Bourbon Street in New Orleans inspired the whiskey's name. Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century. The use of the term "Bourbon" for the whiskey has been traced to the 1820s, and the term began to be used consistently in Kentucky in the 1870s. While bourbon may be made anywhere in the United States, it is strongly associated with the American South in general, and with Kentucky in particular. As of 2014, the distillers' wholesale market revenue for bourbon sold within the U.S. is about $2.7 billion, and bourbon makes up about two-thirds of the $1.6 billion of U.S. exports of distilled spirits.

The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits state that bourbon made for U.S. consumption[17] must be:

• Produced in the United States.
• Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.
• Aged in new, charred oak barrels.
• Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).
• Entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).
• Bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume).

Bourbon has no minimum specified duration for its aging period. Products aged for as little as three months are sold as bourbon. The exception is straight bourbon, which has a minimum aging requirement of two years. In addition, any bourbon aged less than four years must include an age statement on its label.

Bardstown, Kentucky is home to the annual Bourbon Festival held each September. It has been called the "Bourbon Capital of the World" by the Bardstown Tourism Commission and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival organizers[35] who have registered the phrase as a trademark. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is the name of a tourism promotion program organized by the Kentucky Distillers' Association and aimed at attracting visitors to the distilleries in Kentucky, primarily including Four Roses(Lawrenceburg), Heaven Hill (Bardstown), Jim Beam (Clermont), Maker's Mark (Loretto), Town Branch (Lexington), Wild Turkey(Lawrenceburg), and Woodford Reserve (Versailles).

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[scifan57]

Kentucky Bourbon - Unique American Whiskey

Since I've mentioned a bourbon distillery already (Buffalo Trace) and we visited several others, some discussion of this Kentucky product might deserve an early post, especially for those 'bourbon lovers' who may be reading this thread.

As of 2013, approximately 95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky. The state has 4.9 million barrels of bourbon that are aging – a number that exceeds the state population (Source - note, also same source for all of the quotes below). Nearly all of this bourbon whiskey is produced w/i 75 miles of Lexington, KY - Bardstown which is between Louisville & Lexington (see one of the maps in the first post) is considered the Bourbon Capital of the World - the quotes below are from the source given: 1) First describes the whiskey and the potential origin of its name; 2) Second lists the criteria for calling a whiskey bourbon (probably the two most important are the use of corn 51% or more of the mix - rye & malted barley are the other grains mixed and the use of NEW white oak charred barrels - these are recycled usually to other countries, such as Scotland for single malt whiskeys); and 3) Third talks about Bardstown and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

As to the production of bourbon, please click on this Buffalo Trace link - there are multiple steps starting w/ the selection of the grains, cooking & fermentation of the mash, distillation, barrel storage and selection. Visiting these distilleries is a fun activity - the first smell in the air is that of the cooking & fermenting mash - another is in the barrel storage facilities, where water & alcohol escape through the porous oak while acquiring the flavors and color of aged bourbon - the second smell is wonderful and is called the Angel's Share - yes the barrels loose substantial volume annually (more water than alcohol, so the proof of the latter stays about the same - according to one of our guides).






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A very interesting post. Did you buy any bourbon during your trip?

 

[giradman]

A very interesting post. Did you buy any bourbon during your trip?

Well, I'm mainly a wine & beer consumer now (a lot of craft breweries have opened in North Carolina and I love IPAs), but use to be a sipper of bourbons, single malt scotch, & cognacs. However, I did buy one bottle from the last distillery we visited (will be part of an upcoming post), i.e. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (shown below) - their 'mash bill' is corn (72%), rye (18%), & malted barley (10%) - 90 Proof (i.e. 45% alcohol) - unique for a bourbon in that there is an additional but short aging in a second new charred oak barrel - referred to by our guide as their 'dessert' bourbon. Dave
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[giradman]

Frankfort - Our Full Day!

We just had one full day to tour Frankfort and the environs - our activities included: 1) Frankfort Cemetery; 2) State Capitol; 3) Lunch at Serafini; 4) Kentucky State Museum; 5) Bardstown & the Jim Bean Distillery; and 6) Dinner at Serafini w/ a special dessert for me!

Frankfort Cemetery - is located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the reinterred burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors. The cemetery is designed in a style similar to Mount Auburn, with curving lanes, terraces and a circle of vaults. Carmichael imported flowers from around the state, intending the cemetery to double as an arboretum in a time when residents could not easily travel to see mountain flowers not native to the region. A central feature is the State Mound, featuring a military memorial designed by Robert E. Launitz. The cemetery has views of the Kentucky River, which forms its western boundary. A bluff overlooking the river gives a view of downtown, south Frankfort, and the Capitol District (Source).

We were at the cemetery by 9:30 AM and from the high bluff, the views of Frankfort were beautiful, especially w/ the mist over the Kentucky River - quoted below from a post about Daniel Boone's gravesite that I put in the 'pictures you like' thread a few days ago (w/ two of my own pics - click on each). Additional images from the cemetery, the first mine and the others from the web - will continue in the next post w/ the State Capitol and its grounds. Dave

............but one of our first experiences was visiting the Frankfort Cemetery, and specifically the grave of the famous Daniel Boone - below the first paragraph from his Wiki Article (click the source for more, if interested).

A couple of my own images of the grave and a brief plaque about Boone, who died in Missouri but was reinterred in Frankfort because of his importance in opening up the trans-Appalachian area and particularly Kentucky to settlement. The grave is located high on a hill overlooking the Kentucky River and the state capitol building (more later). Dave

Daniel Boone (1734 - 1820) was an American pioneer, explorer, a woodsman, and a frontiersman, whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now Kentucky, which was then part of Virginia but on the other side of the mountains from the settled areas. As a young adult Boone supplemented his farm income by hunting and trapping game, and selling their pelts in the fur market. It was through this occupational interest that Boone first learned the easy routes to the area. Despite some resistance from American Indian tribes such as the Shawnee, in 1775 Boone blazed his Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian Mountains from North Carolina and Tennessee into Kentucky. There he founded the village of Boonesborough, Kentucky, one of the first American settlements west of the Appalachians. Before the end of the 18th century, more than 200,000 Americans migrated to Kentucky/Virginia by following the route marked by Boone (Source).

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[scifan57]

Frankfort - Our Full Day!

We just had one full day to tour Frankfort and the environs - our activities included: 1) Frankfort Cemetery; 2) State Capitol; 3) Lunch at Serafini; 4) Kentucky State Museum; 5) Bardstown & the Jim Bean Distillery; and 6) Dinner at Serafini w/ a special dessert for me!

Frankfort Cemetery - is located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the reinterred burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors. The cemetery is designed in a style similar to Mount Auburn, with curving lanes, terraces and a circle of vaults. Carmichael imported flowers from around the state, intending the cemetery to double as an arboretum in a time when residents could not easily travel to see mountain flowers not native to the region. A central feature is the State Mound, featuring a military memorial designed by Robert E. Launitz. The cemetery has views of the Kentucky River, which forms its western boundary. A bluff overlooking the river gives a view of downtown, south Frankfort, and the Capitol District (Source).

We were at the cemetery by 9:30 AM and from the high bluff, the views of Frankfort were beautiful, especially w/ the mist over the Kentucky River - quoted below from a post about Daniel Boone's gravesite that I put in the 'pictures you like' thread a few days ago (w/ two of my own pics - click on each). Additional images from the cemetery, the first mine and the others from the web - will continue in the next post w/ the State Capitol and its grounds. Dave


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Thanks for the interesting post. This is another place I'd visit if I were in the area.

 

[The OB]

Kentucky Bourbon - Unique American Whiskey

Since I've mentioned a bourbon distillery already (Buffalo Trace) and we visited several others, some discussion of this Kentucky product might deserve an early post, especially for those 'bourbon lovers' who may be reading this thread.

As of 2013, approximately 95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky. The state has 4.9 million barrels of bourbon that are aging – a number that exceeds the state population (Source - note, also same source for all of the quotes below). Nearly all of this bourbon whiskey is produced w/i 75 miles of Lexington, KY - Bardstown which is between Louisville & Lexington (see one of the maps in the first post) is considered the Bourbon Capital of the World - the quotes below are from the source given: 1) First describes the whiskey and the potential origin of its name; 2) Second lists the criteria for calling a whiskey bourbon (probably the two most important are the use of corn 51% or more of the mix - rye & malted barley are the other grains mixed and the use of NEW white oak charred barrels - these are recycled usually to other countries, such as Scotland for single malt whiskeys); and 3) Third talks about Bardstown and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

As to the production of bourbon, please click on this Buffalo Trace link - there are multiple steps starting w/ the selection of the grains, cooking & fermentation of the mash, distillation, barrel storage and selection. Visiting these distilleries is a fun activity - the first smell in the air is that of the cooking & fermenting mash - another is in the barrel storage facilities, where water & alcohol escape through the porous oak while acquiring the flavors and color of aged bourbon - the second smell is wonderful and is called the Angel's Share - yes the barrels loose substantial volume annually (more water than alcohol, so the proof of the latter stays about the same - according to one of our guides).






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Thanks for your exposition re the bourbon industry in America Dave. I'm no feinschmecker as far as that tipple is concerned as I can only afford the likes of Jim Beam or maybe a Jack Daniels, when on discount at the local liquor store, and generaly prefer Scotch whisky anyway. Info about the manufacture and locales, such as Bardstown, was very interesting.
No doubt you are aware of the difference between a whiskey and a whisky, eg the latter produced in Scotland. A bit of trivial pursuit...it's whiskey if the name of the country has an "e" in it such as America, and whisky if no "e" such as Scotland, Canada etc.
Enjoying those travelogues very much
Andrew

 

[giradman]

Thanks for your exposition re the bourbon industry in America Dave. I'm no feinschmecker as far as that tipple is concerned as I can only afford the likes of Jim Beam or maybe a Jack Daniels, when on discount at the local liquor store, and generaly prefer Scotch whisky anyway. Info about the manufacture and locales, such as Bardstown, was very interesting.
No doubt you are aware of the difference between a whiskey and a whisky, eg the latter produced in Scotland. A bit of trivial pursuit...it's whiskey if the name of the country has an "e" in it such as America, and whisky if no "e" such as Scotland, Canada etc.
Enjoying those travelogues very much
Andrew

Hi Andrew - thanks for your comments and discussion on the 'whisky vs. whiskey' issue - agree that when in Scotland (a previous visit for me) drop the 'e', otherwise in Ireland & America, 'whiskey' is the correct spelling.

As mentioned previously, I stopped sipping 'high proof' whisk(e)y a while ago, but back then some of my favorite Scotch single malts were Talisker, Lagavulin, and Macallan & cognacs were Rémy Martin and Hennessey (usually bought the V.S.O.P., although occasionally, I'd splurged on an X.O.) - preferred to sniff all of these neat in a brandy glass - Dave

 

[giradman]

Kentucky State Capitol

After our visit to the Frankfort Cemetery, we drove across the Kentucky River to the state capitol building and surrounding grounds - the present location and building were dedicated in 1910 (see quote below and click on 'Source' for more information, if interested). The first pics (all of these are my own) show the back of the capitol, front portico looking toward the far off downtown area (next post), and the floral clock. The building is open for guided or self-guided tours - we received a nice introduction from one of the guides and then w/ a well done booklet simply walked the three floors of this impressive structure.

The building is beautiful (see second quote for a description of construction materials) - the rotunda contains statues of famous native Kentuckians, including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Henry Clay, and Ephraim McDowell (1771 – 1830; an American physician and pioneer surgeon. The first person to successfully remove an ovarian tumor, he has been called "the father of ovariotomy" as well as founding father of abdominal surgery - Wiki). The Governor's office is also on the first floor (entrance seen in one of the rotunda images).

The second floor is the 'judicial' branch w/ the Reception Room and the Supreme Court; the third floor is the 'legislative' branch w/ the House of Representatives and the Senate located at either end - the state legislature will convene toward the end of the year and the rooms were being renovated and setup for their return to Frankfort.

On the surrounding grounds are the other state buildings, including the Governor's Mansion which is a Greek revival building dating back to 1914 (see third quote below - click source in interested in touring the place) - on the day of our visit, the mansion was not open to visitors. Next up a drive into the downtown area for a visit to the Kentucky State Historical Museum. Dave

From 1792 to 1830, two buildings were used as the capitol, both of which burned completely.

In 1830, a new capitol was built and was used until 1910. During a bitterly contested 1899 state governor election, Democratic Party claimant William Goebel was assassinated at the capitol on his way to be inaugurated. The need for a larger building for a growing state government resulted in the replacement of that capitol building, which is now a museum.

In 1904, the Kentucky General Assembly chose Frankfort (rather than Lexington or Louisville) as the location for the state capital and appropriated $1 million for the construction of a permanent state capitol building, to be located in southern Frankfort. The official ground-breaking was August 14, 1905 and construction was completed in 1909 at a cost of $1,180,434.80. The building was dedicated on June 2, 1910.

The capitol was designed by Frank Mills Andrews, a distinguished and award-winning architect. He used the Beaux-Arts style and included many classical French interior designs. The staircases, for example, are replicas of those of the Opéra Garnier in Paris (Source).

The elegance of the Capitol's interior was largely achieved by the generous use of white Georgia marble, gray Tennessee marble and dark green Italian marble. On axis with the rotunda, the grand corridors feature 36 imposing columns of Vermont granite and delicate art glass skylights.

The exterior of the Capitol is faced in Indiana limestone and Vermont granite. The richly sculptured pediment of the classical front portico was designed by Charles Henry Niehaus and carved by Australian sculptor Peter Rossack. Allegorical figures represent Kentucky, the central female figure, with Progress, History, Plenty, Law, Art and Labor as her attendants (Source).

Welcome to Kentucky's Governor's Mansion, the official residence of the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It is a proud symbol of Kentucky's history and has served as home to the state's governors since 1914.

The Governor's Mansion is both a private home and a public building. It serves as the center of the first family's ceremonial, social and political activities. As each governor moves in, it takes only a few moments to realize that he or she too has become a part of history simply because they live in this place.

The Governor's Mansion is the proud possession of every Kentuckian. In 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Kentucky's Governor's Mansion is one of only a handful of executive residences in the United States to be open to the public for tours. Thousands of visitors from across the Commonwealth and around the world visit the Governor's Mansion every year. Contact the Capitol tour desk to schedule a visit soon (Source).

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[giradman]

Kentucky State Capitol (follow-up)

Just some additional pictures (from the web this time): 1) Governor's Mansion at sunrise - back of the structure faces east w/ a great view of the Kentucky River; 2) Governor's Office in the Capitol Building; 3) Senate Chamber; and 4) House of Representatives Chamber (the latter two ready for business!). Dave
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[scifan57]

Kentucky State Capitol

After our visit to the Frankfort Cemetery, we drove across the Kentucky River to the state capitol building and surrounding grounds - the present location and building were dedicated in 1910 (see quote below and click on 'Source' for more information, if interested). The first pics (all of these are my own) show the back of the capitol, front portico looking toward the far off downtown area (next post), and the floral clock. The building is open for guided or self-guided tours - we received a nice introduction from one of the guides and then w/ a well done booklet simply walked the three floors of this impressive structure.

The building is beautiful (see second quote for a description of construction materials) - the rotunda contains statues of famous native Kentuckians, including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Henry Clay, and Ephraim McDowell (1771 – 1830; an American physician and pioneer surgeon. The first person to successfully remove an ovarian tumor, he has been called "the father of ovariotomy" as well as founding father of abdominal surgery - Wiki). The Governor's office is also on the first floor (entrance seen in one of the rotunda images).

The second floor is the 'judicial' branch w/ the Reception Room and the Supreme Court; the third floor is the 'legislative' branch w/ the House of Representatives and the Senate located at either end - the state legislature will convene toward the end of the year and the rooms were being renovated and setup for their return to Frankfort.

On the surrounding grounds are the other state buildings, including the Governor's Mansion which is a Greek revival building dating back to 1914 (see third quote below - click source in interested in touring the place) - on the day of our visit, the mansion was not open to visitors. Next up a drive into the downtown area for a visit to the Kentucky State Historical Museum. Dave






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Kentucky State Capitol (follow-up)

Just some additional pictures (from the web this time): 1) Governor's Mansion at sunrise - back of the structure faces east w/ a great view of the Kentucky River; 2) Governor's Office in the Capitol Building; 3) Senate Chamber; and 4) House of Representatives Chamber (the latter two ready for business!). Dave
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Thank you! I always enjoy reading this type of travel story. There's often more than you can find in looking at several other sources. It's nice to see a post like this written in an interesting and entertaining manner.