Diamond Jubilee: Frankfort, Kentucky

Surprise

After Cincinnati, I asked AQ if he was willing to keep going (it was his car after all). He was game, so I told him that the capital of Kentucky was nearby. After a quick visit, we could move on to Louisville. He agreed enthusiastically. The drive from Covington was through rolling hills of small farms and forests. I never gave much thought to how Kentucky would look but, for some reason, I thought it would be a lot more mountainous. A was happy to visit a new state.

Frankfort (Part I)

We arrived in Frankfort to be astonished at what a small town it was. How was it even the capital of a STATE? It reminded me more of Milford than Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. I immediately fell in love with the place.

The main thing to see in the old downtown is the "old" statehouse which is preserved as a museum. We entered and had a leisurely look around. I loved its simplicity and style. The level of maintenance on the building was amazing - it felt like we were experiencing it in the original form from when it was still in use.

Kentucky's Old State House is the third permanent capitol erected on Frankfort's old public square. On January 12, 1827, the legislature voted to build a new state house as two previous structures on this site had burned. The first in 1813 and the second in 1824. The Old State House was constructed from 1827 to 1830 and was the first major work of native Kentuckian, Gideon Shryock. The architectural style of the building is significant as it represents the introduction of the Greek Revival style into Kentucky and the pioneering west. The front elevation of the building was inspired by the classical Temple of Minerva Polias at Priene, Ionia. It is faced in polished Kentucky River marble, limestone quarried near Frankfort. Six massive Ionic columns, each four feet in diameter and 33 feet high, adorn the building's facade. The front door opens into a spacious vestibule leading to the central rotunda that features an exceptional self-supporting marble staircase, one of the most distinguishing features of the building. As it rises, it splits to become a double circular stair. The windows of the cupola provide a tremendous volume of light to illuminate the rotunda inside. Central rotunda that features an exceptional self-supporting staircase. From the second floor lobby, fan-lighted doors enter four rooms, including the House and Senate chambers. The Senate is furnished in 1830's reproduction desks and chairs based on descriptions found in the Senate Journal of 1830. The House of Representatives is furnished mostly in reproduction desks and chairs used just prior to the Civil War through 1909. Both chambers have some original furnishings, including 1840's chandeliers and hand-blown window panes. The political history of Kentucky was enacted for nearly 80 years at the Old State House.

https://historicproperties.ky.gov/hp/Pages/osc.aspx

Very few states in the US have preserved earlier versions of their capitol buildings. Kentucky's is an amazing example of government and architecture from that age. It made me like Frankfort all the more.

Downtown Frankfort is tiny (easy to see in a very short time). I noted that the Buffalo Trace Distillery (the oldest continuously operating bourbon distillery in the US) is just outside of town and I asked AQ if he minded making a detour before we continued. As usual, A was game for anything, so we drove a short distance out of town to find the distillery and its massive parking lot. It was far more of a destination than I realized.

Buffalo Trace

The Buffalo Trace Distillery was packed with parked cars. We were in shock after traveling through a COVID-affected Ohio where most places stood empty. It felt like all of Kentucky had showed up to take the tour. We took a ticket for timed entry - the earliest we could get was three hours later. Much of the distillery's exterior is open to wander. We enjoyed its old buildings as we wandered (most are still in use).

It was the only place on the entire trip that was "crowded".

The company claims the distillery to be the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. 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, and Burks' Distillery is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest operating bourbon distillery. 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. The first distillery was constructed in 1812 by Harrison Blanton. In 1870 the distillery was purchased by Edmund H. Taylor and given its first name, the Old Fire Copper (O.F.C.) Distillery. 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. During Prohibition, the distillery was allowed to remain operational, in order to make whiskey for "medicinal purposes".

(Wikipedia)

Although a lot of interpretation to the claim "oldest bourbon distillery" in the US exists, even if it is NOT the oldest, Buffalo Trace is close. AQ and I took a ticket for the timed, free tour (just in case), but it didn't take long to see the exterior and the nearby garden. Rather than hang around, we gave it a miss and headed back to Frankfort. I wouldn't mind returning.

Frankfort (Part II)

Another claim to fame of Frankfort is the location of Daniel Boone's final resting place. All Americans grow up learning about Daniel Boone (A had never heard of him), so for me it was important to visit the Frankfort Cemetery (on a bluff overlooking town) to pay my respects. Much of Boone's native American "conquering" is depicted on his grave. These days that doesn't play as well as when I was a kid. Nonetheless, it was exciting to visit his (and his wife's) final resting place. He remains an important (and larger than life) historical figure. The views from the cemetery made the stop worthwhile as well.

It was lunchtime and we stopped at a popular diner in town. The place was VERY Kentucky and a gem of an experience. I told A that it was about as authentic a diner as he could ever experience in the US from the service down to the food. There was nothing about the place that was later than the 1960s.

We were near the State House and decided to have a look - if possible. The capitol lies just outside of town on a small rise. The surroundings are beautiful. The building was open so we had a quick look inside - our second state house of the trip.

While wandering we passed outside of the state Supreme Court (housed in the same building). The doors were shut, but just as we were moving away, one of the court justices showed up and insisted to give us a brief tour. AQ was amazed and impressed that someone of such high position would take time to show us the interior of the historic chamber. I felt happy that A was experiencing a positive act of kindness. I was also amazed that a lawmaker took the time to give us a quick look (and history lesson). It ended up being one of the most random and wonderful moments of the trip.

July 2021

After exiting the capitol, we were ready to move on. Frankfort had exceeded both of our expectations. I can't imagine what it would be like living in such a small city that serves an extremely important function. I liked the town although most people I told just laughed at me.

We got on the interstate and headed to Louisville. Kentucky's most famous city awaited.