10 Old-World Towns to Visit in Kentucky
The landlocked state of Kentucky is one of the oldest states in the United States. It became the 15th state in 1792, making it only a little younger than the original 13 colonies. It is most well known for being the home of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Bluegrass music, but there are also many picturesque Old-World towns to explore here. These towns hide secrets such as stops on the Underground Railroad, the sites of the Hatfield and McCoy feud, 19th-century distilleries, and more. Here are 10 Old-World towns in Kentucky to visit.
Maysville
Located on the Ohio River, Maysville was originally called Limestone, and many travelers came through. It was a hot spot for the Underground Railroad as well. In fact, just across the Ohio River is the home of famed abolitionist John Rankin, which is now a museum. There are also several intriguing historic buildings in Maysville itself, such as Point Au View, an 1850s Italian villa-style home built for Judge Emory C. Whitaker, and Russell Theatre, a 1930 three-story structure built in the Spanish-Moorish Revival style with two towers on either side. Speaking of Limestone, the Poague House, built in the 1800s for future Kentucky Governor Thomas Metcalfe, was built with limestone in the Federal Style with a Greek Revival mantel in the hall.
Hodgenville
Founded in 1818, Hodgenville is one of the most historically significant places in Kentucky, as it was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. It was here that Lincoln spent his early years before his family moved to Indiana. The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park includes many reconstructed buildings, such as a log cabin called the Kentucky Boyhood Home Unit and the Birthplace Unit, which contains a Symbolic Birth Cabin. There are also several trails in the park that will take visitors by the Boundary Oak that served as the border for the Lincoln family farm and the Sinking Spring, where the family drew water. In addition to these presidential sites, Hodgenville has a few historic buildings in town, including the Nicholas Carter House, built in the mid-1870s in an Italianate style with two stories and a five-bay central passage.
Berea
Much like Maysville, Berea also has deep roots in the Abolitionist Movement, more than any other town in Kentucky. Founded as a college town by abolitionists in 1855, the self-named Berea College was the first integrated school in the U.S., even during a time when segregation was the norm. It would continue this Civil Rights legacy with many of its students marching alongside Martin Luther King Jr. The entire college campus is a historic site, with several halls being built in the 1800s, such as Lincoln Hall, a three-story brick building constructed in 1887 and named after Abraham Lincoln. Also in town is the Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant, a 1909 structure that has been hosting college students and travelers alike for more than 100 years. Due to its location in the Appalachian Mountains, Berea has several beautiful trails, including the Berea Forest Trail and Boone Trace Trail.
Paducah
Sitting at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, Paducah was first settled in 1815 and became the county seat of McCracken County in 1832. It became a major center for its steamboat ports. This history is on display at the Inland Waterways Museum, which includes a towboat, pleasure watercraft, and Coast Guard buoy tender, along with other maritime artifacts. Paducah also saw major Civil War activity due to its location as a border state. Visitors can learn more about this at the Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War Museum, an 1852 Greek Revival Home that houses artifacts both about Kentucky during the Civil War and the house owner, former Confederate General Lloyd Tilghman. The town also has a history of creativity and local arts, such as quilt making. Visitors can see the best of quilt art at the National Quilt Museum of the United States.
Frankfort
Despite being the state capital, Frankfort maintains a small-town vibe with just over 28,600 people. It also has a long and storied history. In 1786, Virginia granted General James Wilkinson 100 acres of land that would become Frankfort. Then, in 1792, the town was able to outbid multiple other cities to become the state capital of Kentucky. As to be expected, there are many historic places to explore here, such as the 1910 State Capitol building featuring 70 columns and a collection of doll replicas of Kentucky's first ladies. Visitors can also tour the older state capitol building, which operated from 1830 to 1910. Lastly, Frankfort is home to the Kentucky Military History Museum within the Gothic Revival style 1850 State Arensal building. The building itself looks like an old medieval fortress and contains many well-preserved weapons and military artifacts.
Pikeville
Located in the Big Sandy River Valley, Pikeville was first visited by none other than Daniel Boone in 1767, although the town itself wouldn't be established until 1824. The town is most well known for being one of the central points for the infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud. Within the town are several key sites, including the Hog Trial Cabin, where Randolph McCoy accused Floyd Hatfield of stealing a hog. Many years later, eight members of the Hatfield family were sentenced in 1889 at the Historic Pike County Courthouse and Jail for murder. Other than this feud, visitors can also learn about pioneer settlement and life in Appalachia at the Big Sandy Heritage Museum or visit one of the oldest churches in eastern Kentucky: the 1853 Snivley Chapel.
Harrodsburg
Harrodsburg is the oldest town in Kentucky and the first permanent settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. It was first founded in 1774 and has some of the best historic sites to visit in the entire state, ranging from forts to old religious communities and more. For one, the town has a wide variety of historic houses, including the Colonel John Bowman House, of which part was built in 1800, and Burford Hill, an 1820 Federal-style home built with Flemish bond bricks for Judge John L Bridges. Harrodsburg also saw a large Shaker population, an American religion of celibate charismatic Christians. Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill contains 13 restored buildings, picturesque trails through the woods, and interpreters of living history to discuss Shaker life. Lastly, Old Fort Harrod State Park contains a replica of the 1774 fort constructed by the town's founder, James Harrod.
London
Founded in 1826, London is the fourth largest London in the world to have the name, despite only having just under 7,600 residents. Today, it is the county seat of Laurel County and is renowned for being the cycling capital of Kentucky for its many biking trails. The town is deeply historically significant for the American Civil War as it was the site of the Battle of Camp Wildcat on October 21, 1861, and marked one of the first victories for the Union. Today, visitors can see the remains of the battlefield along with trenches at the Battle of Camp Wildcat Mountain. In addition, London is the site of Boone's Trace Trail in 1775, where he made his way through Kentucky. Also of note in the town is the Mountain Life Museum, which has a reconstructed pioneer settlement.
Glasgow
Named after the city in Scotland, the Kentucky state assembly officially established the town of Glasgow in 1799. George Washington would gift his niece Elizabeth Washington a house in this town, which is called Spotwood today, a brick Georgian Colonial house. There are several houses in the area built in the early 1800s, such as the William Page House, built from 1814 to 1815 by farmer William Page in the Federal style with an early version of the hall-parlor plan. Glasglow would also see several Confederate raids in town, which led to a great deal of destruction. To combat these raids, the Union army built Fort Williams in 1863, which was known for its figure 8-shaped redoubt. Visitors can see the fort and Civil War-era artillery.
Bardstown
Last but certainly not least on this list is the 1780 city of Bardstown. It was officially established in 1788 and was an early epicenter for Catholics coming across the Appalachian Mountains. The most famous event to occur here was in 1789 when Baptist minister Elijah Craig first aged bourbon in oak barrels, creating the world-famous drink bourbon whiskey. As a result, some of the oldest distilleries in the U.S. are located here, such as Barton 1792, which has been making bourbon since 1879. Bardstown has one of the oldest Federal-style mansions in the state, the 1818 Rowan house, which today is known as the My Old Kentucky Home after Stephen Foster's song. The My Old Kentucky Home State Park offers tours and stories about the plantation and house.
Visitors to the Bluegrass state will have plenty of opportunities to explore communities with deep histories. Within these towns, they can find the site of American feuds, see where Abraham Lincoln was born, explore Civil War battlefields and of course see some of the best preserved examples of 19th century architecture. Many of these buildings offer tours as well, so visitors can see history up close. These Old-World towns are ideal for a weekend getaway in Kentucky.
