AMERICAN HERITAGE TRAVELER HERITAGE Guide t o Historic Sites in Kentucky By Molly Marcot Two historic trails, the Wilderness Bull Nelson on the site of this 62-acre Civil War Road and Boone’s Trace, began here park. The grounds contain the 1825 Battlefields and Coal and were traveled by more than 200,000 Pleasant View house, which became settlers between 1775 and 1818. In a Confederate hospital after the battle, 1. Middle Creek nearby London, the Mountain Life slave quarters, and walking trails. One National Battlefield Museum features a recreated 19th- mile north is the visitors center in the On this site in early 1862, volunteer Union century village with seven buildings, 1811 Rogers House, with displays that soldiers led by future president Col. James such as the loom house and barn, include a laser-operated aerial map of Garfield forced Brig. Gen. Humphrey which feature 18th-century pioneer the battle and a collection of 19th- Marshall’s 2,500 Confederates from the tools, rifles, and farm equipment. century guns. (859) 624-0013 or forks of Middle Creek and back to McHargue’s Mill, a half-mile south, visitorcenter.madisoncountyky.us/index.php Virginia. The 450-acre park hosts battle first began operating in 1817. Visitors reenactments during September. Two half- can watch cornmeal being ground and see mile trail loops of the original armies’ posi - more than 50 millstones. (606) 330-2130 Lexington Plantations tions provide views of Kentucky valleys. parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/lj www.middlecreek.org or and (606) 886-1341 or Bluegrass ) T H G I 4. William Whitley R 2. Kentucky Coal M O 6. Mary Todd Lincoln House T Mining Museum House State Historic Site T O This 1806 Georgian mansion, which B This three-floor museum dedicated to the Pioneers William and Esther Whitley ( S belonged to Lexington businessman E settled on this site in 1794 and built G history of the early coal mining industry is A M Kentucky’s first brick home as a bulwark Robert Smith Todd, was the childhood I S located on a former coal miners’ campsite I B home of Mary Todd, the future wife of R against Indian raids. Known as the O in Benham. One mile east in Lynch is an C ; Abraham Lincoln. Guided hour-long tours ) “Guardian of Wilderness Road,” the T exhibit space designed to resemble an H G explore the home’s 14 rooms. On display I underground coal mine with eight display house hosted famous explorers R P O areas featuring early 20th-century artifacts, Daniel Boone and George Rogers are Mary Todd Lincoln’s Tiffany silver T & chocolate pot and Meissen and Old Paris T Clark. Twenty-five minute guided tours F including flame safety lamps. Thousands E www.mtlhouse.org L of the family home lead through the china. (859) 233-9999 or R of artifacts include fossils, mining tools, E T N bedrooms, dining room, and the secret E C machinery, and the personal belongings of ( staircase that served as a hiding spot. Arti - 7. Ashland Henry Clay Estate M county star Loretta Lynn, who hailed from O C Sen. Henry Clay, known as “The Great . facts on display include William’s long rifle O Kentucky’s coal country. (606) 848-1530 or T O Compromiser” for his negotiating skills, H kentucky.coal.museum and Esther’s textiles. (606) 355-2881 or P K parks.ky.gov/findparks/histparks/ww C moved into this 18-room Federal-style O T S I mansion in 1804. Forty-five-minute guided ; 3. Levi Jackson Wilderness ) T F E Road State Park 5. Battle of Richmond tours lead through ornate rooms, which L P O This 892-acre park, crossed by 8.5 miles contain original furniture and Clay family T Visitors Center ( L L of walking paths, contains a memorial In late August 1862, Confederates under artifacts, such as their china, law books, A B E to the October 3, 1786, massacre of 24 Maj. Gen. E. Kirby Smith defeated a and racing purses. The 17-acre grounds I M A west-going pioneers by Shawnee Indians. Union army commanded by Maj. Gen. feature English-style formal gardens and J Touch outbuildings, such as the dairy cellar and and smokehouse. (859) 266-8581 or Early Politics History www.henryclay.org the Bourbon Trail 8. Bluegrass Heritage 12. Liberty Hall Historic Site Museum This four-acre complex, situated on the This three-floor museum in the 1894 banks of the Kentucky River in down- Guerrant Clinic building focuses on the town Frankfort, contains two restored history of the Bluegrass region, so named Federal-style political estates: the 1796 after the blue-blossomed grass species that Liberty Hall, built by Sen. John Brown; grows here in profusion. It features displays and the 1835 Orlando Brown House, on the Eskippakithiki Indians, the founding which belonged to his son. A 75-minute of the Western frontier and Wilderness tour explores both homes, and show- Road, the Civil War, and the tobacco cases such artifacts as a 19th-century industry. The Bell South Central gallery Stoddard piano. Visitors can learn about contains a 1910 “Bull’s Eye” switchboard Margaret Wise Brown, Sen. Brown’s great- Pioneer settlements, Civil War and phone booth, while the military great-granddaughter and a renowned reenactments, The Vietnam War gallery has World War II uniforms from author of children’s fiction. Trails lead Memorial, and a variety of antique shops the Army and Navy. (859) 745-1358 or through the boxwood and perennial so just about everyone can take a piece of www.bgheritage.com gardens to the riverfront. (502) 227-2560 the past home. See, hear, feel, and touch or www.libertyhall.org history in Lexington’s Bluegrass Region. 9. Fort Boonesborough State Park 13. Kentucky Historical In April 1775, Daniel Boone and fellow Society History Campus explorers crossed the Kentucky River Located in downtown Frankfort, the and founded Fort Boonesborough on campus includes the Kentucky Military this site. The 153-acre park contains Museum, housed within the 1850 Old a reconstructed working fort with State Arsenal, which contains artifacts 1-800-225-8747 (BG 5) cabins and blockhouses. Costumed from two centuries of war. Five blocks www.bluegrasskentucky.com interpreters demonstrate 18th-century northwest lies the two-story Greek-Revival weaving, blacksmithing, and candle- Old State Capitol building that features making techniques. (859) 527-3131 or hour-long tours through the recreated parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks 1850s House and Senate chambers and law library. Also on the campus is the 10. White Hall State 167,000-square-foot Thomas D. Clark AUTHENTIC. Historic Site Center for Kentucky History, which This 1799 Italianate mansion south explores Kentucky’s past from Paleoindian AMERICAN. of the Kentucky River was home to times to the present. (502) 564-1792 or Cassius Marcellus Clay, an abolitionist history.ky.gov ADVENTURE. newspaper publisher, and his daughter, Laura Clay, a women’s suffragist. 14. Woodford Reserve Costumed interpreters lead 60-minute Kentucky’s oldest bourbon distillery has • Downtown on National guided tours through the 44-room house, occupied this site since 1812. A two-hour Register of Historic Places which contains Victorian-era furnishings guided historic tour begins in the visitors and 12 bedrooms. (859) 623-9178 or center and leads through the distillery and • Civil War & Cemetery & parks.ky.gov/findparks/histparks/wh the 1890 limestone warehouse, where Historic Home Tours wooden casks of bourbon are aged. The 11. Aviation Museum • Bluegrass Heritage Museum docents reveal details about copper-pot of Kentucky distillation methods and the sour-mash & Library Genealogy Room This 12,000-square-foot museum, fermentation process. (859) 879-1812 or located in a hangar on Lexington’s Blue www.woodfordreserve.com Grass Airport, has displays on six military and 14 civilian aircraft from every era of 15. Camp Nelson Civil America’s aviation history. Highlights War Heritage Park include a Navy F-14 Tomcat, Marine From 1863 to 1866, this 525-acre site on Corps F-4 Phantom fighter, and an Air the Kentucky River served as a 4,000-acre Affordable accommodations Force T-83 supersonic trainer. Visitors Union supply depot and parade ground in a city which dates from 1793; can also view the engine collection, which where 10,000 former slaves trained to Nearby Fort Boonesborough features a General Electric CF6 turbofan, become soldiers. Visitors can take 30- pre-dates the American and ride in an original Army helicopter minute guided tours of the restored 1855 Revolution. flight simulator. (859) 231-1219 or Perry House. The 6,000-square-foot inter - www.aviationky.org pretive center, located at the entrance to (800) 298-9105 www.tourwinchester.com KY 64 AMERICAN HERITAGE Reader Service Listing American Heritage makes choosing heritage travel 13. Convention & Visitors Bureau of Marion County, West Virginia: destinations, products, services, and great reading easier A century’s worth of historical adventure. Contact us for a FREE with FREE INFORMATION from participating advertisers Visitors Guide. www.officialtravelfairmont.info who want your business. Please complete and mail the 14. Miners & Millionaires (Mercer County, West Virginia): postage-paid card today! Discover America’s Coal Story! Dig into the history of coal 1. All Advertisers in this issue: Please select this number for more in the millionaire’s town of Bramwell, WV. Join us today! information from all participating advertisers throughout this issue (800) 221-3206, www.visitmercercounty.com including the Guide to Historic Sites in Kentucky. 15. Pocahontas County CVB and Greenbrier County Guide to Historic Sites in Kentucky CVB, West Virginia: Discover the battles of Lewisburg 2.