Kentucky: a road trip through the state- Part 40 - Orlando / Florida Guide
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HISTORIC PLACES IN THE BLUEGRASS REGION continued;
If you are looking for places that commemorate the Revolutionary war then you need to go about 20 miles north of Paris to the Blue Licks Battlefield State Park. This is the site of the last Revolutionary War battle that was fought in the West in 1782. The monument marks those who died which include Israel Boone who was Daniel Boone' s son.
If you are looking for quality examples of Greek revival architecture then look no further than Ward Hall which is just west of Georgetown on US route 460. It is considered one of the finest examples of this type in the whole of the U. S. This enormous house was built as a Square with each of its sides being 75 feet long. It was built as the summer home of Mississippi planter Junius Ward in 1856 at the time it cost the unheard sum of $50, 000. Some of the main features which built its reputation include a two-story portico with 40 foot columns, interior rubbed walnut woodwork, lavish fresco ornamentation and a winding staircase. It is open for touring but not very often or to a set schedule.
West of Lexington is Pisgah, the state' s largest rural historic district which includes the 1812 Pisgah Church. If you continue west you will come to Woodford County where one of the historic sites is the Jack Jouett House. This is a Federal style brick cottage that was built in the late 1790s by Jack Jouett. He was a local version of ' Paul Revere' and made a daring all night ride to save Thomas Jefferson from capture by the British. The house is only open April till October.
Frankfort the state capital of Kentucky contains numerous public and private buildings of historic interest. You can tour many Beaux Arts style places which include the Capitol building; the restored 1914 Governor’s Mansion, which was modelled after Marie Antoinette' s summer villa. As well as the Old State Capitol building, this has an intriguing self-supporting stone staircase. Private homes open for tour include Liberty Hall, which is home to Kentucky' s most famous ghost, the ' Grey Lady' , and the Orlando Brown House, both of which are good examples of elegant Kentucky living in the early 1800s. The Vest-Lindsey House, which was built in 1820, was the boyhood home of U. S. Senator George Graham Vest, who is credited with the phrase ' dog is man' s best friend. ”
While you are in the state capital then you will be near the Frankfort cemetery which overlooks the Kentucky River. This is the final resting place of many notable people who called Kentucky home and include Daniel and Rebecca Boone and the poet Theodore O' Hara, whose tombstone carries his famous poem ' Bivouac of the Dead. '
One of the most unusual and personal war memorials in the nation is in Frankfort. It is the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial and it is a huge sundial. The names of the 1, 065 Kentuckians killed in Vietnam are arranged so that the shadow from the dial touches each soldier' s name on the anniversary of his death.
As I said at the start of this section this is only a few of the many places that that the state has to offer and depending on your own personal views there is a lot more to explore.
The next section of our trip looks at covered bridges and continues in part 41
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