In 1780 Indians killed a settler called Stephen Frank near the Kentucky River and a nearby ford became known as Frank’s Ford in his memory. James Wilkinson purchased land near the ford in 1786 and founded a town there. The name was contracted to Frankfort and in 1792 it was chosen as the capital of the new state of Kentucky. Frankfort grew steadily, reaching a population of around 3,700 by 1861 when the Civil War started. The Confederates took the city during their 1862 invasion of Kentucky, but they held it only for a month. In 1900 Frankfort was shaken by the assassination of Governor William Goebel after an election for that was marred by fraud. He initially came second but was declared the winner after many votes were invalidated. Goebel was shot while walking to the Capitol for his inauguration on January 30. He was sworn in the following day but died of his wounds on February 3.
Governor’s Mansion
A Governor’s Mansion was built in 1797-8 which was occupied by 35 Governors up to 1914. When the legislature moved to the current State capitol in 1910 it was decided that a more substantial mansion should be built close to the new Capitol. The new mansion was designed in 1912 by C.C. and E.A. Weber of Fort Thomas, and they based their design on Queen Marie Antoinette's villa Petit Trianon near the Palace of Versailles in France. It was completed in 1914. Tours of the mansion are available on certain days, but it was closed when we visited Frankfort. The Old Governor’s Mansion still stands in Frankfort’s High Street and was restored in 2002 with an interior typical of the early to mid-19th century.
Liberty Hall
In 1796 Kentucky Senator John Brown purchased 1.6 hectares (4 acres) of land in downtown Frankfort. He immediately began construction of Liberty Hall, a Federal style brick house which was completed in 1804. John Brown divided the land in 1835, giving Liberty Hall to his elder son and hiring Gideon Shryock (designer of the Capitol) to design a new Greek Revival style house for his younger son Orlando. Liberty Hall and the Orlando Brown House were owned by descendants of John Brown until 1934 and 1955 respectively. Both houses are now a museum known as the Liberty Hall Historic Site, with tours starting at the Orlando Brown House. Click Tab 2 to see the Orlando Brown House.
Old State Capitol from St Clair Street
The first State House completed in 1794 burned down in 1813 and its replacement was no luckier, opening in 1816 and burning down in 1824. The Kentucky legislature voted for the construction of a third Capitol in 1827 and this time they got one that lasted. Designed by 25 year old Gideon Shryock from Lexington, the Greek Revival style building opened in 1830 and it remained in use until 1910. Now known as the Old State Capitol, it is the home of the Kentucky Historical Society and has been restored to the way it would have looked in the 1850s. Tours can be arranged via the society. A plaque on exterior commemorates the place where William Goebel was shot. Three people were convicted of involvement in the assassination but the identity of the mastermind remains unclear.
The Grand Theatre, St Clair Street
The Grand Theatre was built in 1911. Originally a 135 seat vaudeville house it was soon adapted for the changing times to cater first for silent movies and later for ‘talkies’. In 1941 it was converted into a 680 seat air conditioned state of the art movie theatre. It continued as a movie theatre until its closure in 1966. The building was then used for various commercial purposes, but fortunately none of these resulted in the destruction of old auditorium. Attempts to restore the Grand started in the 1980s but it was not until the 21st century that enough funds were raised to begin renovations. It reopened in 2006 with limited capacity and following further renovations The Grand Theatre was reborn in 2009 as a state of the art 428 seat performing and visual arts theatre.
Frankfort
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Zeigler House, Shelby Street
The Zeigler House in Shelby Street is a ‘Prairie Style’ house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, although the detailed plans were drawn up while he was out of the country. Constructed from concrete forms, it is an example of a type of house that Lloyd Wright called ‘A Fireproof House for $5000’. Built for Jesse R. Zeigler in 1910 it is the only Frank Lloyd Wright building in Kentucky. It is still used as a private residence and is not open to the public.
Garrard-Crittenden House
Close to Liberty Hall stands another fine 19th century Federal style house. The Garrard-Crittenden House (also known as the Hoge House) is thought to have been built around 1810 but there is no record to show who owned it. The earliest recorded owner was County Court Judge Jacob Swigert. He sold the house in 1858 to a John Hanna who immediately sold it to Thomas Crittenden an army man who rose to the rank of Colonel. The house was sold again less than four years later to James H. Garrard, grandson of the 2nd Governor of Kentucky. The house remained in the Garrard family until 1902 when it was sold to Mrs Callaway T. Hoge who passed it to her children on her death in 1941. They sold it a few years later. The house is now used as offices and is not open to the public.
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© Mike Elsden 1981 - 2025
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