Frankfort is the capital of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the seat of
Franklin County. Based on population, it is the fifth-smallest state capital in
the United States. It is a home rule-class city in Kentucky; the
population was 25,527 at the 2010 census. Located along the Kentucky
River, Frankfort is the principal city of the Frankfort, Kentucky Micropolitan
Statistical Area, which includes all of Franklin and Anderson counties.
History The town of Frankfort likely received
its name from an event that took place in the 1780s. American Indians attacked
a group of early European-American pioneers from Bryan Station, who were
making salt at a ford in the Kentucky River. Pioneer Stephen Frank was killed,
and the settlers thereafter called the crossing "Frank's Ford." This name was
later elided to Frankfort. In 1786, James Wilkinson purchased the
260-acre tract of land on the north side of the Kentucky River, which developed
as downtown Frankfort. He was an early promoter of Frankfort as the state
capital. After Kentucky became the 15th state in
early 1792, five commissioners from various counties were appointed on June
20 to choose a location for the capital. They were John Allen and John Edwards,
Henry Lee, Thomas Kennedy, and Robert Todd. A number of communities competed
for this honor, but Frankfort won. According to early histories, the offer
of Andrew Holmes' log house as capitol for seven years, a number of town lots,
£50 worth of locks and hinges, 10 boxes of glass, 1,500 pounds of nails, and
$3,000 in gold helped the decision go to Frankfort.
Frankfort had a United States post office by 1794, with Daniel Weisiger as
postmaster. John Brown, a Virginia lawyer and
statesman, built a home now called Liberty Hall in Frankfort in 1796.
Before Kentucky's statehood, he represented Virginia in the Continental
Congress and the U.S. Congress. While in Congress, he introduced the bill
granting statehood to Kentucky. After statehood, he was elected by the state
legislature as one of the state's U.S. Senators.
In 1796, the Kentucky General Assembly appropriated funds to provide a house to
accommodate the governor; it was completed two years later. The Old
Governor's Mansion is claimed to be the oldest official executive residence
still in use in the United States. In 1829, Gideon Shryock designed the Old
Capitol, Kentucky's third, in Greek Revival style. It served Kentucky as its
capitol from 1830 to 1910. The separate settlement known as South Frankfort was
annexed by the city in January 3, 1850. During the American Civil War, the Union
Army built fortifications overlooking Frankfort on what is now called Fort
Hill. The Confederate Army also occupied Frankfort for a short time.
= 1900 to present= On February 3, 1900 Governor-elect
William Goebel was assassinated in Frankfort while walking to the capitol
on the way to his inauguration. Former Secretary of State Caleb Powers was
later found guilty of a conspiracy to murder Goebel.
Frankfort has grown considerably since the 1960s. A modern addition to the
State Office Building was completed in 1967. The original building was
completed in the 1930s on the location of the former Kentucky State
Penitentiary. Some of the stone from the old prison was used for the walls
surrounding the office building. Capitol Plaza was established in the
1960s. It comprises the Capitol Plaza Office Tower, the tallest building in
the city, the Capitol Plaza Hotel, and the Fountain Place Shoppes. The Capital
Plaza Office Tower opened in 1968 and has become a visual landmark for the
center of the city. In August 2008, capital officials announced a plan to
demolish the Tower and redevelop the area over a period of years. They intend
to replace the outdated Tower with a smaller, four- or five-story building in
order to create a more pedestrian-oriented scale at the
complex, to encourage street activity. Frankfort is home to several major
distilleries of Kentucky Bourbon, including the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
= Churches in Frankfort's historic district=
Church of the Ascension Episcopal Church, organized in 1835, is located at
311 Washington Street. Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church was
built in 1850, following the immigration in the 1840s of many Irish and German
Catholics to the city. The old Parish is located at 310 Wapping Street.
First Baptist Church, also known as "First Baptist Church, Clinton Street",
was organized in 1833 and is the largest African-American congregation in the
city. The church has hosted religious, civil and political leaders, including
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is located at 100 Clinton Street.
Geography Frankfort is located at 38°12′N 84°52′W.
It is in the Bluegrass region of Central Kentucky.
The city is bisected by the Kentucky River, which makes an s-turn as it
passes through the center of town. The river valley widens at this point, which
creates four distinct parts of town. The valley within the city limits contains
Downtown and South Frankfort districts, which lie opposite one another on the
river. A small neighborhood with its own distinct identity, Bellepoint, is
located on the west bank of the river to the north of Benson Creek, opposite the
river from the "downtown" district. The suburban areas on either side of the
valley are referred to as West Frankfort and East Frankfort, respectively.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
14.6 square miles, of which 14.3 square miles is land and 0.3 square miles is
water. Frankfort does not have a commercial
airport and travelers fly into Blue Grass Airport in Lexington,
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport near Covington or
Louisville International Airport in Louisville.
Climate Frankfort has a Humid Subtropical
climate with four distinct seasons. Winter is generally cool with some
snowfall. Spring and fall are both mild and relatively warm, with ample
precipitation and thunderstorm activity. Summers are oppressively hot and humid.
Demographics As of the 2010 Census, there were 25,527
people, 11,140 households, and 6,053 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,746.3 per square mile. There were 12,938 housing
units at an average density of 885.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the
city was 77.1% White or European American, 16.5% Black or African
American, 0.3% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1,8% from
other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race
were 1.48% of the population. There were 11,140 households out of
which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32,6% were
married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband
present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.7% were
non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2%
had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average
household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.83.
The age distribution was 20.8% under 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to
44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was
36.7 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females
age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the
city was $40,009, and the median income for a family was $43,949. Full-time male
workers had a median income of $37,445 versus $34,613 for females. The per
capita income was $22,299. About 19.8% of families and 22.4% of the population
were below the poverty line, including 38.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of
those age 65 or over. Frankfort is the focal point of a
micropolitan statistical area consisting of Frankfort and Franklin County as well
as adjacent Lawrenceburg and Anderson County. The city is also classified in a
combined statistical area with Lexington and Richmond to the east.
Frankfort's municipal population makes it the fourth smallest capital city in
the United States. Community
Commonwealth Gardens is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the formation
of community gardens and school gardens in the Frankfort and Franklin County
area. It advocates the consumption of locally grown food because it tastes
better, takes less energy to get to the dinner table, and it supports local
farmers and merchants. Walk/Bike Frankfort is dedicated to
making the capital of Kentucky the best city in the Commonwealth for pedestrians
and cyclists. Frankfort Climate Action Network works
to raise awareness about the threat of climate change and solutions for it.
Josephine Sculpture Park provides community arts education and creative
experiences while conserving the beauty of the native, rural landscape. It is
free and open every day from dawn until dusk
The Folkbike Re-Cyclery is a non-profit, volunteer organization located at 425
Lewis Street in Frankfort. They restore and repair used bicycles, providing them
to people who cannot afford new ones. Many residents donate unused bikes to
the group. East Frankfort Park Disc Golf Course is
home to an 18-hole Disc Golf Course, which has been described as short, but
technical. The local disc golf club has begun promoting the sport in the area.
This is the home of the March Mad Disc and Capitol City Clash tournaments.
Education Frankfort is the home of Kentucky State
University, a historically black university situated near the downtown
area. Two school districts serve the city, with three public high schools
within the city limits: Frankfort Independent Schools, whose
boundaries roughly coincide with downtown, South Frankfort, and the
Bellepoint and Tanglewood neighborhoods: Frankfort High School
Franklin County Public Schools, covering the rest of the county:
Franklin County High School, primarily serving the eastern half of Franklin
County Western Hills High School, serving west
Frankfort and western Franklin County Private high school:
Frankfort Christian Academy Capital Day School
Frankfort, Franklin County and the surrounding area also have a
considerable homeschooling population. Sister cities
Frankfort has one sister city: San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican
Republic. Notable people
William Wirt Adams, brigadier general in Confederate Army.
Thomas Carlin, seventh Governor of Illinois.
Will Chase, actor and singer best known for his work in Broadway musicals & the
ABC show Nashville. Elijah Craig, Baptist preacher and early
bourbon distiller, moved to Frankfort from Virginia in the 1780s.
John Marshall Harlan, U.S. Supreme Court justice.
Elizabeth Ann Hulette, better known as Miss Elizabeth, professional wrestling
manager. Attended Franklin County High School.
Grover Land, Major League Baseball catcher.
Paul Sawyier, Kentucky Impressionist artist.
Hal Sparks, actor and comedian, attended Franklin County High School.
George Graham Vest, U.S. Senator from Missouri, best known for popularizing
the notion that a dog is a man's best friend.
George C. Wolfe, Broadway theatre producer, playwright, and film director.
Tim Farmer Outdoorsman and television presenter; host of Kentucky Afield.
Gallery References
External links Official site
Links2Frankfort Local Business Directory Frankfort Information page from Kentucky
Secretary of State "Frankfort". The American Cyclopædia.
1879.