On June 1, 1792, Kentucky officially broke from Virginia and became its own state. Kentucky began fighting with Virginia for statehood in 1784. I’m sure after eight years of negotiations, the founders of Kentucky were ready to hit the ground running! Just 19 days later, on June 20, 1792, five men were appointed commissioners and tasked with choosing “the most suitable site” with the most assistance, to construct Kentucky’s state capitol. The five chosen men were Colonel John Allen and Senator John Edwards of Bourbon County, General Henry Lee of Mason Co., Senator Thomas Kennedy of Madison Co., and General Robert Todd of Fayette Co.
While the obvious locations of Louisville and Lexington were on the table, so were five other options: Legerwood’s Bend in Mercer County, Delany’s Ferry, and Petersburg – both in Woodford County, Leestown in Fayette County, and Frankfort in Franklin County. All contenders had to submit a list of contributions to be considered. This was customary for the time.
“A number of communities competed for this honor, but Frankfort won by perseverance and, 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, 1500 pounds of nails, and $3000 in gold.”
Kentucky Historical Society
Holmes’ offer of land, money, and materials was “far in excess of the other bids.” On December 5, 1792, the commissioners met with the state’s legislature in Lexington and recommended, after a majority vote, that Frankfort be the location of Kentucky’s state capital.
It was on December 8, 1792, that the Kentucky Legislature approved Frankfort as the site of its state government.
Frankfort’s History
Frankfort was first surveyed in 1773. (If you read my first book, From Wilderness to Commonwealth 1750 – 1792, a few of these names will sound familiar to you.) Early Kentucky pioneer, Robert McAfee, paid Hancock Taylor to survey 600 acres and lay out two tracks of land that make up most of present-day downtown Frankfort. Taylor also laid out 200 acres of land just east of present-day downtown in a separate survey. Sadly, Taylor died before he could claim the land, and McAfee ended up abandoning his tracks of land.
It was not until 1780 that Taylor’s land grant would be signed by Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson. The land was then purchased by Humphrey Marshall who then sold it to Revolutionary War Patriot, General James Wilkinson in 1786.
It was Wilkinson who received approval from the Virginia Legislature to lay out a town.
By that time, the area was then known as Frank’s Ford. It had gotten its name from an incident that had taken place a few years before in 1780. It is said that there was a group of settlers camped at the mouth of Benson Creek along the Kentucky River. This particular spot was shallow, making it a great crossing point along the river not only for people but also for buffalo. Areas along rivers and streams with shallow crossings were known as fords. Well, this group of settlers ended up in a battle with a group of Native Americans while camped out at the ford. One of the settlers, Stephen Frank, was killed during that battle. To honor Frank, the English settlers began calling the area Frank’s Ford. That name then later morphed into Frankfort over time.
It was in 1792 that Wilkinson sold his land to Andrew Holmes who would go on to offer his log home to be used as the capitol building for seven years.
Capitol or Capital?
Scribbr
“Capital can be used to refer to a town or city serving as the seat of a national or regional government. “Capital city,” in which capital functions as an adjective, has the same meaning.”
“Capitol is a noun that refers to the building in which the functions of a legislative government are carried out. When referring to the name of a specific building (usually the United States Capitol), it begins with an uppercase letter.”
The First and Second State Capitol Buildings
The Kentucky Legislature met in Andrew Holmes’ log home until the first permanent capitol, “a three-story stone structure” was completed in 1794. The structure only lasted 20 years before burning to the ground in 1813.
It was at that time that discussion arose about moving the capital to another location. The citizens of Frankfort would have nothing to do with that conversation. The citizens made a “generous donation” in order to have a new, “more elaborate brick” capitol building built, keeping the seat of Kentucky’s government in the city. (Source: “Kentucky’s Old State Capitol Self-Guided Tour” pamphlet, Kentucky Historical Society)
The second capitol building was completed in 1816 but didn’t last long either. It too burned to the ground, in 1824.
In 1827, a state house competition was advertised, asking architects to submit a new design for the 3rd state capitol. A 25-year-old young man by the name of Gideon Shryock submitted a design proposal.
Gideon Shryock (1802 – 1880)
Kentucky’s “first native-born professionally trained architect” Gideon Shryock was born in Lexington, Kentucky on November 15, 1802, to Mathias Shryock and Elizabeth Gaugh Shryock. Mathias was a carpenter turned builder-architect whom Gideon served under as an apprentice. Then, in 1823, Gideon traveled to Philadelphia “to study with William Strickland, [the architect of the Tennessee state capitol] himself a pupil of Benjamin Henry Latrobe and a pioneer in the Greek Revival style.” After studying with Strickland for a year, Gideon returned to Lexington and opened his own architectural office. It was then, in 1827, that Gideon entered the design competition for Kentucky’s state capitol. After receiving $150. for the winning Greek-Revival design, Gideon moved to Frankfort to oversee the project for the next three years. The Old State Capitol was completed in 1830 costing $85,000.
Gideon’s Greek-Revival Design
Gideon’s design was inspired by the temple of Minerva Polias at Priene, located in Turkey.
“Symbolically, it linked Kentucky with ancient Greece, the prototype enlightened popular government. This was the first large Greek Revival style building to be built west of the Appalachian Mountains.”
Kentucky Historical Society
The limestone used within the building was quarried from Franklin and Mercer Counties. The interior features a curved, self-supporting keystone staircase along with “intricate plaster work believed to have been molded by craftsman and a free man of color named Harry Mordecai.” (Source: “Kentucky’s Old State Capitol Self-Guided Tour” pamphlet, Kentucky Historical Society)
The Vestibule has large front doors (rarely open because you come in through a side entrance) and high ceilings giving you the feel of a grand entryway. The Vestibule was used for celebrations and public speeches. Daniel and Rebecca Boone lay in state here in 1845 after being exhumed in Missouri and brought back to Kentucky for burial in the Frankfort Cemetery.
The State Law Library is located on the first floor of the capitol building and is truly a sight to see. The walls are lined with beautiful green shelving and rows and rows of law books, along with library ladders. The library was used by lawmakers to research legislation, lawyers to review court cases, and members of the public to read or check out books.
The Dome lantern that Gideon added to the state house design was in no way Greek Revival-style. It was important to the design, however, as twelve large windows provided an abundant amount of daylight in a time when electricity did not yet exist. It is here that you can truly marvel at the plasterwork completed by Harry Mordecai.
“…the really outstanding feature of the Old State House is the brilliant design of the central circular stairway and the dome above it. The purity of this space and the chasteness of the decoration are so exceptional that they lift the building from mere competence to greatness. Gideon Shryock captured in the design of this building the essence of the American contribution to the Greek Revival style.”
National Register of Historical Places Inventory
On the second floor, you will find the Chambers of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Senate Chamber is located at the front of the building. It features stadium-like seating where citizens would come to view “legislators fiercely debate the tumultuous events that shaped Kentucky in the 19th and 20th centuries,” including, but not limited to, slavery and war.
The House of Representatives Chamber is found on the second floor at the back of the building. Since the House is the larger of the two chambers, citizen seating was provided on a balcony above the floor. Several state and national political figures spoke in this room, including Kentucky’s very famous statesman, Henry Clay.
“Clay noted that because of the sectional issue of slavery, the emergence of two new political parties appeared imminent. One would be for the Union and the other against it. Clay stated, “Whatever may be its component elements, I am for the party that is for the Union.””
Explore Kentucky History
Notable Events at the Old State Capitol
- The Kentucky Legislature first met at the capital building in December 1829 while the building was still incomplete.
- On May 20, 1861, the Kentucky Legislature declared neutrality, not choosing to be Union or Confederate. On September 12, 1861, House Bill 36, known as “The Bloody Bill,” passed by the House of Representatives, placed Kentucky in the Union.
“The bill was created to “prohibit and punish rebellion by citizens of Kentucky and others of this state {…}.” The bill was approved. It made joining the Confederate army a crime in Kentucky. It was one of the first acts of the state legislature that showed support for the Union.”
KET: PBS Learning Media
- In September 1862, Frankfort was captured by Confederate forces and occupied the Old State Capitol for a month, until the Union forced them to flee. Union troops then moved into the capitol building and remained there until the war ended. Frankfort was the only Union state capital to be captured during the war.
- On January 30, 1900, Kentucky Governor William Goebel was shot by an assassin while walking in front of what is now the Old State Capital. While he had been inaugurated in December 1899, election results had been contested into January 1900. After being shot, Goebel was sworn in on January 31, 1900, to officially become Kentucky’s governor. Goebel died just 3 days later on February 3, 1900, having only served as governor for 4 days. Goebel is the only governor in US history to be assassinated.
“Five people stood trial for Goebel’s murder. Three served time, but later were pardoned. Historians say that no one really knows who killed William Goebel.”
Kentucky Historical Society
A Fourth and Final Capitol
Shortly after the Civil War, it was determined that the Old State Capitol was inadequate to continue meeting the needs of the growing state government. A long and bitter battle then ensued between Louisville, Lexington, and Frankfort regarding which city should be Kentucky’s Capital. It was finally settled in 1904 when the Kentucky Legislature voted to use $1,000,000 to build a new capitol building in southern Frankfort. (The architect’s design for the new building was much larger than the downtown square could accommodate, so a new site was chosen.)
In 1904, “Kentucky receives $1,000,000 awarded by the federal government for damage sustained during the Civil War and for services provided in the Spanish-American War. Legislature votes to appropriate the $1,000,000 for the construction of a new Capitol Building.”
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Official groundbreaking ceremonies were held on August 14, 1905, and the cornerstone was laid on June 16, 1906. The building would not be complete until 1910. It was on June 2, 1910, that the formal dedication ceremony was held. When you look at our capitol today, I bet you can tell that it took more than one million to build. The grand total came in at $1,820,000. Today, that would be the equivalent of $60,463,273.68.
“The final official costs of the New Capitol included $1,180,434.80 for the building; $63,793 for the grounds; $141,881 for furnishings, special finishes, and mural paintings; $45,188 for file cabinets and other office storage equipment; $90,000 for the power plant; $108,703.20 for heating, lighting, and electrical fixtures; and $190,000 for terraces and landscaping. The architect’s final fees ($82,730) were counted in each of these items.”
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Saving the Old State Capitol
When Kentucky decided it was time for a new capitol building, the old one was nearly demolished. Luckily, for us, it wasn’t! When the new building was complete, the government moved out of the old building, leaving it empty. During World War I, the building housed the Government Shirt Depot. Then, in 1920, the Kentucky Historical Society moved into the building and remained there until 1999. The building received an extensive restoration in the 1970s, taking it back to its 1850s look. Today, it is open to the public for tours.
“Shryock used architectural symbolism to connect the vigorous frontier state of Kentucky with the ideals of classical Greek democracy. The building is widely recognized as a beautiful masterpiece of nineteenth-century American architecture.”
Kentucky Historical Society
Our Visit and Reflection
Like many of the other places we have visited, I remember visiting the Old State Capitol with my parents when I was young. I specifically remember visiting the House of Representatives Chamber – maybe because it is such a large room and it would have felt even larger when I was young. Regardless, it stuck in my mind, and when I visited the Old State Capitol again this past November, it looked exactly as I remembered it. Not a thing had changed, other than my interest. I paid much more attention to the building, its architectural details, and its history than I did when I visited many, many years before.
I have to admit that I have never taken my daughter to the Old State Capitol, and I’m not even sure why. We visited the “new” Capitol on two different occasions. We visited the first time under my suggestion. She absolutely loved it! She was enthralled by everything we saw. (Let’s be real, our Capitol still takes my breath away today.) She couldn’t believe that we could walk into each room. I explained to her that the Capitol belongs to the residents of Kentucky, it’s our Capitol, so we are allowed to visit it and see all that is there. She loved our visit so much that a few summers later, she asked to make the trip again, and so we did. Since then, she has visited with her elementary school and her high school -having the opportunity to meet with our state representatives.
I suppose having seen the extremely impressive new Capitol, I figured she wouldn’t appreciate the simplicity of the old Capitol building. Maybe when she’s in her 50s, she’ll visit the old building and appreciate it in the way I did this past November. Who knows?
If you have not visited our state capital, you absolutely should! There is so much to see and do. I highly recommend you visit the Old State Capitol. In order to see inside, you will need to visit the Kentucky Historical Society to pay the admission fee. Your fee will include your visit to the history center, the old Capitol, and the Kentucky Military History Museum housed in the 1850 State Arsenal. (The military museum is currently closed for renovation until June 2025.) I have never made it to the arsenal, but I hope to do so in the future. I have visited the history center more times than I can count. It’s totally worth the visit, too. If you have extra time, you can also visit the new capitol, the Capital City Museum, Liberty Hall, or Cove Spring Park.
I do hope that when you visit you find our capital city to be worthy of the title that so many people fought for 233 years ago.
Until next time,
Thank you for the excellent article!
You are so very welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 💚