History and Preservation Resources

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Frankfort, KY - The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History is operated by the Kentucky Historical Society, which was originally incorporated in 1836. This amazing museum complex hosts several permanent and seasonal exhibits, and houses the incredibly resourceful Martin F. Schmidt Research Library. www.history.ky.gov

 Frankfort, KY - The Capital City Museum is operated by the City of Frankfort's Division of Historic Sites and contains artifacts, a library, and many other resources on the history of the commonwealth's capital and its county seat. It also doubles as the office of the City's Curator of Historic Sites. The exhibits cover Frankfort and Kentucky life over 200 years.  www.capitalcitymuseum.com                                                           

Frankfort, KY - Author, historian, former Kentucky Poet Laureate, and retired Kentucky State University professor Richard Taylor's family-owned local bookstore. A gem of downtown Frankfort, Poor Richard's offers a plethora of new and used books, and is known for carrying hard-to-find titles on Frankfort and Kentucky history.  https://poorrichardsbooksky.indielite.org/ 

Frankfort, KY - The Kentucky Military History Museum is operated by a joint partnership of the Kentucky Historical Society and The Kentucky Dept. of Military Affairs. The museum is housed in Kentucky's historic former State Arsenal building.  https://history.ky.gov/visit/kentucky-military-history-museum/ 

Frankfort, KY - The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives is the official archive of Kentucky government documents dating back to before the formation of the commonwealth. It operates a variety of programs including the Kentucky Talking Book Library. www.kdla.ky.gov

Frankfort, KY - The Kentucky Heritage Council is the commonwealth's official historic preservation office, responsible for the identification, protection and preservation of prehistoric resources and historic buildings, sites, and cultural resources. www.heritage.ky.gov

Frankfort, KY - The Kentucky Division of Historic Properties strives to preserve the multitude of architectural achievements that are central to the Commonwealth's rich heritage for the education and enjoyment of generations to come. www.historicproperties.ky.gov

Frankfort, KY - The Franklin County Clerk's Office contains historical marriage records, land deeds, and other important historical documents from the founding of the county to today.  www.franklin.countyclerk.us 

Frankfort, KY - The City of Frankfort keeps many records about the city which are available through a Kentucky Open Records Act request.  www.frankfort.ky.gov 

Lexington, KY - The Office of State Archaeology is a research and service unit of the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology. It is responsible for a variety of state services such as issuing archaeological permits, site numbers, maintaining site records, and more.  www.anthropology.as.uky.edu

Frankfort, KY - Established in 1845 by the Kentucky legislature, the Frankfort Cemetery has been dubbed "The Westminster Abbey of Kentucky" for its beauty and arboretum, and was  the second cemetery incorporated in the U. S. It's the resting place of various Frankfort, Kentucky, and United States dignitaries and historical persons such as Daniel and Rebecca Boone. It's office has a bookstore and many records about the property and its inhabitants. www.frankfortcemetery.org

Frankfort, KY - FHP is a non-profit for charitable, literary, and educational purposes. Its stated goal is to "further inform Kentuckians about Franklin County's rich history, to build a photographic archive available to all, and to publish materials for those who have an interest in recapturing Frankfort's past and preserving its many historical landmarks."  http://frankforthp.com/ 

Frankfort, KY - Frankfort's community public library formerly housed in Frankfort's old federal building, PSPL offers thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, and other materials for borrowing by the public. They also have many titles on Frankfort and Franklin County history for research by request and/or borrowing. 

www.pspl.org 

Lexington, KY - The University of Kentucky has several exceptional libraries for your research needs, including the William T. Young  Library. These various libraries include special collections on Frankfort, Franklin County, and Kentucky history.  www.libraries.uky.edu

Louisville, KY - Founded in 1884, The Filson Historical Society is a privately-supported organization dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky and Ohio Valley Region.  Its extensive collection includes original manuscripts, books, letters, maps, newspapers, and more.  www.filsonhistorical.org 

A History of the First Presbyterian Church, Frankfort, Kentucky: Together with the Churches in Franklin County in Connection with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, by W. H. Averill, 1901

by Lewis Franklin Johnson, 1912

by Lewis Franklin Johnson, 1921

by Alice Elizabeth Trabue, 1922

by Ermina Jett Darnell, Eudora Lindsay South, and Vachel Lindsay, 1927

by Lewis Franklin Johnson, 1932

by Ermina Jett Darnell, 1932

After the Manner of the Oak: A Study of the Growth of the Frankfort Christian Church, by Ermina Jett Darnell, 1935

by Willard Rouse Jillson, 1936

by Mary Smith Witcher and Fay Louise Smith-Arellano, ca. 1940s

by Willard Rouse Jillson, 1941

by Willard Rouse Jillson, 1945

by Ermina Jett Darnell, 1946

by Ermina Jett Darnell, undated

by Ermina Jett Darnell, 1947

by Ermina Jett Darnell, 1947

by Willard Rouse Jillson, 1950

by Willard Rouse Jillson, 1956

ed. Frances L. S. Dugan and Jacqueline P. Bull, pub. by Frankfort Heritage Press, 1959, 2006

by Ermina Jett Darnell, 1966

by Stuart Sprague and Elizabeth Perkins, 1980

by Nettie Henry Glenn, 1986

by Mary Willis Woodson and Martha Moore, pub. by Franklin County Trust for Historic Preservation, 1980

ed. Ralph Hawkins, et al., 1985

by Ann Bolten Bevins and Rev. James R. O'Rourke, 1985

by Carl E. Kramer, 1986

by Charles F. Hinds, 1992

by Frank W. Sower, 1994

by Gene Burch and James C. Wallace, 1994

by Charles F. Hinds, 1996

ed. Ann Macklin Peel, 1997

by Nicky Hughes and Russell Hatter, photography by Gene Burch, 2000

by Robert Hayden, 2000

by Russell Hatter, photography by Gene Burch, 2002

by Richard Taylor, pub. by Buffalo Trace Distillery, 2002

ed. Winona L. Fletcher and Sheila Mason Burton, 2003

by Nicky Hughes and Russell Hatter, photo restoration by Gene Burch, pub. by Frankfort Heritage Press, 2004

by The Frankfort Cemetery, 2005

by Lucian Parker, 2006

by Russell Hatter and Nicky Hughes, photography by Gene Burch, pub. by Frankfort Heritage Press, 2007

by Nicky Hughes, Russ Hatter, and Gene Burch, pub. by Frankfort Heritage Press, 2009, 2020

by West T. Hill, Jr., 2009 

ed. Mary Nash Cox and Sallie Clay Lanham, 2009

by David Pollack, A. Gwynn Henderson, and Peter E. Kolloran, pub. by Kentucky Heritage Council, 2009

by Douglas A. Boyd, 2011

by Melissa C. Jurgensen, 2013

by James M. Prichard, pub. by Frankfort Heritage Press, 2014

by Russ Hatter and Gene Burch, pub. by Frankfort Heritage Press, 2015

by Charles H. Bogart and William M. Ambrose, 2018

by Richard Taylor, 2018

by Charles H. Bogart and William M. Ambrose, 2018