(panel A)
Welcome
to
Kentucky's Capitol
The Kentucky Capitol Building
and
Capital
Frankfort - Kentucky's Capital City
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Welcome to Kentucky's Capitol
Construction of the Capitol began in 1905. Kentucky state government has built four capitols in Frankfort. Fire destroyed the first two. The third, known today as the Old State Capitol, is open as a museum. It is on Broadway in downtown Frankfort. Although completed in 1910, the present Capitol is still sometimes known in Frankfort as the New Capitol.
The cost of the New Capitol was about two million dollars. This was considered a bargain even in the early 20th century. Much of the money came from settlements of Kentucky's claims against the federal government for expenses resulting from the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. The architect was Frank Mills Andrews. He designed the building in the beaux-arts neoclassical style. The top of the dome is about 215 feet high.
This photograph shows the grand central corridor of the Capitol. The marble interior features statues of Abraham Lincoln and other famous Kentuckians. Spectacular inside and out, the Capitol is a symbol of the pride Kentuckians feel for their state. Both a place for public events and a functional state office building, the Capitol houses the office of the Governor, the Kentucky Supreme Court, the chambers of the General Assembly, and other facilities. Guided tours are available between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. weekdays. Visitors may take self-guided tours during business hours and on weekends.
Kentucky governors live in the Executive Mansion next to the Capitol when they are in office. Taking up residence in 1914, Governor James McCreary was the first occupant of the house. The Petit Trianon, a small palace on the grounds at Versailles in France inspired the design. The current structure replaced an earlier house in downtown Frankfort known as the Old Governor's Mansion. The Old Mansion is the official residence of Kentucky lieutenant governors. The Executive Mansion is open for public tours between 9:00 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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Welcome to Kentucky's Capital
A legislative commission chose Frankfort as Kentucky's capital city in 1792. Frankfort supporters offered several incentives. They lured state government here with cash and real estate. Frankfort also donated the use of a horse and wagon and supplies of nails, glass and other building materials. These commodities were scarce on the frontier and would be useful in building a capitol.
For a century promoters of other communities tried to move state government out of Frankfort, but the general Assembly could never agree on a new location for the capital. Provisions of Kentucky's 1890 constitution and construction of the New Capitol ensured that state government would remain in Frankfort.
While your are in Frankfort, you may want to visit thee places of interest:
The State Capitol
The Executive Mansion
The Old State Capitol
The Old Governor's Mansion
The Kentucky History Center
The Kentucky Military History Museum
Leslie Morris Park on Fort Hill
The Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Berry Mansion at Juniper Hill
Kentucky State University
Liberty Hall
The Orlando Brown House
The Vest-Lindsey House
The Kentucky River Park
Daniel Boone's Grave at the Frankfort Cemetery
The Salato Wildlife Center
The Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives
Rebecca Ruth Candy
The Zeigler-Brockman House
Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary
Ancient Age Distillery
Labrot & Graham Distillery
Switzer Covered Bridge
The Floral Clock
Capital Gallery of Contemporary Art
Greenhill Cemetery
For information about these and other sites, visit the Frankfort/Franklin County Tourism and Convention Commission
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