Boone County Historic Sites

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Historic Sites and Places

Anderson Ferry
	859-485-9210 Map/Directions
	The Anderson Ferry at 4030 River Road (KY Route 8) has run continuously since 1817. The National Register ferry is one of only two daily ferries left on the Ohio River. Hours are Mon - Fri 6am-8pm, Sat/Holidays 7am-8pm, Sun 11am-8pm. Cost is $3.00/car.
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Belleview
	Belleview was founded in 1815 and was a popular shipping point during the steamboat era. Belleview was well known for its willow and watermelon crops. The town was originally to be called Mount Vernon but was instead named form the French word for “beautiful to see.”
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Big Bone Lick State Park
	859-384-3522 Web Page
	The Big Bone Lick Area is Boone County’s most significant historic site and its most complete recreational site. The park includes a museum and gift shop, Discovery Trail, a small herd of Bison, camping, fishing, and hiking. The “Place of the Big Bones” is a Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Site. Nearby Big Bone Landing Marina (859-384-1713) offers boat launch on Big Bone Creek, camping, marine supplies, and other amenities. Jane’s Saddlebag(859-384-4416) features Kentucky history, local crafts, and snacks and is available for private gatherings.
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Burlington Historic District
	Map/Directions
	Boone County’s government center since 1799, Burlington is a National Register District with buildings from as early as the 1820s, including the 1889 Boone County Courthouse and 1853 Boone County Clerk’s Building. Encouraged by the monthly Burlington Antique Show (513-922-5265) at the County Fairgrounds, Burlington is the County’s hub for antiques and crafts. Fine dining is found at the Tousey House Restaurant (859-689-0200) and an assortment of sandwiches is available at CoCo’s Sandwich Shoppe (859-689-9222). Both restaurants are housed in 1820s brick structures. The Little Place and The County Seat Restaurant (859-586-9800) offer good home cooked meals. Travelers may stay at the c. 1830 Burlington’s Willis Graves B&B (859-689-5096). Request a copy of the Burlington 'Walking Tour Brochure
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Constance
	Constance was settled by German immigrants in the 1820s, who named the settlement after the German city of Konstanz. Development in Constance centered around the nearby Anderson Ferry.
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Dinsmore Homestead
	859-586-6117 Web Page
	Dinsmore Homestead is a uniquely preserved home where the past breathes life into the present. Visitors learn about rural life and the remarkable history of the Dinsmore family in the 1800s and early 1900s. James Dinsmore began the diversified farm in 1839 and his daughter “Miss Julie” operated the farm for decades after his death in 1872. The unpretentious 1842 Greek Revival house is filled with the family’s belongings and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Dinsmore Homestead is open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (April to mid-December) with tours offered from 1 to 5pm. Admission is $2 to $5.
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Florence Main Street
	Map/Directions
	Main Street was developed in the early 1800s along the most important thoroughfare in Northern Kentucky: Lexington Pike (now known as Dixie Highway). Running for several blocks, Main Street (or “Stringtown on the Pike”) is the last segment of the historic Lexington Pike in northern Boone County. Stringtown on the Pike has many older structures, including everything from the c. 1840 Greek Revival Adam Finch House to fine examples of 1920s Bungalows. A taste of old Boone County can be found at the Stringtown Restaurant (859-371-8222), located in the 1869 Odd Fellows Hall.
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John Hunt Morgan Escape Route
	During what is arguably the most well known of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s raids, in July, 1863, Morgan and his men violated commanding General Braxton Bragg’s instructions not to cross the Ohio River. After crossing into Indiana, Morgan moved into Ohio and skirted Cincinnati. After a daring and harried dash across southern Ohio, Morgan was finally captured near Lisbon, Ohio, on July 26. Amazingly, Morgan and six of his men escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary in November, having spent the intervening months tunneling with improvised tools. Morgan and Captain Hines made their way south to Cincinnati and crossed into Kentucky on the 5th Street Ferry to Ludlow. From there, and with the assistance of Confederate sympathizers, Morgan and Hines essentially rode an “Underground Railroad” all the way through Kentucky to Tennessee. In early 2002, former Boone County Judge/Executive Bruce Ferguson completed research which, for the first time, accurately traces the route Morgan and Hines took through Boone County. Although the entire route has not been field checked, portions of Morgan’s escape route coincide with existing public roads. From north to south, surviving sections of Morgan’s escape route through Boone County are approximated by: Mineola Pike between I-275 and Donaldson Hwy, Pleasant Valley Road southeast from Gunpowder Creek to US 42, US 42 to Clarkston Lane, all of Clarkston Lane, Hathaway Road from Spruce Lane west to Big Bone Road, Big Bone Road south to Big Bone Church Road, Big Bone Church Road west to Big Bone Baptist Church, Gum Branch Road (not open to the public) south to Beaver Road, Bender Road south to Mud Lick Creek, and South Fork Church Road to the Grant County Line. In addition, at least one surviving site where Morgan and Hines stayed the night (the Piatt-Fowler House in Union) is known. While Morgan’s Escape Route could never be a contiguous trail, its surviving segments and the points on modern roads where the route crossed offer great interpretive potential.
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Kentucky Historic Highway Markers in Boone County
	Web Page
	There are 12 Kentucky Historic Highway Markers scattered around Boone County. The subject and location of each marker may be viewed by doing a search for "Boone" on the Kentucky Historical Society's highway marker page listed above.
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Laughery Island
	Laughery Island is named after the ill-fated leader of a group of militia who were attacked on the island by Native Americans in 1781. The story is encapsulated in the following paragraph, taken from the website (http://www.dearborncounty.org/riverview) for Dearborn County, Indiana’s, River View Cemetery, which is itself an historic resource: "On August 23, 1781 a band of Pennsylvania militia men made their way down the Ohio River. Commanded by Colonel Archibald Lochry, they had planned to rendezvous with George Rogers Clark at present day Wheeling, West Virginia for an attack on the British at Detroit. Clark had gone on without the militia men, leaving a message for them to follow him down the river. When the militia men reached the mouth of Laughery Creek, they shot a buffalo and landed to prepare a meal. Without warning they were attacked by a group of [Native Americans] under the command of the legendary Chief Joseph Brant. Although the [Native Americans] were outnumbered, they had the advantage of surprise and superior fire power. Within minutes approximately forty of Lochry’s men had been killed. Several others, including Lochry, were executed later. Many of the survivors were taken to the British at Detroit and then sent to Montreal. A marker in the [River View] cemetery overlooks the battle site, and lists the men who took part." A phenomenal panoramic view of Laughery’s Island, which is in Boone County and privately owned, is offered from Kentucky 18 south of McVille.
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Maplewood Farm
	Maplewood Farm on Richwood Road in Boone County is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the home and farm of John Pollard Gaines. Gaines was an attorney, soldier in the War of 1812, Major in the Mexican American War, Representative in the Kentucky Legislature, United States Congressman and Governor of the Territory of Oregon. One of John Pollard Gaines’ slaves, later owned by his brother Archibald, was Margaret Garner. The farm is private property and site visits can be scheduled and conducted by a designated member of the Boone County Historical Society. To protect the property and insure historical accuracy, presentations are given by a designated member of the Boone County Historical Society. Questions by visitors are welcome. As an archaeological site, Maplewood is under the auspices of the Kentucky State University and the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, jointly administered by the University of Kentucky Department of Anthropology and the Kentucky Heritage Council. The site cannot be disturbed and no artifacts may be collected or removed. To arrange a visit to Maplewood Farm, please contact Ms. Ruth Brunings at jebrunings@aol.com.
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McVille
	Founded in 1881, this small community was home to late 19th Century steamboat manufacturing and the former Ohio River lock and dam #38. The dam was removed in 1962 when it was superseded by the Markland Dam. The northernmost of the buildings at the lock/dam site housed a low-security women’s penitentiary for a number of years. Riverside Drive in McVille offers some of the most scenic and sweeping views of the Ohio River, although there is currently no public access here.
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Old Burlington Cemetery
	An early burying ground in Burlington, this cemetery has grave markers dating to the 1830s. At least one Revolutionary War veteran is buried among the estimated 350 interments in the Old Burlington Cemetery, which includes many of the leading citizens of Burlington’s past. For the last several years, the cemetery has been restored and maintained under a joint agreement between Huntington Bank and the Boone County Historic Preservation Review Board. The Review Board continues to work to develop the cemetery appropriately as a Boone County heritage site.
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Petersburg
	Petersburg, the oldest settlement in Boone County, is built on the ruins of a large prehistoric village. Reverend John Tanner built Tanner’s Station here in 1789 and the town was named Petersburg in 1818. Petersburg was a river town built on commerce, although its greatest enterprise was the Boone County Distilling Company, once the largest in Kentucky. It was dismantled in the 1910s. Many buildings in town were built with brick salvaged from the distillery complex, including the tiny 1914 Petersburg Jail. Petersburg has more historic buildings than any other Boone County town. Notable structures include the c. 1880 Post Office and Masonic Lodge, 1913 Odd Fellows Hall, 1910 Petersburg Graded School, and 1892 Opera House which now houses Garden Creations Gift Shop (859-586-4800). Grand houses are found throughout town, including the c. 1860 Gothic Revival Jenkins-Berkshire House, c. 1840 Loder House, and c. 1825 Carlton House (Schramm’s Tavern). Just outside town lie the 1866 George W. Terrill House and 1860 J. C. Jenkins House - Boone County’s finest Italianate mansions. Lodging is found in the nearby First Farm Inn B&B (859-586-0199). Request a copy of the Petersburg 'Walking Tour Brochure.
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Rabbit Hash
	Web Page
	Rabbit Hash is Boone County’s most celebrated river town. The famed Rabbit Hash General Store (859-586-7744) was built c. 1831 and is the best known and best preserved country store in Kentucky. While the 1937 Ohio River flood took away half the town’s buildings, the General Store was preserved. The entire town is listed in the National Register. Along with the store, visitors can see the Rabbit Hash Museum (open most Saturday afternoons), shop for antiques at the Rabbit Hash Treasure Hutch (859-586-6849), or visit a stone mason’s shop. Rabbit Hash Old Timers Day (Labor Day weekend) draws up to 2,500 people to partake in music, food, and contests ranging from frog jumping to the rolling pin fling. BB Riverboats offers a day-long “Cruise to Times Past and Future Fortune” from Covington to Rabbit Hash and Rising Sun several times a year.
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Taylorsport
	Founded in 1827 as a warehouse and ferry crossing at the mouth of Elijah’s Creek marked the beginning of Taylorsport. In 1836, James Taylor of Campbell County established a ferry here and named the town after himself. Over the years, Taylorsport has lost a street, a row of houses, and a cemetery to the waters of the Ohio River.
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Walton’s Main Street
	Map/Directions
	Main Street is the heart of Walton in southern Boone County, founded in the 1790s and named Walton in 1840. Bounded by rail lines, Walton is a linear town with Dixie Highway as a classic small town Main Street. Main Street has many historic buildings, including the 1920s Chandler House, the 1930s Wallace House, and the Chambers House and Funeral Parlor, a 1920s Bungalow. A great home style meal can be had at Family’s Main Street Café (859-485-6520).
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