Fort Boonesborough State Park | |
Kentucky State Park | |
Fort Boonesborough
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Country | United States |
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State | Kentucky |
County | Madison |
Elevation | 568 ft (173 m) |
Coordinates | 37°54′2″N 84°16′6″W / 37.90056°N 84.26833°WCoordinates: 37°54′2″N 84°16′6″W / 37.90056°N 84.26833°W |
Established | June 14, 1963 |
Management | Kentucky Department of Parks |
Website: Fort Boonesborough State Park | |
Fort Boonesborough Townsite Historic District
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Nearest city | Richmond, Kentucky / Winchester, Kentucky |
Built | 1775 |
Architect | Richard Henderson, Daniel Boone |
NRHP Reference # | 94000303 |
Added to NRHP | April 14, 1994 |
Fort Boonesborough was a frontier fort in Kentucky, founded by Daniel Boone and his men following their crossing of the Kentucky River on April 1, 1775. The settlement they founded, known as Boonesborough, Kentucky, is Kentucky's second oldest European-American settlement. The first form of representative government in Kentucky was held here in May 1775. By that summer, Boonesborough consisted of 26 one-story log cabins and four blockhouses.
The fort was the scene of much action during the western theater of the American Revolutionary War. In September 1778, the fort withstood an attack by American Indians in what would later be called "The Great Siege."
Located in what is now Madison County, Kentucky, Fort Boonesborough State Park has a recreation of Fort Boonesborough rebuilt as a working fort, containing cabins, bunkhouses and furnishings. The park offers history programs in conjunction with the Fort Boonesborough Foundation, and during the in-season, the fort houses resident artisans such as blacksmiths and potters who do open demonstrations to give visitors a taste of what pioneer life in Kentucky was like.
The Kentucky River Museum is located in the park, at the former lock operator's home. The museum focuses on the impact of the river on area families and commerce and tells about the locks and dams in the 1900s.