This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Kentucky, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over Kentucky. Only buildings built prior to 1840 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.
In order to qualify for the list, a structure must:
- be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy);
- incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building.
This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.
List of oldest buildings
edit| Building | Image | Location | First built | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Talbott Tavern | 
|
Bardstown, Kentucky | 1779 | Hotel | "Oldest western stagecoach stop still in operation." |
| Adam Rankin House | 
|
Lexington, Kentucky | 1784 | Residence | Oldest house in Lexington, although moved from its original foundation.[1] Oldest part was built as a log house and then later covered with clapboards. It was the home to a Presbyterian minister, Rev. Adam Rankin. |
| John Andrew Miller House | Scott County, Kentucky | 1785 | Residence | Stone home of pioneer John Andrew Miller. Served as a community shelter from Native American attacks | |
| Israel Grant Cabin | Scott County, Kentucky | ca. 1787 | Residence | Early log cabin[2] | |
| William Whitley House State Historic Site | 
|
Crab Orchard, Kentucky | 1787–1794 | Residence | Oldest brick house in Kentucky |
| Millspring | 
|
Georgetown, Kentucky | 1789 | Residence | Back ell is the oldest part of the house, constructed by Rev. Elijah Craig |
| Jacob Eversole Cabin | Perry County, Kentucky | ca. 1789–1804 | Residence | Oldest house in eastern Kentucky | |
| Zachary Taylor House | 
|
Louisville, Kentucky | 1790 | Residence | Childhood home of President Zachary Taylor |
| Cane Ridge Meeting House | .jpg)
|
Cane Ridge, Kentucky | 1791 | Church | Likely oldest church building in Kentucky |
| Historic Locust Grove | 
|
Louisville, Kentucky | 1792 | Residence | Visited by explorers Lewis and Clark and President Zachary Taylor |
| Old Providence Church | 
|
Winchester, Kentucky | 1793 | Church | Oldest stone church in Kentucky |
| Abraham Barton House | .jpg)
|
Lexington, Kentucky | 1795 | Residence | Constructed for Kentucky politician Peyton Short, later owned by Confederate soldier Henry Brainerd McClellan |
| Daniel Boone Cabin | Carlisle, Kentucky | 1795 | Residence | Last Kentucky cabin of Daniel Boone | |
| Richard Masterson House | 
|
Carrollton, Kentucky | ca. 1795 | Residence | Early Methodist services were held in house as well. Oldest two story brick building in state.[3] |
| White Hall | 
|
Richmond, Kentucky | 1799 | Residence | Home of Green Clay and Cassius Marcellus Clay |
| Bates Log House | Lexington, Kentucky | ca. 1800 | Residence | Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 | |
| Oldest House | Bell County, Kentucky | 1800 | Residence | Oldest house in Bell County.[4] | |
| Henry Clay's Law Office | 
|
Lexington, Kentucky | 1803 | Office | Building where Henry Clay ran his law services |
| Waggoner/Langdon/Colyer House | 
|
Pulaski County, Kentucky | 1805 | Residence | Pulaski 1805 log house is one of oldest extant log houses in Pulaski County[5] |
| Ashland | 
|
Lexington, Kentucky | 1811 | Residence | Home of Kentucky politician Henry Clay |
| Cane Springs Primitive Baptist Church | College Hill, Kentucky | ca. 1812–13 | Church | Built during the Great Awakening, oldest church building in Madison County | |
| J. B. Knight House | 
|
Hopkinsville, Kentucky | ca. 1815–1820 | Residence | The Knight House is the oldest standing structure and residence in Hopkinsville and Christian County Kentucky. |
| Squire Earick House | 
|
Louisville, Kentucky | 1815 | Residence | Oldest woodframe house in Louisville[6] |
| Carneal House | Covington, Kentucky | 1815 | Residence | Oldest building in Covington | |
| Elijah Herndon House | California, Kentucky | 1818 | Residence | Home of Elijah Herndon, a Kentucky slaveowner | |
| Cleveland-Rogers House | Lexington, Kentucky | 1819 | Residence | Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 | |
| Chenault House | Richmond, Kentucky | 1830 | Residence | Estate built by William Chenault in 1830, known for derby parties in the 20th century[7] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Soper, Kim (2021-08-13). "Check out the Adam Rankin House, The Oldest House in Lexington And Where the Famous Burrows Mustard Was Born". ExploreLexingtonKY.com (blog). United Real Estate. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ "Historic log cabin is discovered during deconstruction of Scott County home". Spectrum News 1. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ Highsmith, Carol M. (2020-07-11). The Masterson House in Carrollton, Kentucky, is one of the oldest (some say the oldest) surviving two-story brick buildings along the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio meets the mighty Mississippi River. Library of Congress (image). Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ Friends of Boone Trace, Inc. "Oldest House". ExploreKYHistory. Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ "1805 Pulaski County log house Dendroarchaeology". Retrieved 2023-10-03.
- ^ Robinson, Kurt. "Louisville to Portland Turnpike". ExploreKYHistory. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
- ^ "Chenault House". npgallery.nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved June 28, 2024.