Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
1854 - Frankfort

Frankfort, a handsome town, capital of Kentucky, and seat of justice of Franklin county, is beautifully situated on the right (or N. E.) bank of Kentucky river, 60 miles from its mouth, 24 miles W. N. W. from Lexington, 53 miles £. from Louisville, and 500 miles from Washington. It stands on an elevated plain or valley, between the river and the bluff, which rises a short distance behind the town to the height of about 150 feet. The river, which is here near 100 yards wide, flows in a deep channel of limestone rock. The eminences on the N. E. side of the town present a delightful view of the picturesque scenery for which this river is so remarkable. Frankfort is regularly planned, and , generally well built. The state house stands on a small eminence, nearly midway between the river and the northern limit of the valley. It is a handsome edifice of Kentucky marble, quarried in the vicinity, with a portico supported by six columns of the Ionic order. The governor's house is a plain building of brick. The other public buildings are the state penitentiary, a court house, 4 churches, 1 academy, and 2 banking houses. Seven newspapers are published in Frankfort. The town is supplied with excellent spring water, which is conveyed into the town through iron pipes. It is the centre of an active trade, which is facilitated by railroads leading to Louisville and Lexington, and by the navigation of the river. The latter has been improved by means of dams and locks, so that steamboats can ascend from its mouth to the j unction of its constituent branches. A chain bridge connects the town with the village of South Frankfort, on the opposite bank. Pop. in 1853, about 5000.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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