Fort Harrod

Begun in 1774 by James Harrod and Company, the Fort was crucial to the settlement of Harrodsburg and Kentucky. Situated on the Wilderness Road, its importance as a refuge in times of Indian depredations cannot be underestimated.

It was the site of many firsts: George Rogers Clark planned his northwest territory strategy in one of the original blockhouses; Mrs, William Coomes taught the first school in Kentucky within the Fort; Ann McGinty brought the first spinning wheel and made the first linen from the lint of nettles within the fort.

The present replica was erected in 1927 on Old Fort Hill also known as Seminary Hill. President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the fort in 1934 to dedicate the granite monument commemorating the first permanent settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Also on the park grounds are the Pioneer Cemetery, a relocated log cabin (now housed inside the Lincoln Marriage Temple), and the Matheny-Taylor House (Mansion Museum).



 

Fort Harrod
College and Lexington Streets
Harrodsburg, KY 40330