The Frankfort Cemetery is a historic

rural cemetery A rural cemetery or garden cemetery is a style of cemetery that became popular in the United States and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century due to the overcrowding and health concerns of urban cemeteries. They were typically built one to five ...

located on East Main Street in

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the prin ...

. The cemetery is the burial site of

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors and a

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

. The cemetery is built on a

bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New ...

overlooking the

Kentucky River The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 13, 2011 in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Kentuc ...

with views of the

Kentucky State Capitol The Kentucky State Capitol is located in Frankfort and is the house of the three branches (executive, legislative, judicial) of the state government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic P ...

, the

Kentucky Governor's Mansion The Kentucky Governor's Mansion is a historic residence in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is located at the East lawn of the Capitol, at the end of Capital Avenue. On February 1, 1972, it was added to the United States National Register of Historic P ...

, downtown Frankfort, south Frankfort, and the Capitol District.

History

The cemetery was created by Judge Mason Brown, son of statesman

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

, inspired by a visit to

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery is the first rural cemetery, rural, or garden, cemetery in the United States, located on the line between Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, Watertown in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middl ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. Brown enlisted other Frankfort civic leaders and on February 27, 1844 the

Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in the ...

approved the cemetery's incorporation. The property, then called ''Hunter's Garden'', was purchased in 1845 for $3,801. Additional land was purchased in 1858 and in 1911 for a total of . Brown hired Scottish-born landscape architect Robert Carmichael to design the cemetery. The cemetery is laid out in a style similar to Mount Auburn, with curving lanes, terraces and a circle of vaults. Carmichael imported and planted trees and flowering shrubs from the mountains of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, intending the cemetery to double as an

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

in a time when residents could not easily travel to see mountain plants not native to the region. Carmichael is also buried in the cemetery. There are numerous monuments and memoria in the cemetery. A central feature is the State Mound, featuring a

Kentucky War Memorial The Kentucky War Memorial is a memorial to Kentuckians who have died in all wars. On a high-point called the "State Mound" in Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky, the memorial consists of a 65-foot-tall monument erected in 1850, nine low sto ...

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Frankfort Cemetery was used for the final resting place of soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Corporal, Lyman B. Hannaford of the

103rd Ohio Infantry The 103rd Ohio Infantry Regiment, sometimes 103rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry was a three-years' infantry regiment from northeastern Ohio that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It participated in many of the campaigns ...

notes in his letter dated April 2, 1863, "They are planting (as soldiers term it) a good many soldiers here—almost one per day. That is a good many for the number of troops here."

Interments

Kentucky Governors

Seventeen Kentucky governors are buried there:

Other notable people

Other notable people buried at Frankfort Cemetery include: * Rufus B. Atwood, president of

Kentucky State University Kentucky State University (KSU and KYSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Frankfort, Kentucky. Founded in 1886 as the State Normal School for Colored Persons ...

Bland Ballard Bland Williams Ballard (October 16, 1761 – September 5, 1853) was a soldier and statesman from Kentucky. Biography Bland Williams Ballard was born on October 16, 1761, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, the eldest son of Bland Ballard. In 1779 ...

, soldier and statesman *

William T. Barry William Taylor Barry (February 5, 1784 – August 30, 1835) was an American slave owner, statesman and jurist. He served as Postmaster General for most of the administration of President Andrew Jackson and was the only Cabinet member not to resi ...

, member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

and

United States Postmaster General The United States Postmaster General (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency. The PMG is selected and appointed by ...

George M. Bibb George Mortimer Bibb (October 30, 1776 – April 14, 1859) was an American lawyer and politician and the seventeenth United States Secretary of the Treasury. He was chief justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals and twice represented Kentucky as ...

, U.S. Senate and

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

American pioneer American pioneers were European American and African American settlers who migrated westward from the Thirteen Colonies and later United States to settle in and develop areas of North America that had previously been inhabited or used by Nati ...

Rebecca Boone Rebecca Ann Bryan Boone (January 9, 1739 – March 18, 1813) was an American pioneer and the wife of famed frontiersman Daniel Boone. No contemporary portrait of her exists, but people who knew her said that when she met her future ...

, American pioneer and the wife of Daniel Boone *

, lawyer, statesman *

Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. ( ; July 18, 1886 – June 18, 1945) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army during World War II who served in the Pacific Theater. As commanding general of Alaska Defense Command, Buckner commanded America ...

, U.S. Army general, World War II * Johnson N. Camden Jr., U.S. Senator * Henry Clay, Jr., soldier and statesman * Henry Crist, Kentucky pioneer, member of the

and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

George Bibb Crittenden George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

, Confederate Army general *

Thomas Leonidas Crittenden Thomas Leonidas Crittenden (May 15, 1819 – October 23, 1893) was a lawyer, politician, and Union general during the American Civil War. Early life Crittenden was born in Russellville, Kentucky, the son of U.S. Senator John J. Crittenden, who ...

, Union Army general * Anthony Crockett, Revolutionary War soldier and politician *

John Milton Elliott John Milton Elliott (May 16, 1820 – March 26, 1879) was an American lawyer and politician from Prestonsburg, Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives from 1853 until 1857 and served in the First Confederate ...

, judge, murdered * Thomas Y. Fitzpatrick, U.S. Representative, County Judge, County Attorney * Gilbert Genesta, magician, drowned *

Martin D. Hardin Martin D. Hardin (June 21, 1780October 8, 1823) was a politician and lawyer from Kentucky. Born in Pennsylvania, his family immigrated to Kentucky when he was still young. He studied law under George Nicholas and commenced practice at Richmond ...

, politician *

Parker Watkins Hardin Parker Watkins ("Wat") Hardin (June 3, 1841 – July 25, 1920) was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. From 1879 to 1888, he served as Attorney General of Kentucky. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Kentucky in 1891, 1895 ...

, politician,

Attorney General of Kentucky The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution. (Ky.Const. § 91). Under Kentucky law, they serve several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor (KRS 15.700), the state's chief law enforcement officer (K ...

1879–1888 * Joel Tanner Hart, sculptor * Elizabeth Ann Hulette, professional wrestling manager *

Willard Rouse Jillson Willard Rouse Jillson (May 28, 1890 – October 4, 1975) was a Kentucky historian, academic, and geologist who authored numerous books on Kentucky politicians and geology matters pertaining to the State. Jillson taught geology in Lexington at t ...

, Kentucky historian, geologist *

Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson (October 17, 1780 – November 19, 1850) was an American lawyer, military officer and politician who served as the ninth vice president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841 under President Martin Van Buren ...

* William Lindsay, U.S. Senate *

Humphrey Marshall Humphrey Marshall may refer to: *Humphry Marshall (1722–1801), botanist *Humphrey Marshall (general) (1812–1872), Confederate general in the American Civil War *Humphrey Marshall (politician) Humphrey Marshall (1760 – July 3, 1841) wa ...

, U.S. and Confederate States Congressman, Confederate Army general * Thomas Francis Marshall, lawyer, politician,

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

John Calvin Mason John Calvin Mason (August 4, 1802 – August 1865) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Born near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, Mason attended country and city schools in Montgomery County and Mount Sterling Law School in Lexington, Kentucky. ...

, attorney, U.S. Representative * Silas B. Mason, construction contractor who built the

Grand Coulee Dam Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation water. Constructed between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee originally had two powerhous ...

, racehorse owner/breeder who won the 1933

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

* Samuel McKee, law, U.S. Representative *

Presley O'Bannon Presley O'Bannon (1776 – September 12, 1850) was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War (1801-1805). In recognition of his bravery, he was presented a sword for his part in ...

U.S. Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

credited as first to raise the American flag over foreign soil in 1805 at the

Battle of Derna The Battle of Derna at Derna, Cyrenaica, was the decisive victory in April–May 1805 of a mercenary army recruited and led by United States Marines under the command of U.S. Army Lieutenant William Eaton, diplomatic Consul to Tripoli, and U ...

. *

Theodore O'Hara Theodore O'Hara (February 11, 1820 – June 6, 1867) was a poet and an officer for the United States Army in the Mexican–American War, and a Confederate colonel in the American Civil War. He is best known for the poems "Bivouac of the Dead", ...

, poet, newspaperman, soldier * Lucy Phenton Pattie, 1842–1922, the only honorary initiated female member of

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...

fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...

Thomas H. Paynter Thomas Hanson Paynter (December 9, 1851March 8, 1921) was a United States Senator and Representative from Kentucky. Born on a farm near Vanceburg, Kentucky, Paynter attended the common schools, Rand's Academy, and Centre College. There he studi ...

, U.S. Senate * Paul Sawyier, Kentucky artist * Solomon P. Sharp,

murdered in the

Beauchamp–Sharp Tragedy The Beauchamp–Sharp Tragedy (sometimes called the Kentucky Tragedy) was the murder of Kentucky legislator Solomon P. Sharp by Jereboam O. Beauchamp. As a young lawyer, Beauchamp had been an admirer of Sharp until Sharp allegedly fathered an il ...

* John Simpson, soldier, member of the

, Speaker of the

, and Congressman-elect * Daniel Weisiger Swigert, 1883–1912,

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

breeder, owner of

Elmendorf Farm Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. M ...

Isham Talbot Isham Talbot (1773September 25, 1837) was a United States Senator from Kentucky. Born in Bedford County, Virginia, Isham Talbot Jr. moved with his parents, Isham and Elizabeth (Davis) Talbot, to Harrodsburg, Kentucky in about 1784. He was admi ...

, U.S. Senate *

Landon Addison Thomas Landon Addison Thomas (October 31, 1799 – October 2, 1889) was an American politician. Thomas was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, on October 31, 1799, the son of Edmund and Ann (Chiles) Thomas, who removed from Virginia to Kentucky in 1796. Af ...

, businessman and member of the

from

Thomas Todd Thomas Todd (January 23, 1765 – February 7, 1826) was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1807 to 1826. Raised in the Colony of Virginia, he Read law, studied law and later participated in the founding of K ...

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...

South Trimble South Trimble (April 13, 1864 – November 23, 1946) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. He was a prominent member of the famed South–Cockrell–Hargis family of Southern politicians. Biography Born near Hazel Green, Kentucky, to A ...

, Kentucky House of Representatives, U.S. Representative,

Clerk of the United States House of Representatives The Clerk of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the United States House of Representatives, whose primary duty is to act as the chief record-keeper for the House. Along with the other House officers, the Clerk is elec ...

Emily Harvie Thomas Tubman Emily Harvie Thomas Tubman (March 21, 1794 – June 9, 1885) was an American philanthropist. Born in Virginia, she became a prominent socialite and businesswoman in Augusta, Georgia, and was an early supporter of the Christian Church (Disciple ...

, businesswoman and philanthropist from

, was an early supporter of the

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

* John White, served in the

and in the U.S. House, where he served as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

Gallery

Image:Daniel and Rebecca Boone's grave.jpg, Pioneer explorer Daniel Boone & wife Rebecca Bryan. Image:Gov Robert P Letcher gravestone.jpg, Gov.

Robert P. Letcher Robert Perkins Letcher (February 10, 1788 – January 24, 1861) was a politician and lawyer from the US state of Kentucky. He served as a U.S. Representative, Minister to Mexico, and the 15th Governor of Kentucky. He also served in the Kentuc ...

Image:PaulSawyierGrave.jpg, Impressionist painter Paul Sawyier Image:Confederate Monument in Frankfort 1.jpg,

Confederate Monument in Frankfort The Confederate Monument in Frankfort is placed within a circle of the graves of 68 Confederate soldiers in Frankfort Cemetery in Kentucky. The statue depicts a life size Confederate soldier standing ready, carved from white Carrara marble and sta ...

File:Cemetery, Military Monument-3.jpg, One side of the

File:Cemetery, Military Monument-3 cropped.jpg, Names of some of the American dead ( Raisin River Massacre,

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, Kentucky War Memorial) File:Frankfort Cemetery Chapel; Frankfort, Kentucky.JPG, Chapel

References

External links

*
Frankfort Cemetery Map & PhotosFind a grave famous burials Frankfort cemetery
{{Registered Historic Places Cemeteries in Kentucky Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Frankfort, Kentucky Protected areas of Franklin County, Kentucky Rural cemeteries