This was my first article for the Louisville NiteLife Magazine. I didn't realize they had put it up on the website, but go check it out if you get time. =) I'm so proud.
There are quite a few pictures and an update of whats been going on with me under this post... you may have to go to the archive pages though to see them all. =)
Louisville Nitelife Around Town
Small Town with Big History...Bardstown, Kentucky by: Robyn DurkinThe next time you have a free day and would like to explore beautiful scenery, you should gather your family, and spend the day in Bardstown, KY. Bardstown is one of Kentucky's oldest towns, with many historic buildings, and it is a center for the growing of tobacco and the distilling of bourbon. Bardstown is in Nelson County, Central Kentucky's Bourbon Country, 35 miles south of Louisville. It is a city that was built out of the forest in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War. Veterans of that war seeking land migrated over the old Wilderness Road from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina to the forts at Boonesboro and Harrodsburg. Having survived that perilous journey, family groups of Maryland Catholics and Virginia Protestants pressed on to Bardstown. The fertile land and limestone-enriched water found in and around Bardstown became the basis for the establishment of great plantations of cropland and a robust whiskey distilling industry.
When my family and I visited recently, we were only able to spend about four hours in Bardstown. We had a blast, and spent a very nominal amount of money. I had read an article about the Horse and Carriage rides offered through the town so I made an appointment with Jonsie, the owner- operator of Around the Town Carriage for noon. We arrived in Bardstown well before schedule, but we used the time to our advantage.
We stopped in first to see the performance area for Stephen Foster - The Musical. I've never been fortunate enough to see this show, but I now plan to in the near future. The performance area is all outdoors in the park's amphitheater. It had a very personal feel to it. The air felt comfortable and the entire set was tucked back into the surrounding woods. A very impressive house prop could be seen in the distance. We got to observe some of the cast members rehearsing and we visited the gift shop to pick up some brochures for future visits. They are also featuring The Sound of Music this season. Both shows begin June 12th and prices vary.
After we left this area, we explored the My Old Kentucky Home State Park. The first thing I thought of when I got out of the car was "this place is so green". The views and scenery are just breathtaking, and there is such a peaceful feeling. I'm a nature girl at heart so I love seeing the woods, hills and wildlife all around. This place was perfect! A short while later we left to meet Jonsie for our carriage ride around town.
Riding in the carriage was great. Jonsie gave us a narrated historical tour of the famous downtown area of Bardstown. Some of the things he showed us were houses that were built back in the mid 1700 to 1800's. Despite their age, all of these houses were in remarkable shape. He showed us the house that is the oldest one in the area. This beautiful home was built in 1710 and is still resided in. Jonsie then took us by the McClane House. Back in the 1800's it was the town hospital, it was later renovated and turned into the town's Post Office. The McClane house still stands and is used as a Bed & Breakfast. It appears that in Bardstown they don't tear down and rebuild...they just find a way to use the same building for another purpose, which has allowed the town to maintain it's historical quality.
We rode past the building that used to be the old jail. They used this building for prisoners until 1987. We did not have time to tour the inside, but just the outside was amazing. After the carriage ride we went back to take a few photos of an old stockade that was set up outside. The front of the jail was used from 1819 until 1874 and the back half of the jail was used from 1874 until 1987. It also is now a Bed & Breakfast.
The old Courthouse is now the Welcome Center for Bardstown and is located in the middle of the street. It is the main focus of Downtown Bardstown. Visitors to Bardstown can stop in the Welcome Center for literature and information about the different sites to see. You can also pick up different maps that show the way for the many walking tours that Bardstown has to offer.
We stopped off at Talbott's Tavern for some lunch after our carriage ride. We actually stopped at the corner drug store first because Jonsie recommended it to us. He said that the drug store still had an original soda fountain machine and that their food was the best around, so we thought we would try it out. No such luck, the place was packed. So we walked around downtown and finally decided on Talbott's Tavern. We were a little concerned that it was going to be pricey because the building inside and out looked fancy, but nothing on the lunch menu was over ten dollars. The food was excellent too! I decided on a BLT because instead of the traditional tomato most places offer, Talbott's uses fried green tomatoes instead, and to my surprise I pleased with the switch. Our waitress was fantastic too. She even stopped to talk with my daughter each time she would pass by. We learned that the Talbott Tavern has been operating as a tavern for over 200 years. It was built in the late 1700's and has only changed family ownership once.
Several notable American icons have passed through the tavern's doors including Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone and Jesse James. Several bullet holes located in an upstairs wall are reputed to have been put there by Jesse James. It is also rumored that some of the people who stayed at the tavern in years past never checked out, even after death, as some people claim to have encountered ghosts or other paranormal activity at the tavern. The Old Talbott Tavern still serves as a bar, nightclub, restaurant, and bed & breakfast.
During our ride, we also passed by a round, stone building that Jonsie told us used to be used as a Smoke Shack. People back in the 1800's would take meat here to have it smoked and cured so that it would not go bad as quickly. We also passed by an old cemetery, and the house that the U.S. Marshall lives in. During our ride, I noticed that most of the homes and storefronts around town had these large stone blocks in front of them. Some of the blocks were shorter than others. When I asked Jonsie about them, he explained to me that the short ones were used to tie up horses, and the taller ones were used to hitch up carriages when patrons would stop in. The ones that have not been broken or damaged are permitted to stay.
Another great place we visited was The Chapeze House. Construction on The Chapeze House was finished in 1810 and the Chapeze Distillery was founded in 1846. The Bourbon brand, Old Charter, remains one of the world's great Kentucky Bourbon whiskies. It is one of the many stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and offers a wide variety of wine, spirit and cheese sampling, as well as some of the best southern hospitality one would expect from this town.
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train is also a fabulous dining experience. Although it differs from most attractions in Bardstown, in that it is not the original site, it is still a remarkable place to visit. The entire train features vintage 1940's railcars, and a wide selection of dinners and lunches to choose from. For one price you can enjoy a well prepared meal, and a two hour ride through some beautiful farm land. In October, they even offer a haunted train ride with "Clue" type mysteries. Well worth it!!
Whether you have an entire weekend to spend, or just a few hours, Bardstown has something to offer everyone. They have many different tours to choose from, and, most are walking tours so you do not have to bother with traffic or parking. A lot of the sites have a nominal fee, others might ask for donations. There are so many different things to see, and so many historical facts to take in that make visiting Bardstown a memorable vacation site.
I mentioned earlier that this town has a general comfortable atmosphere, but we got a first hand glimpse at the almost family like bond the townsfolk have with each other. While we were riding down one of the streets in the carriage, a small boy was playing on the sidewalk and he stopped, waved and yelled hello to Jonsie. Then we slowed, and Jonsie proceeded to talk with the mother about the new horse that had just joined the Around the Town Carriage family. It is times like this when you can still appreciate the small town atmosphere in a community with so much history. Be sure to visit Bardstown, KY this summer, and when you do, stop in Around the Town Carriage and tell Jonsie that Louisville Nitelife sent you...
