Old Fort Harrod State Park

Visit the reconstructed site depicting the first permanent American settlement in Kentucky.

Caption James Harrod decided where the fort would be built by cutting down a tree on the very spot in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, signaling the beginning of human occupancy in the Kentucky territory. The fort was constructed from 1773 - 1774  by James Harrod and over 30 other men. They decided that 1/2 acre of land would be within the fort walls, and 5 acres were plotted outside of the walls so that each of Harrod's crew would each receive 1 acre. After all of the cabins were built, they did a lottery to decide who would get which cabin.

Old Fort Harrod is a great place to visit and learn of the fort's history and see the demonstrations of what life would have been like in the late 1700s. The park has the fort replica, the Mansion Museum, a Federal Monument, Lincoln Marriage Temple, and the oldest cemetery west of the Alleghenies. All of the cabins give you a sense of military frontier life. There is the militia blockhouse, the minister's cabin, and a family blockhouse on site. Presenters are available in a few of the cabins and outside to show visitors how to do various things, such as making lye soap and weaving.

There is a garden, animals, a picnic shelter, a playground, and a pioneer graveyard. Visitors can learn from the gunsmith and see the giant split trunk Osage orange tree for great photo opportunities. See the cabin where Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married on June 12, 1806, by Reverend Jesse Head. This couple was Abraham Lincoln's parents. The Mansion Museum is a Greek Revival home with Native American artifacts, music collections, paintings, a gun collection, Abraham Lincoln memorabilia, and American Civil War artifacts inside. The park grounds are open daily from 8 am to dusk. See what awaits you at Old Fort Harrod State Park.