Kentucky History Drive

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Pioneers, Native nations, long hunters, soldiers and distillers. Explore the stories that made Kentucky, on a living map you can travel through time.

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Barton 1792: Bardstown and the Catholic Holy Land · Loop 1: Bardstown to Loretto

Starting at Barton 1792 on the edge of Bardstown: Spalding Hall, Federal Hill, and the Holy Cross and Loretto country to the south.

I'm at Barton 1792 Distillery: what history is near here?

Sites within about 30 minutes by road, nearest first. Times and miles are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM), not live traffic.

SiteFrom the distillery (est.)AccessStory
Bardstown courthouse square (KHS #1668)
William Bard laid off the town in 1780 as agent for his brother David and John C. Owings; the first log courthouse was built in 1785. Sources: KHS marker #1668: Bardstown		about 6 min, 1.5 miMarker onlyRead the story
Civil War Museum of the Western Theater
A museum campus in Bardstown on the Civil War's Western Theater. Sources: Civil War Museum (Bardstown)		about 7 min, 1.9 miPaid, Limited hours
Bardstown African American Heritage Museum (Union Church)
Housed in Union Church, built in 1812 and described as the first two-story brick church west of the Appalachians; restored in 2016. Sources: Bardstown African American Heritage Museum		about 7 min, 2.0 miLimited hours
My Old Kentucky Home State Park (Federal Hill)
John Rowan's Federal Hill mansion; the grounds include the Rowan family burial ground and, southwest of the mansion, a burial ground of enslaved men, women and children. Sources: Grokipedia: My Old Kentucky Home State Park; Kentucky State Parks: My Old Kentucky Home		about 7 min, 2.2 miPaid
Spalding Hall (Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History)
Built in 1826 as part of St. Joseph College; during the Civil War the college building served as a hospital. It now houses the Oscar Getz whiskey museum. Sources: KHS marker #1897: Spalding Hall; Wikipedia: Spalding Hall; Oscar Getz Museum		about 8 min, 2.2 miLimited hours
Heaven Hill Distillery (Bardstown)
Founded by the Shapira family in 1935 after Prohibition; on Nov. 7, 1996, fire destroyed most of the Bardstown plant and about 90,000 barrels of bourbon. Sources: Grokipedia: Heaven Hill; Heaven Hill		about 10 min, 3.6 miPaid, Reservation
Holy Cross Church and Catholic Pioneers marker (KHS #913)
Basil Hayden Sr. led Maryland Catholic families to Pottinger's Creek in 1785; the first Catholic church west of the Alleghenies was built here in 1792, and the present church in 1823. Sources: KHS marker #913: Catholic Pioneers; ExploreKYHistory: Catholic Pioneers		about 22 min, 12.5 miMarker onlyRead the story
Jim Beam (Clermont)
James B. Beam rebuilt the family distillery at Clermont in 1933–34 after Prohibition; the brand took the name Jim Beam in 1943. Sources: Grokipedia: Jim Beam; Jim Beam		about 29 min, 15.8 miPaid, Reservation

Stops

  1. 1. Barton 1792 Distillery

    PublicPaid admissionReservation neededEstablished 1879. Working distillery; tours by reservation, fees apply. Not yet on our map.

    The Barton distillery in Bardstown was originally established in 1879; its brands have included 1792 Bourbon, Kentucky Tavern and Very Old Barton. Sources: Wikipedia: Barton 1792 Distillery

    No story yet for this stop.

  2. 2. Spalding Hall (Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History)

    PublicLimited hoursBuilt 1826. Museum; set hours.

    Built in 1826 as part of St. Joseph College; during the Civil War the college building served as a hospital. It now houses the Oscar Getz whiskey museum. Sources: KHS marker #1897: Spalding Hall; Wikipedia: Spalding Hall; Oscar Getz Museum

    2.2 mi, about 8 min from stop 1
    No story yet for this stop.

  3. 3. My Old Kentucky Home State Park (Federal Hill)

    PublicPaid admissionBegun 1795. State park; mansion by guided tour with admission.

    John Rowan's Federal Hill mansion; the grounds include the Rowan family burial ground and, southwest of the mansion, a burial ground of enslaved men, women and children. Sources: Grokipedia: My Old Kentucky Home State Park; Kentucky State Parks: My Old Kentucky Home

    1.5 mi, about 3 min from stop 2
    No story yet for this stop.

  4. 4. Holy Cross Church and Catholic Pioneers marker (KHS #913)

    PublicMarker onlySettled 1785; church 1792. Roadside marker at KY 49/KY 457; active parish church (grounds only unless services are open).

    Basil Hayden Sr. led Maryland Catholic families to Pottinger's Creek in 1785; the first Catholic church west of the Alleghenies was built here in 1792, and the present church in 1823. Sources: KHS marker #913: Catholic Pioneers; ExploreKYHistory: Catholic Pioneers

    10.4 mi, about 16 min from stop 3
    Basil Hayden's High-Rye Trail →

  5. 5. Maker's Mark Distillery (Burks' Distillery)

    PublicPaid admissionReservation neededBought 1953. Working distillery; tours by reservation, fees apply.

    Bill Samuels Sr. bought the Burks' Distillery at Loretto on October 1, 1953; it became a National Historic Landmark in 1980, the first U.S. distillery so recognized while its landmark buildings were in active production. Sources: Grokipedia: Maker's Mark; Maker's Mark

    8.6 mi, about 18 min from stop 4
    No story yet for this stop.

Directions cover the public stops only. Access, fees and hours are general; verify before visiting.

Route map