Kentucky History Drive

History is all around us.

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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Four Roses: Lawrenceburg and the Salt River settlements · Loop 1: McAfee country and Fort Harrod

Starting at Four Roses on the Salt River: Lawrenceburg's beginnings, the McAfee settlers of 1779, and James Harrod's 1774 town.

I'm at Four Roses 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
Anderson County History Museum
Lawrenceburg was first settled in the early 1780s by German immigrant Jacob Kaufman as Kaufman's (Coffman's) Station; the county museum tells the story from settlement on. Sources: Grokipedia: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; Visit Lawrenceburg: Anderson County History Museum		about 9 min, 6.7 miLimited hours
McAfee Station and New Providence Church markers
The McAfee, McCoun, McGee, Curry and Adams families built a stockade in 1779 on the Salt River; New Providence Presbyterian Church was formed in 1785, and its cemetery holds Revolutionary War soldiers including George and Samuel McAfee. Sources: KHS marker #928: McAfee Station; KHS marker #1603: Revolutionary War soldiers at New Providence		about 12 min, 9.3 miMarker onlyRead the story
Wild Turkey Distillery
In 1891 Thomas Ripy built the Old Hickory Distillery at Tyrone near Lawrenceburg; the Ripy family rebuilt after Prohibition, and the Wild Turkey brand dates to 1940. Sources: Grokipedia: Wild Turkey (bourbon); Wild Turkey		about 15 min, 9.0 miPaid, Reservation
Old Fort Harrod State Park
Commemorates James Harrod's 1774 settlement at Harrodsburg, with a reconstructed fort and pioneer cemetery. Sources: Wikipedia: Fort Harrod; Kentucky State Parks: Old Fort Harrod		about 22 min, 16.7 miPaid, Limited hours
McCrackin Distillery and Mill (Tyrone)
A historic distillery and mill site at Tyrone listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Sources: NPGallery: NRHP 83002903		about 27 min, 17.4 miPrivate land
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Mercer County converts joined the Shakers in 1805; 44 Believers signed the first family covenant in 1806. As pacifists the Shakers refused to bear arms in the Civil War; the society closed in 1910 and the last Shaker died in 1923. Sources: KHS marker #1481: Shakertown at Pleasant Hill; Shaker Village: History		about 31 min, 22.6 miPaid, Limited hours
Castle & Key (Old Taylor Distillery)
Col. E.H. Taylor Jr. founded the distillery in 1887; the restored grounds are now Castle & Key. Sources: Castle & Key		about 33 min, 22.9 miPaid, Reservation

Stops

  1. 1. Four Roses Distillery

    PublicPaid admissionReservation neededBuilt 1910. Working distillery; tours by reservation, fees apply.

    The Spanish Mission-style distillery on the Salt River was built in 1910 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Sources: Grokipedia: Four Roses; Four Roses

    No story yet for this stop.

  2. 2. Anderson County History Museum

    PublicLimited hoursCarnegie library 1908. Free museum; limited open days, otherwise by appointment.

    Lawrenceburg was first settled in the early 1780s by German immigrant Jacob Kaufman as Kaufman's (Coffman's) Station; the county museum tells the story from settlement on. Sources: Grokipedia: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; Visit Lawrenceburg: Anderson County History Museum

    6.7 mi, about 9 min from stop 1
    Lawrenceburg: from Kaufman's Station to Anderson County seat →

  3. 3. McAfee Station and New Providence Church markers

    PublicMarker onlyStockade 1779; church 1785. Roadside markers on US 127 at the church; the station site itself is on private land.

    The McAfee, McCoun, McGee, Curry and Adams families built a stockade in 1779 on the Salt River; New Providence Presbyterian Church was formed in 1785, and its cemetery holds Revolutionary War soldiers including George and Samuel McAfee. Sources: KHS marker #928: McAfee Station; KHS marker #1603: Revolutionary War soldiers at New Providence

    15.5 mi, about 22 min from stop 2
    McAfee Station on the Salt River →

  4. 4. Old Fort Harrod State Park

    PublicPaid admissionLimited hoursFounded 1774. State park; admission charged for the fort, seasonal hours.

    Commemorates James Harrod's 1774 settlement at Harrodsburg, with a reconstructed fort and pioneer cemetery. Sources: Wikipedia: Fort Harrod; Kentucky State Parks: Old Fort Harrod

    7.5 mi, about 11 min from stop 3
    Maj. Joseph Bowman →Ann McGinty and Kentucky's first spinning wheel →

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

Route map