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Fayette County, Kentucky

Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.

—newspaper titles
—digitized titles
180historic places
—earliest paper
1780formed
322,570pop. 2020
8cemeteries
—CW battlefields

At a glance

Summary

The National Register of Historic Places includes 180 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1966; 3 are also National Historic Landmarks. Most listings are in or near Lexington, Centerville, Athens.

Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.

Newspapers

Library of Congress

Newspaper directory data for Kentucky is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Fayette titles at the Library of Congress.

National Register of Historic Places

NPS NRHP

115 of 180 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.

180 listed properties
PropertyCityTypeListed
African Cemetery No. 2LexingtonSite2004
Allen, James HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
Ashland NHLLexingtonBuilding1966
Ashland Park Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1986
Athens Historic DistrictAthensDistrict1979
Barton, Abraham, HouseLexingtonBuilding1977
Basye, T. D., HouseLexingtonBuilding1987
Bates Log HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
Beck, James Burnie, HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
Bell Court Neighborhood Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1980
Bell PlaceLexingtonBuilding1978
Bell, John, HouseLexingtonBuilding1983
Boone Creek Rural Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1994
BotherumLexingtonBuilding1973
Bowman HousesLexingtonBuilding1979
Bowman Mill Road Rural Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1999
Brand-Barrow HouseLexingtonBuilding1976
Breckinridge, John C., MemorialLexingtonObject1997
Brown, Joshua, HouseLexingtonBuilding1979
Buenna HillCentervilleBuilding1983
Burrier, John, HouseLexingtonBuilding1983
Cadentown SchoolLexingtonBuilding2006
Cave PlaceLexingtonBuilding1980
Cave SpringLexingtonBuilding1978
Central Christian ChurchLexingtonBuilding1979
Central Kentucky Blue Grass Seed Co.LexingtonBuilding2005
Chandler Normal School Building and Webster HallLexingtonBuilding1980
Christ Church EpiscopalLexingtonBuilding1976
Clark Hardware Company BuildingLexingtonBuilding1979
Clark, John, HouseLexingtonBuilding1980
Clay, Henry, Law OfficeLexingtonBuilding1971
Cleveland-Rogers HouseLexingtonBuilding1980
Cloud HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
Conant, William, HouseLexingtonBuilding1991
Confederate Soldier Monument in LexingtonLexingtonObject1997
Constitution Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1982
CorinthiaCentervilleBuilding1983
DeLong Agricultural Implements WarehouseLexingtonBuilding1980
DeltaLexingtonBuilding1978
Douglass SchoolLexingtonBuilding1998
Downtown Commercial DistrictLexingtonDistrict1983
EdgewoodLexingtonBuilding2016
Elam Mound Archeological SiteLexingtonSite1975
Elley VillaLexingtonBuilding1978
ElmendorfLexingtonDistrict2023
Elsmere Park Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1976
Episcopal Burying Ground and ChapelLexingtonSite1976
FairlawnLexingtonBuilding1976
Fayette National Bank (Boundary Increase)LexingtonBuilding2014
Fayette National Bank BuildingLexingtonBuilding1980
Fayette Safety Vault and Trust Company BuildingLexingtonBuilding1980
Featherston, Edmonson and Clark HousesLexingtonBuilding1983
First African Baptist ChurchLexingtonBuilding1986
First Presbyterian ChurchLexingtonBuilding1974
Floral HallLexingtonBuilding1977
Grant, George W., HouseLexingtonBuilding1980
Gratz Park Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1973
Graves TavernVersaillesBuilding1983
Grimes House and Mill ComplexLexingtonBuilding1982
Guilfoil Village Site (15FA176)AthensSite1985
HartlandLexingtonBuilding1987
Hayes, Samuel T., HouseLexingtonBuilding1980
Headley, George, HouseLexingtonBuilding1991
Headley, Hal Price, Sr., HouseLexingtonBuilding2010
Helm PlaceLexingtonBuilding1978
Higgins BlockLexingtonBuilding1977
Highland HallLexingtonBuilding1977
Hollywood Terrace Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict2008
Hurricane HallLexingtonBuilding1976
Innes HouseCentervilleBuilding1983
January, Thomas, HouseLexingtonBuilding1974
Keeneland-Keeneland Racetrack NHLLexingtonDistrict1986
Kennedy, Matthew, HouseLexingtonBuilding1973
Kinkead HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
Kinkead, Henry P., HouseLexingtonBuilding1984
Ladies' Confederate Memorial, TheLexingtonObject1997
Lemon HillLexingtonBuilding1978
Lemon, James, HousesLexingtonBuilding1974
Lewis ManorLexingtonBuilding1976
Lexington Cemetery and Henry Clay MonumentLexingtonSite1976
Lexington City National Bank BuildingLexingtonBuilding1980
Lexington Dry Goods Company BuildingLexingtonBuilding1988
Lexington Herald BuildingLexingtonBuilding1982
Lexington Hospitality Motor InnLexingtonBuilding2024
Lexington National CemeteryLexingtonSite1998
Lexington Veterans Administration HospitalLexingtonDistrict2012
Lexington-Fayette County Government Building BlockLexingtonBuilding1983
Liggett and Meyers Harpring Tobacco Storage WarehouseLexingtonBuilding2013
Liggett and Myers Tobacco Re-handling FacilityLexingtonBuilding2003
Lincoln, Mary Todd, HouseLexingtonBuilding1971
Loudoun HouseLexingtonBuilding1973
Luigart Malt HouseLexingtonBuilding2025
MansfieldLexingtonBuilding1982
Mathews, Courtney, HouseLexingtonBuilding2011
Maxwell PlaceLexingtonBuilding1982
McAdams and Morford BuildingLexingtonBuilding1973
McCann, Benjamin, HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
McCann, Neal, HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
McCauley, John, HouseLexingtonBuilding1980
McConnell SpringsLexingtonSite1976
McConnell, James, HouseLexingtonBuilding1983
McConnell, William, HouseLexingtonBuilding1983
McCracken-Wilgus HouseLexingtonBuilding1978
McGarvey, Dr. John, HouseLexingtonBuilding1974
McPheeters, Charles, HouseLexingtonBuilding1974
Mentelle HouseLexingtonBuilding2025
Mentelle ParkLexingtonDistrict1985
Middle Reaches of Boone Creek Rural Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1996
Miller Brothers BuildingLexingtonBuilding1980
Monsieur Giron's ConfectionaryLexingtonBuilding1974
Moore-Redd-Frazer HouseLexingtonBuilding1976
Morgan, John Hunt, MemorialLexingtonObject1997
Morton, Will, Tavern StandLexingtonBuilding1978
Morton, William, HouseLexingtonBuilding1975
Mt. Horeb Archeological DistrictLexingtonDistrict1998
Mt. Horeb Earthworks, Unit ALexingtonSite1975
North Broadway-Short Street Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1983
North Limestone Commercial DistrictLexingtonDistrict1983
Northeast Residential Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1985
Northside Historic Residential DistrictLexingtonBuilding1979
Northside Residential Historic District (Boundary Increase)LexingtonDistrict1982
Odd Fellows TempleLexingtonBuilding1980
Old Morrison, Transylvania College NHLLexingtonBuilding1966
Opera House and Yates Bookshop BuildingLexingtonBuilding1975
Payne, Henry, HouseLexingtonBuilding1983
Pensacola Park Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict2020
Peoples Federal Savings and Loan AssociationLexingtonBuilding2016
Pepper, James E., DistilleryLexingtonBuilding2009
Pettit's, James, MillFordBuilding1983
Poindexter, William, HouseLexingtonBuilding1974
Pope VillaLexingtonBuilding2018
Poplar GroveLexingtonBuilding1982
Price, Pugh, HouseLexingtonBuilding1979
Price, Williamson, HouseLexingtonBuilding1979
Ramsey, Lewis, Jr., HouseLexingtonBuilding1991
Randall Building Bogaert's Jewelry StoreLexingtonBuilding1982
Redd Road Rural Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1991
Ridgely HouseLexingtonBuilding1973
Rockefeller MoundLexingtonSite1998
Rogers, Joseph Hale, HouseLexingtonBuilding1979
Rose HillLexingtonBuilding1974
Russel, Robert, HouseCentervilleBuilding1983
Russell SchoolLexingtonBuilding2006
Sayre Female InstituteLexingtonBuilding1982
Schwert, Drs. George W. & Margaret, HouseLexingtonBuilding2024
Scott and Wilson Houses DistrictLexingtonDistrict1974
Second Presbyterian ChurchLexingtonBuilding1980
Shady SideLexingtonBuilding1976
Shelby Family HousesLexingtonDistrict1978
Shryack, Frederick, HouseClintonvilleBuilding1983
Smith, Mitchell Baker, Company BuildingLexingtonBuilding1980
South Hill Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1978
Southeast Greyhound Line BuildingLexingtonBuilding2014
Southeast Lexington Residential and Commercial DistrictLexingtonDistrict1984
Southern Railway Passenger DepotLexingtonBuilding1987
Spindletop FarmLexingtonDistrict2012
Spring Hill FarmLexingtonBuilding1978
Springview FarmLexingtonDistrict2012
Steele, Drewsilla, HouseLexingtonBuilding1991
Stony PointLexingtonBuilding1979
Todd, William Lytle, HouseLexingtonBuilding1979
Trail's End CampLexingtonSite2019
Trotter's WarehouseLexingtonBuilding1976
United States Post Office and Court HouseLexingtonBuilding1999
Victorian Commercial BlockLexingtonDistrict1978
Walnut Hill Presbyterian ChurchLexingtonBuilding1973
Warfield, Dr. Walter, BuildingLexingtonBuilding1980
Watkins, Thomas B., HouseLexingtonBuilding1982
Watt, Henry, HouseLexingtonBuilding1977
WavelandLexingtonBuilding1971
West Fayette County Rural Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1991
Western Suburb Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1976
Wolf Wile Department Store BuildingLexingtonBuilding1996
WoodlandLexingtonBuilding1975
Woodlands Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1983
WoodstockLexingtonBuilding1975
Woodward Heights Neighborhood Historic DistrictLexingtonDistrict1980
Woolworth, F.W., BuildingLexingtonBuilding2002
Worley, Allen, and Foushee HousesLexingtonBuilding1976
Young, Charles, Park and Community CenterLexingtonBuilding2016

Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.

County formation

Newberry AHCB

Fayette was formed in 1780 (1780-11-01) from KENTUCKY County (Va.

FAYETTE created by Virginia from KENTUCKY County (Va., extinct); KENTUCKY County eliminated.

Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Population by decade

Census

Fayette County population from 1790 to 2020 (Census historical series).

323k168k14k179018001840188019101920196020002020
17901800182018401860188019001920194019501960198020002020
18,41014,02823,25022,19422,59929,02342,07154,66478,899100,746131,906204,165260,512322,570

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.

Cemeteries & historical places

USGS GNIS

8 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.

Cemeteries — 8 of 8 listed
NameLatLon
Calvary Cemetery38.05729-84.51299
Cove Haven Cemetery38.06563-84.50938
Highland Memorial Cemetery38.06147-84.52695
Hillcrest Memorial Park38.04869-84.54577
Howards Grove Cemetery38.0959-84.39438
Lexington National Cemetery38.05788-84.51099
Lexington National Cemetery38.05784-84.51096
The Lexington Cemetery38.06048-84.50956

Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.

Historical markers

HMdb link

Marker text and photos from the Historical Marker Database (HMdb) are not embedded here. HMdb allows non-commercial reuse with attribution, but commercial/compensated use needs written permission; this is a commercial site, so we only link out.

Search HMdb for Fayette County, Kentucky

Terms: hmdb.org/copyright.asp. Linking is encouraged by HMdb.