Harrodstown/Harrod's Town/Oldtown/Fort Harrod
"To be born in Kentucky is a heritage;
to brag about it is a habit;
to appreciate it is a virtue."
- Irvin Cobb
Historic Harrodsburg
Known by many names in the past, Harrodsburg, is the oldest town in the Commonwealth. Nestled in the Bluegrass Region of the state, in Mercer County, it was named for its founder, James Harrod. Harrodstown, as it was called then, was founded on June 16, 1774 by a group of 31 men, Harrod led out of Pennsylvania in the spring of that year. Called Harrodstown at that time, it was the first permanent English settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains (Appalachians).
Later that same year, Daniel Boone and Michael Stoner were sent to warn the settlement of imminent danger from Indian attacks. Despite the hardships of the unsettled land, Boone fell in love with Kentucky. Although abandoned briefly, the town was resettled the following spring and became the seat of Virginia's Kentucky County in 1776, before becoming the seat of Mercer County, Kentucky.
The Harrodsburg Tankers
These brave members of the Kentucky National Guard fought in WWII and many endured voyages on the infamous "Hell Ships" for POWs and the Bataan Death March. Of the 66 who went into war, only 37 survived the tortures of their captivity. These "Battling Bastards of Bataan" are featured in our Harrodsburg Tanker history pages.
The Doctor's Ledger
A recently discovered doctor's ledger is now here for you to peruse. This volume from Dr. Robert Wilson who cared for soldiers of the Perryville Battlefield has been added to our exhibits and you can search by name or rank; regiment or state for a soldier and then see a digital copy of the actual ledger in the doctor's own hand!
More Historic Places in Mercer County
The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 authorized the National Park Service's Register of Historic Places -- an official list of our Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. The register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.
