Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Hopkinsville (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Jefferson Davis State Historic Site, Grace Episcopal Church, and Freeman Chapel C.M.E. Church. Also, be sure to include Griffin's Studio in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Hopkinsville (Kentucky).
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Jefferson Davis State Historic Site
State park in Todd County, Kentucky. The Jefferson Davis Monument State Historic Site is a Kentucky state park commemorating the birthplace of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America, in Fairview, Kentucky. The site's focal point is a 351-foot concrete obelisk. In 1973, it was believed to be the fourth-tallest monument in the United States and the tallest concrete-cast one.[1]
Address: Old U.S. 68/KY 80, 42266 Fairview
Grace Episcopal Church
Church in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Grace Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal parish at 216 East 6th Street in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, United States. It was built in 1883 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The church is a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky.[2]
Address: 216 E 6th St, Hopkinsville
Freeman Chapel C.M.E. Church
Church in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Freeman Chapel C.M.E. Church is a historic Christian Methodist Episcopal church at 137 S. Virginia Street in Hopkinsville, Kentucky which was built during 1923–25. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
It was deemed significant both for its history and its architecture. It is a two-story brick Classical Revival-style building on a tall basement foundation. It has arched clerestory windows.[3]
Address: 137 S Virginia St, 42240-3308 Hopkinsville
Griffin's Studio
Gift shop, Shopping, Museum
Address: 100 E 6th St, 42240-3402 Hopkinsville
Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville
Art work. The Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville, Kentucky is a monument dedicated in October 1911. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
During the war, Nathan Bedford Forrest made his winter headquarters at Hopkinsville in 1861–1862. On December 12, 1864, Confederate General Hylan B. Lyon burned the county courthouse at Hopkinsville, but the records survived.
The memorial fountain, eight feet tall and made of white marble, was built after the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy spent five years raising the funds to erect it. It was initially located at the corner of 9th Street and Main Street, but was later moved to the front of the Christian County Courthouse. It was built as a public drinking fountain, but the mechanism no longer works.
On July 17, 1997, the Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville was one of sixty different monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. Three other monuments on this Multiple Property Submission were also fountains: two of these are the Confederate Monument of Cadiz and the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield. Fourteen other monuments were built due to the efforts of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The Latham Confederate Monument is also in Hopkinsville; it is located at Riverside Cemetery to the north side of town.[4]
Latham Confederate Monument
Monument in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The Latham Confederate Monument in Hopkinsville, Kentucky's Riverside Cemetery, is a monument on the National Register of Historic Places.
A native of Hopkinsville then living in New York City, John C. Latham, desired that deceased veterans on both sides in Hopkinsville be buried together. Latham was a millionaire in the cotton business, who fought for the Confederate States of America during the conflict. However, most of the Union veterans had already been buried at the Fort Donelson National Cemetery, so instead the mass burial would involve only Confederate veterans, 101 in total, that were scattered at various burial locations. Latham gave $14,000 to the city of Hopkinsville for the project. The dedication of the monument and the accompanying graves was on May 19, 1887, with a book, The Story of a Monument, was published by Dennison & Brown in 1888 with notes about the monument and its dedication. Latham would also donate $50,000 for the construction of turnpikes.
Latham had Hallowell Granite Works, a company based in Bangor, Maine, build the monument. The monument is made of granite and is 37 feet tall. The monument has several decorations: 18-inch-diameter (460 mm) cannonballs, Laurel wreaths, bronze cannons, and two swords.
On July 17, 1997, the Latham Confederate Monument was one of sixty different monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. The Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville is also in Hopkinsville; it is located by the Christian County Courthouse in downtown Hopkinsville.[5]