Moved from West Virginia to Kentucky staying at the Whispering Hills RV Park. The park is large and has large sites also. However the sewer for the site next to us was close to our seating area. Noticed other sites were not laid out the same way so our site seemed to be an anomaly. At least there was no smell. (Avoid Site 220 so you won’t have the sewer from next door next to your picnic table.)
As we are heading west, this is another state we get to cross off and we used this stop to visit the Kentucky State Capitol which was completed on 1910. This is the fourth Capitol built eventually replacing the first one built in 1830 which is still standing downtown. It appears there was a long fight between Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville in which city should be the capital. Once it was decided on Frankfort, the legislature decided to build a new Capitol outside of the town square since the new was much larger than the old one. While we didn’t have the opportunity to visit the old one below is a picture of the old one below.
We were able to visit the existing one. The exterior is Indiana limestone and Vermont granite.
The sculptured pediment above is based on Allegorical figures of Kentucky, the central female figure, with Progress, History, Plenty, Law, Art and Labor as her attendants.
The interior is made with white Georgia marble, grey Tennessee marble and green Italian marble.
The rotunda is made from Vermont granite and art glass skylights and contains several statutes of prominent individuals.
The staircases that enter the House and the Senate Chambers have majestic.
On each end of the staircases are two murals above. In the east wing above the House is a representation of Daniel Boone’s first view of the Bluegrass Region in 1769.
One the west wing above the Senate is a mural of the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River which lead to the purchase of Cherokee land that would eventually become Kentucky.
In addition to these murals there were several paintings over the rotunda above the chandelier.
Then off to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has solid Mahogany panels and coffered ceiling covered in Old Dutch Metal leading hammered in bronze. It is amazing to see all of this and still be in great condition. You begin to appreciate the old days of craftsmanship and understand why there is so many using recycled products from years ago.
The Senate
The House of Representatives. (Notice they spell House as Hovse. Guess there were no U’s back then.)
We were able to walk outside across the street by the Executive Mansion, as known in other areas as the Governor’s Mansion. Tours are available two days a week but we were more able to go to any.
Moving towards Arkansas
