Pastoral Appeal
Bourbon County epitomizes the charms of Thoroughbred country

The first time I saw Paris – Kentucky, that is – was as a horse-crazy college kid. One look at Claiborne Farm’s sturdy barns with bright yellow trim, swans gliding on a silvery creek and sleek stallions and I was hooked – on Thoroughbreds, Claiborne and Paris.

Begun in 1910, Claiborne is to this day the epitome of a traditional Central Kentucky horse farm and is known for its miles of hand-laid stone walls, winding lanes and lush bluegrass acres. Triple Crown winner Secretariat was conceived, lived most of his life and is buried at Claiborne.

History hangs heavy in every corner of Bourbon County, including its county seat, Paris.

“Though Paris has modern amenities and new sidewalks, it really hasn’t changed a great deal,” said Janine Scott, director of the Paris-Bourbon County Tourism Commission. “Most of the buildings here are 100 years old.”

First settled in 1776, the town of Hopewell soon changed its name to Paris in appreciation of French aid during the Revolutionary War. Likewise, Bourbon County was named after the French ruling house. One of the buildings of early settlement still stands.

Built of native limestone in 1788, Duncan Tavern served as a gathering place for locals and early pioneers. Now headquarters for the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the recently renovated structure offers a “boarding house” lunch every Thursday with steaming bowls passed around an ample table built for the dining room.

Part of the Duncan Tavern Historic Center, the 1801 Anne Duncan house next door is home to the John Fox Jr. Genealogical Library, which with the rest of the complex is open for socials, tours and research from April through October. Native son Fox penned The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come and was the first American author to sell more than a million copies of his book.

Just down Main Street, the domed stone courthouse, built in 1905, is reputed to be the most beautiful in the state. A stone cartouche over a side door proclaims Bourbon County to be the home of “fast horses, beautiful women and good whiskey.”

An oft-quoted adage asks, “Isn’t it funny that you can buy a drink in Christian County (Ky.) and not in Bourbon County?” Turns out that’s a myth, as the only time the latter was dry was during Prohibition. In the late 1700s, many Kentucky farmers made whiskey from surplus corn and other grains. But the barrels of whiskey produced by Bourbon County distiller Jacob Spears proved so popular that the liquor soon took the name of his county.

In keeping with that theme, Paris hosted a Bourbon Barrelrama several years ago. Woodford County distiller Labrot & Graham donated used wooden casks that artists decorated, placed around town and sold for charity. Thanks to a $1 million facelift about five years ago, the town now also sports brick-lined sidewalks, old-fashioned lampposts, and intriguing antique shops.

An antique itself, the 1851 Nannine Clay Wallis home is headquarters for the Garden Club of Kentucky. In 1933 that grand lady served as its president and later became the first president of the National Council of State Garden Clubs. Visitors can wander through its seven-acre arboretum, including herb, rose and daylily gardens.

Another free downtown attraction is the Beaux Arts-style Hopewell Museum, built in 1909 as the post office and now on the National Register of Historic Places. Highlights include local Civil War memorabilia and an exhibit on Garrett Morgan, an African-American born in Paris who invented the tri-color traffic light and the gas mask.

Permanent exhibits on black horse trainers and jockeys – including Isaac Murphy, the first of his race to win the Kentucky Derby three times – are but a short stroll away at the Paris Bourbon County Library.

A short drive from town is the Cane Ridge Meeting House, built in 1791 of blue ash logs and said to be the biggest one-room log building existing in the nation. Tours of the meeting house and a museum are conducted from April through October.

Sate your touring appetite at Louie’s Restaurant, where you’ll rub elbows with local horsemen and leave with a tummy full of Southern home cooking.

If you simply can’t see it all in a day, put up your tootsies overnight in a suite or cottage at Country Charm Historic Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast. Corporate types can retreat at The Cabin at Xalapa Farm, and swim, fish and play tennis.

Find out more from the Paris-Bourbon County Tourism Commission (888) 987-3205 or at www.parisky.com.

Katherine Tandy Brown is a staff writer for The Lane Report.
editorial@lanereport.com

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