Bardstown
Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Bardstown. Bardstown area was explored in mid-1770s. William Bard came here in 1780 as agent for his brother David and John C. Owings, and laid off the town. Settlement was first called Salem. A land grant of 1000 acres was issued by the Virginia General Assembly in 1785. Of this land 100 acres, including Salem, were set aside for county seat. Over. (Reverse) Bardstown - William Bard laid off the town and granted two acres for erection of courthouse and other public buildings in the name of his brother David, who remained in Pennsylvania. The first courthouse, of hewn logs, was built 1785; by then the town was called Baird's Town, a variation of family name. It was designated Bardstown when incorporated in 1788. Over.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Explored in the mid-1770s and settled in 1780, this Nelson County town was laid off by William Bard, acting as agent for his brother David and John C. Owings, and was first called Salem. A 1785 Virginia land grant of 1,000 acres set aside 100, including Salem, for a county seat, and Bard granted two acres for public buildings. The first courthouse of hewn logs went up in 1785, by which time the town was known as "Baird's Town" — a name formalized as Bardstown when it was incorporated in 1788.
Why it matters
Bardstown's founding captures the orderly, grant-driven settlement of Kentucky during the Revolutionary era, as Virginia's frontier grew into organized towns and counties.
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Related people
- · William Bard
- · David Bard
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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