Crittenden House
Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
An Eminent Statesman. John Jordan Crittenden, 1787-1863, lived here, 1819-1863. Legislator, 15th Kentucky Governor. Attorney General under three Presidents. Five times a U.S. Senator. Noted for Crittenden Compromise, 1860, futile effort to avert Civil War and preserve the Union. His last words: "Let all the ends thou aimest at be thy country's, thy God's and truth's." See over. (Reverse) Crittenden House - This building, before west portion was added, was the home of John J. Crittenden, 1819 until death, 1863. Built in 1800 by Dr. Joseph Scott on land once owned by Aaron Burr. In May, 1837, Daniel Webster and family visited here. In Feb. 1849, President-elect Zachary Taylor was guest here on way to inauguration. Carriage step is from the first Kentucky state capitol. Over.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
John Jordan Crittenden (1787-1863) lived in this Frankfort house for the last forty-four years of his life while serving as Kentucky governor, five-time U.S. Senator, and Attorney General under three presidents. In 1860 he authored the Crittenden Compromise, a last, futile effort to reconcile North and South and preserve the Union on the eve of the Civil War. The house, built in 1800 on land once owned by Aaron Burr, hosted Daniel Webster and President-elect Zachary Taylor.
Why it matters
Crittenden's doomed compromise marks the final moment when Americans hoped to avert civil war through legislation, and his home stands at the crossroads of the era's great statesmen.
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Related people
- · John Jordan Crittenden
- · Daniel Webster
- · Zachary Taylor
- · Aaron Burr
Related events
- · Crittenden Compromise, 1860
Themes & tags
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