Duncan Tavern
Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Duncan Tavern. Built in 1788. Gathering place of pioneers. Shrine, Museum, Library. Restored by Kentucky Daughters of the American Revolution. For more information, see ExploreKYHistory: Duncan Tavern and ExploreKYHistory: Duncan Tavern Historic Center
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Raised in stone in 1788, when Kentucky was still Virginia's far frontier, Duncan Tavern stood at Paris as a gathering place where pioneers, travelers, and would-be statesmen swapped news over a fire. In the twentieth century the Kentucky Daughters of the American Revolution rescued and restored it, giving the old inn new life as a shrine, museum, and library. Its walls hold the everyday sociability of a frontier that was fast becoming a state.
Why it matters
Taverns like this were the town halls of the early frontier, where community and self-government took shape one conversation at a time.
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Themes & tags
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