Frankfort dates to 1786, and 11% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns · #17 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
39 places in town are on the National Register, among them 3 National Historic Landmarks and seven historic districts with 1,045 buildings between them. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1800.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Frankfort’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Frankfort is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #17 of 142 in Kentucky. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Frankfort’s overall grade.
Kentucky towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kentucky town has 29.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Frankfort’s 395 sits above most of its state (90% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 1,125 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1786.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.2 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Frankfort’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 3 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Frankfort, building by building, 1886–1912
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The town of Frankfort likely received its name from an event that took place in the 1780s. Native Americans attacked a group of early European colonists from Bryan Station, who were on their way to make salt at Mann's Lick in Jefferson County. Pioneer Stephen Frank was killed at the Kentucky River and the settlers thereafter called the crossing "Frank's Ford". This name was later elided to Frankfort.
Passages that mention Frankfort, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of the First Presbyterian Church, Frankfort, Kentucky, together with the churches in Franklin County, in connection with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America1901 · page 49Read the page →
Read the text
ilton Crockett constituted the first session. A house of worship, of the usual type of the period, was erected about a mile from the village of Bridgeport, four miles from Frankfort and half a mile from the public road between tlie towns of Frankfort and Louisville. Rev. Samuel Shannon from the first took in some measure the special oversight of the congregation* in connection with his work of pastor of Woodford Church.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of the Frankfort cemetery1921 · page 56Read the page →
Read the text
John McClusky Blayney (1841-1909) ; he was a broad minded, patriotic Christian gentleman, who deserves special mention because of his services on behalf of Frankfort in the fight for retaining the capitol. He was in charge of the Presbyterian Church at Frankfort, Kentucky, for many years.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A history of the First Presbyterian Church, Frankfort, Kentucky, together with the churches in Franklin County, in connection with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America1901 · page 267Read the page →
Read the text
The " Love House," or " Love Tavern," as it was sometimes called in the early years of the town, was the first building erected in Frankfort. It was built by General James Wilkinson in 1786, when he laid out the town, and was intended for his own occupation and use.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Frankfort, 1786 to 2013
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1786, according to Wikidata. Frankfort’s post office opened in 1794, and the census of 1800 counted 628 people here.
How does Frankfort rank for history?
Frankfort is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #17 of 142 in Kentucky. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Frankfort?
39 listings, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks: 28 buildings, among them the Old Statehouse (a National Historic Landmark since 1971), 7 historic districts with 1,045 contributing buildings, 1 site, 1 structure, and 2 objects. 1,125 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Frankfort?
11% of Frankfort’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.2 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1972.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (39), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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