A Drive on Old Frankfort Pike, KY

We're currently on a "southern" U.S. road trip from NH to FL and posting about sites seen & foods sampled along the way. This post is about Old Frankfort Pike and the towns of Frankfort, Midway and Versailles in KY.

Old Frankfort Pike is a nearly 17-mile scenic byway that runs between Frankfort and Lexington in Woodford County, KY. This two-lane roadway has been named one of the most outstanding U.S. scenic drives. This former toll road is lined with old limestone rock walls and wood fencing with (lots of) rolling hills that pass scenic horse farms. In fact, there’s so many  Thoroughbred Farms along the route that its nickname is Thoroughbred Alley. (Most offer tours, at a cost, but require advance reservations, which we had not made.) 

The horse industry in Kentucky, which has grown to include some of the world’s greatest racers and stallions, has its roots along this road and is said to pre-date Kentucky's statehood. The breeding, racing, and sale of Thoroughbreds is a multi-billion dollar business and Kentucky excels in producing more Thoroughbred foals than any U.S. state. 

Old Frankfort Pike started between 1775-1780 as early Americans traveled between Maysville and Louisville, KY during the Revolutionary War time period, before Kentucky's statehood in 1792. It was originally called Old Lexington-Frankfort Road. We drove past four properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including a cemetery which was a burial site for Revolutionary War soldiers. (As you can see, this roadway doesn’t offer places to safely pull off and take photos. Notable horse farms are located quite a distance away and obscured by trees and foliage; we did see some large stables.)

Downtown capital city of Frankfort, KY

The Old Frankfort Pike officially ends in Frankfort, capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Frankfort is thought to be named from a 1780s event. American Indians attacked a group of early European-American pioneers who were making salt at a ford in the Kentucky River. After pioneer Stephen Frank was killed, the settlers called the crossing Frank's Ford in his honor. The name was later altered to Frankfort. (It’s also where we enjoyed ice cream at Hoggy's.)

We detoured off this byway to visit two historic KY towns: Midway where a RR runs through the center of town and Versailles with a French-inspired name that’s not pronounced in the French tradition, but as Ver-say-elles not Ver-sigh. In this way, it's like Louisville, another KY city with a French-inspired name, that's pronounced Loo-a-vul not Loo-ee-ville.)

Historic Midway, as it's called, is located in the northern section of Woodford County in the Bluegrass region, a farming area notable for tobacco, corn, soybeans, cattle, and horses. It's notable for being the first town in Kentucky founded by a railroad. In January 1835, local farmer John Francisco sold his nearly 217-acre farm to the Lexington and Ohio Railroad for $6,491. The railroad used the land to establish Kentucky's first railroad town, then named Middleway for its location relative to Lexington and Frankfort, KY. 

Railroad tracks through center of downtown Midway, KY

The town thrived with the accompanying construction. Lodging was needed for railroad workers plus food, supplies, and dry goods. By 1832, the railroad carried the first passengers from Lexington with horse-drawn cars. The line to Frankfort was completed in 1834 and in January 1835 the first steam locomotive from Lexington headed for Frankfort went through Middleway (renamed Midway in 1837). Since the train traveled through private pastures, accounts of early years include stories of engineers stopping for water and wood, and to open and shut farm gates.

Midway and the railroad prospered and electricity was introduced in 1911. During the 1930s and 1940s, up to 30 trains a day ran through the middle of Midway. But passenger trains dwindled and the old depot was closed in 1963. The last passenger train traveled through in May 1971. Today, several freight trains still use the active tracks running through Railroad Street. (None passed through town even though we waited awhile.)

Downtown Midway, KY

Midway’s downtown dwindled with the railroad’s slowdown until the mid-1970s when several antique shops and galleries opened. Today, the town has antique and specialty shops, restaurants, a barber shop, and unique architecture. Town buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Buildings in downtown Versailles, KY

Versailles is the county seat of Woodford County and home to horses, bourbon and blue grass. (It’s also where we enjoyed gelato at Spotz.) The town is less than a 25-minute drive from Lexington and Frankfort and just over 60 minutes from Louisville in the heart of the Bluegrass Region. 

Main St, Versailles, KY

Municipal building interior, Versailles, KY

The town was founded in June 1792 on 80 acres of land and yes it was named after Versailles, France by Major Marquis Calmes in honor of General Lafayette, a family friend. The city was officially incorporated in February 1837. During the American Civil War, it was occupied by both Confederate and Union forces for a short time.

Versailles has been a film site many times. Most of the small-town location scenes in the 2005 film, Elizabethtown were filmed downtown. 

The cemetery scene in the 2010 film, Secretariat about one of Kentucky's most famed race horses, was filmed at a church here. The 1967 movie, Flim-Flam Man was filmed at several locations in and around the town. 

Film crews were in Versailles again earlier this year The former bank building turned coffee shop at the Corner of Main and Court streets (photo right) will be a setting for an upcoming film, The Stand-In with Drew Barrymore.

No film crews or actors were in town during our visit, thank goodness, or walking around would have been more difficult.