Jefferson Davis Monument
N 36° 50.524 W 087° 18.016
16S E 473228 N 4077394
Large obelisk beckons passers to stop in and see the park.
Waymark Code: WM2V2V
Location: Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: 12/23/2007
Views: 21
The Jefferson Davis Monument State Historic Site is a Kentucky State Park preserving the birthplace of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. It is located in Fairview, Kentucky, in Todd County, nine miles east of Hopkinsville along U.S. Highway 68. The focal point of the site is a 351-foot[1] (107 m) tall concrete obelisk. Coordinates: 36.8421° N 87.3003° W
Simon Bolivar Buckner, Sr., a Confederate general, first proposed the idea of a monument for Davis during a reunion of the Orphan Brigade of the Confederate Army in 1907. Construction began in 1917 but stopped in 1918 at a height of 175 feet due to building material rationing during World War I. Construction resumed in January 1922 and was finished in 1924 at a cost of $200,000. The base was constructed of limestone quarried from the site. The concrete walls are 8.5 feet thick at the base and taper to 2.5 feet thick at the top.[1] The monument was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as structure #73000849. The obelisk was closed to the public from 1999 until May 2004 for renovations and construction of a new visitor center. An elevator takes visitors to an observation platform at the top.[1]
The Jefferson Davis State Historic Site is one of eleven historic sites in Kentucky which include small parks and are maintained by the Kentucky Department of Parks.[2] The park covers 19 acres and includes open and covered picnic areas, as well as a playground. At the visitors’ center, visitors can watch a video describing Davis’s life and the construction of the monument. The center sells books and memorabilia about Davis, the American Civil War, and the surrounding area, as well as Kentucky handicrafts. The park is open from May 1 until October 31.
Street address:
KY 115 near jct. with U.S. 68
Fairview, KY usa
00000
County / Borough / Parish: Todd
Year listed: 1973
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1900-1924
Historic function: Recreation And Culture: Monument/Marker
Current function: Recreation And Culture: Monument/Marker
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.