National Register of Historic Places

Breckinridge, John C., Memorial

Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Listed
July 16, 1997
Type
Object
Period
Listed
Ref No.
97000705

About this property

The John C. Breckinridge Memorial, originally on the courthouse lawn of Lexington, Kentucky, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1997, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS. It commemorates John C. Breckinridge, who was born and died in Lexington. He was vice president for James Buchanan and ran against Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 United States presidential election, winning nine Southern states. He served in the Confederate States Army, and was the last Confederate States Secretary of War, fleeing the country after the South lost. The memorial was prepared by New York's Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company. The original pedestal was made of granite, with the statue cast in bronze. Breckinridge is seen standing contraposto. The state government of Kentucky funded the construction of the monument. Breckinridge's memorial was built in 1887, 24 years before the John Hunt Morgan Memorial, also formerly on the courthouse lawn and part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS. The statues had stood on Main Street on the same plot of ground where slave auctions were held before the Civil War. In 2010, the monument was moved about 50 feet to a new location facing Main Street. This was done as part of the Cheapside pavilion construction project. The Old Fayette County Courthouse was renovated and reopened in 2018 to serve as a tourism, entertainment, and office hub.

Location

Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
38.04818, -84.49860

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Breckinridge, John C., Memorial

This page lists Breckinridge, John C., Memorial. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Breckinridge, John C., Memorial report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Lexington City National Bank Building
Industrial
0 mi
Fayette Safety Vault and Trust Company Building
Industrial
0 mi
Monsieur Giron's Confectionary
Civil War
0 mi
Morgan, John Hunt, Memorial
Listed
0 mi
Trotter's Warehouse
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Morgan's Raid on Lexington, Kentucky (Sep 1862)
1862Civil War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Breckinridge, John C., Memorial listed on the National Register?

Breckinridge, John C., Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Breckinridge, John C., Memorial?

Breckinridge, John C., Memorial is classified as a object in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Breckinridge, John C., Memorial?

The period of significance for Breckinridge, John C., Memorial is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Breckinridge, John C., Memorial?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Breckinridge, John C., Memorial will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Fayette County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Fayette County.

Explore FayetteCounty ›

More historic places in Kentucky

Browse all historic places in Kentucky.

View Kentuckyhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Kentucky history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Kentuckyhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Breckinridge, John C., Memorial will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report