Frankfort Heritage Lecture Series: Frankfort's Forgotten Cemetery

Sat, 27 Sep, 2025 at 01:00 pm UTC-04:00

319 Wapping St, Frankfort, KY, United States, Kentucky 40601 | Frankfort

Paul Sawyier Public Library
Publisher/HostPaul Sawyier Public Library
Frankfort Heritage Lecture Series: Frankfort's Forgotten Cemetery
Advertisement
This presentation focuses on an early to mid-nineteenth century cemetery located in downtown Frankfort. It was used by the city’s enslaved and working class people of African, European, and mixed heritage prior to the Civil War. Upon the establishment of the Frankfort Cemetery on the bluffs overlooking the city in 1844, this earlier cemetery fell into disrepair. In time, buildings and parking lots covered it; and for all intents and purposes, it was lost to history. When construction of a new state office building began, the cemetery was rediscovered. This presentation will provide an overview of the work carried out by archaeologists to locate the graves and remove the human remains prior to building construction. It also will discuss what was learned from the study of the human remains, the associated material culture items – like coffin hardware and objects buried with the deceased - and the spatial distribution of the graves within the cemetery. Dr. Pollack's book, Frankfort’s Forgotten Cemetery (2009), will be available for purchase.
Dr. David Pollack received his B.A. in Anthropology from Beloit College in 1977, his M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Kentucky in 1982, and his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Kentucky in 1998. He worked for the Kentucky Heritage Council from 1982 until 2008 as a Staff Archaeologist and the Site Protection Program Manager. Since 1996, he has been the Director of the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, a program of Western Kentucky University's Department of Society, Culture, Crime & Justice Studies. He has over forty years of experience in Kentucky archaeology and has conducted archaeological research at sites throughout the Commonwealth. He has published extensively on Kentucky archaeology, with an emphasis on indigenous village farmers.
*This event was previously scheduled for April 12.
Please register at https://www.pspl.org/event/fhls-pollack2. For more information, contact Diane Dehoney at (502) 352-2665 x100 or [email protected].
Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

319 Wapping St, Frankfort, KY, United States, Kentucky 40601

Tickets

Sharing is Caring:

More Events in Frankfort

Psycho
Fri, 26 Sep at 04:00 pm Psycho

1303 Hwy 127, Franklin Square Shopping Cntr, Frankfort, KY, United States, Kentucky 40601

Scott County 4-H RBA Fall Show
Sat, 27 Sep at 06:00 am Scott County 4-H RBA Fall Show

Lakeview Park

Frankfort Amateurs Championship sponsored by Dynamic Discs
Sat, 27 Sep at 09:00 am Frankfort Amateurs Championship sponsored by Dynamic Discs

315 Hickory Dr, Frankfort, KY

Civil War History Day 2025
Sat, 27 Sep at 09:00 am Civil War History Day 2025

100 W Broadway St, Frankfort, KY, United States, Kentucky 40601

Carb-load For A Cause: Spaghetti Dinner & 0.5K
Sat, 27 Sep at 07:00 pm Carb-load For A Cause: Spaghetti Dinner & 0.5K

Sig Luscher Brewery

Frankfort Soul Sister's Social
Sun, 28 Sep at 09:15 am Frankfort Soul Sister's Social

Capital City Christian Church

Touchdowns & Tiaras Pageant
Sun, 28 Sep at 12:00 pm Touchdowns & Tiaras Pageant

Versailles, Ky

Mixology on the River: Uncharted Secrets of the Sour with Ingram River Aged
Thu, 02 Oct at 02:00 pm Mixology on the River: Uncharted Secrets of the Sour with Ingram River Aged

"The Bourbon Boat" Kentucky River Tours

The Stave is the Rave with Peggy Noe Stevens and Limestone Heritage
Fri, 03 Oct at 01:00 pm The Stave is the Rave with Peggy Noe Stevens and Limestone Heritage

Kentucky History Center & Museums

Bourbon Street on Broadway, presented by Expree Credit Union
Fri, 03 Oct at 06:00 pm Bourbon Street on Broadway, presented by Expree Credit Union

Downtown Frankfort, KY

Frankfort is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Frankfort Events