Lexington is rich in tradition and history. Lexington opened its first city school in 1834. When the 1890’s rolled around, tobacco replaced hemp as the major cash crop in the Bluegrass. By the early 1900’s, Lexington became the world’s largest burley tobacco market. In 1924, William Monroe Wright, founder of Calumet Baking Powder, joined with a number of farms to form Calumet Farm, home of eight Kentucky Derby champion Thoroughbreds. Legendary Keeneland Race Course opened to huge crowds in 1936, while planes began taking off from nearby Blue Grass Airport in 1942.
The downtown Lexington area is something you don't want to miss! So much to do whether you want to shop, or catch a Kentucky Wildcats game at the University of Kentucky. With our quaint Southern charm, quirky arts scene and picturesque setting, Lexington showcases all the best our state has to offer.
Well-known explorer Daniel Boone established nearby Boonesboro, one of the first settlements in the state, in 1775. It helped pave the way for others to follow and settle an area known as McConnell Springs, Lexington’s birthplace. The settlers later named the area after the site of the opening battle of the Revolutionary War at Lexington, Massachusetts.
Fayette County was named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, France’s largest supporter of the American Revolution in 1780. In 1812, Henry Clay, who is known as “The Great Compromiser,” built Ashland, a 400-acre estate. Fayette county is a grand place to live if you are looking for the benefits of a major city nestled in the quiet hills of horse country. See Fayette County ́s legendary landscapes, meet the celebrity horses on tours of magnificent farms, taste the hand-crafted Bourbons on the very spot they were created, immerse yourself in the sophisticated farm-to-table cuisine culture.
Fayette County has it all. History, tradition and so much more!
