Cane Ridge Meeting House in Bourbon County is on the top ten list of “must see” landmarks in the state of Kentucky. The meeting house was built in 1791 by Scottish-Irish settlers who migrated from North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Daniel Boone suggested they settle in this area he called “The Cane Ridge”, which in fact was in Virginia at the time, as Kentucky did not become a state until 1792. The meeting house, which has stood for more than two-hundred years, was constructed from timber found in the surrounding forests, blue ash, oak, chestnut, popular, and cherry. In order to protect and preserve this historic landmark, the Cane Ridge Shrine was built around the log church during 1954 -1957. The walls of the building were constructed from Cane Ridge golden limestone and the flagstones for the floors are from the creeks in Jessamine County. Under the leadership of the famous frontier preacher, Barton Warren Stone, the once Presbyterian Church became known as the Christian Church. Services continued to be held in the church until 1921 when the congregation began to decline. Today worship services of all faiths, weddings, as well as other celebrations and gatherings are held in the church. There is a graveyard where many of the early settlers were buried, a museum of artifacts from the church and a picnic area. Guided tours are also available. |
