History Lives Loud: Harrodsburg Is More Than Just Kentucky’s Oldest Settlement
Checked another Kentucky county off our list—Mercer County! ✅
Let me just start by asking: How did I not know that Harrodsburg is the oldest permanent settlement in Kentucky? (Probably because I missed the 5th grade Greathouse Elementary field trip… 😅) But WOW—this little town turned out to be full of surprises.
Small Town, Big Character
We kicked things off by wandering through downtown Harrodsburg, Old storefronts. Beautiful brickwork. And a whole row of churches—one after the other! For a moment, we thought we might’ve accidentally crashed a wedding. (We didn’t. But it was close. 🤦🏻♀️)
Vintage Cars Show
Just as we were finishing up our downtown stroll—bam!—we stumbled into a classic car show. Totally unplanned, totally delightful. At that point, I’m pretty sure the locals knew we weren’t from around there (our excited pointing and photo-taking may have been a giveaway).
But the cars! It felt like walking through a live-action version of the Cars movie—Mater, Doc, Lightning… they were all there in some shape or shine.
Old Fort Harrod: Where History Comes Alive
From there, we made our way to Old Fort Harrod, a full-scale reconstructed pioneer fort—and let me tell you, it felt like stepping back in time.
We peeked into log cabins, watched a loom in action, chatted with a basket weaver, a candle maker, and a guy working near an open flame who may or may not have been a blacksmith (I just know sparks were flying) and yes, I sort of worked the forg
One kind soul even handed me a rifle (don’t worry—it was supervised), Oh, there was also a goat. Because what’s a pioneer fort without one?
A few weeks later, we returned to Harrodsburg with some out-of-country Malaysian guests—and this time, we caught a full-blown reenactment at the fort.
Think: rifles firing, cannons booming, period costumes, and old-time music filling the air. It was immersive, lively, and unforgettable. And the people? So genuinely kind, knowledgeable, and welcoming.
