Kentucky's State Mound

Kentucky's State Mound. , In 1847 the Kentucky Legislature appointed a committee to select an appropriate location for a military cemetery and burial place for distinguished Kentuckians. The Frankfort Cemetery was found to be “remarkable for its commanding situation and romantic and picturesque scenery,” and the Cemetery’s central mound was deeded to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. , The State Legislature then commissioned Robert E. Launitz of New York to design and erect a military monument to honor those Kentuckians who have fallen in the defense of their country. Completed in 1850, the 150-ton memorial stands 65 feet tall, and is constructed of granite and Italian marble. , In 1851, the State again commissioned Launitz to erect a monument on the State Mound, his impressive memorial to Colonel Richard M. Johnson, Vice-President of the United States, still stands alongside later monuments to other prominent Kentuckians. These include Major Theodore O’Hara, author of “Bivouac of the Dead,” and Lt. Presley N. O’Bannon, the first American to place the United States flag on foreign soil. , In response to the site’s ongoing deterioration, the 1986 General Assembly approved funding for the restoration and updating of the memorial under the direction of the Kentucky Military Monument Committee, the Office of Historic Properties and Department of Facilities Management of the Finance and Administration Cabinet. On Veterans Day, November 11, 1987, the Kentucky Military Monument was re-dedicated in honor of Kentucky Veterans of all wars. , Martha Layne Collins, Governor – Commonwealth of Kentucky , Gordon C. Duke, Secretary – Finance and Administration Cabinet , Billy G. Wellman, Adjutant General – Department of Military Affairs .