Northside District in Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Slavery in Fayette Co. / Cheapside Slave Auction Block

Slavery in Fayette Co. Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Christopher Light, June 16, 2008

1. Slavery in Fayette Co. Marker

Inscription. Slavery in Fayette Co. On the N.E. corner of the Fayette County Courthouse lawn stood the whipping post established in 1847 to punish slaves for such offenses as being on the streets after 7 p.m. Fayette Co. was one of the largest slave-holding counties in Kentucky. By 1860, one in four residents of the city of Lexington were slaves.

Cheapside Slave Auction Block African Americans were sold as slaves at Cheapside Auction Block on the public square in the 19th century. Lexington was the center of slave trading in Ky. by the late 1840s and served as a market for selling slaves farther south. Thousands of slaves were sold at Cheapside, including children who were separated from their parents.

Erected 2003 by Lexington Alumni, Chapter Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2122.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1847.

Location. 38° 2.863′ N, 84° 29.842′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. It is in

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the Northside District. Marker is at the intersection of West Short Street and North Upper Street on West Short Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 202 West Short Street, Lexington KY 40507, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fayette County (within shouting distance of this marker); Fayette County World War I Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Fayette National Bank Building (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S. Vice President (within shouting distance of this marker); Lexington Courthouses / Cheapside (within shouting distance of this marker); Black Lexingtonians Believed Strongly in Education 1865 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Silversmith Shop (about 400 feet away); Skuller's Clock (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lexington.

Additional commentary.
1. Marker relocated after renovation of Courthouse.
This marker, which used to be on the Cheapside Park side of the courthouse, was vandalized in 2015. It was removed and put in storage during the $32 million renovation and restoration of the courthouse. The marker was then installed at this corner of West Short and North Upper Street's.

— Submitted August 28, 2020, by Mark Hilton
Photographed By Christopher Light

2. Cheapside Slave Auction Block Marker
of Montgomery, Alabama.

Additional keywords. human trafficking

Slavery in Fayette Co. / Cheapside Slave Auction Block Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Christopher Light, June 16, 2008

3. Slavery in Fayette Co. / Cheapside Slave Auction Block Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2008, by Christopher Light of Valparaiso, Indiana. This page has been viewed 8,764 times since then and 142 times this year. Last updated on February 23, 2009, by Sherri Watts of Lexington, Kentucky. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 1, 2008, by Christopher Light of Valparaiso, Indiana. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.