Bardstown in Nelson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Old County Jail - 1819
Photographed by Mark Parker, August 18, 2025
1. Old County Jail - 1819 Marker
Has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Erected by United States Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. A significant historical year for this entry is 1819.
Location. 37° 48.548′ N, 85° 28.07′ W. Marker is in Bardstown, Kentucky, in Nelson County. It is at the intersection of West Stephen Foster Avenue (U.S. 31E/62) and Mulberry Alley, on the right when traveling east on West Stephen Foster Avenue. The marker is to the right of the main entrance to the Jailer's Inn Bed & Breakfast. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 W Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown KY 40004, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Louisville Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Jailers Inn Bed and Breakfast (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Talbott Tavern (within shouting distance of this marker); Successful Surgery (within shouting distance of this marker); Parc Billom (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederates Here (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Benedict Joseph Flaget (about 300 feet away); One Room School House (about 300 feet away); The Harrison-Smith House (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bardstown.
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Talbott Tavern (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
More about this marker. This building is itself tabbed on the National Register of Historic Places (#800178), and is a contributing building to the Bardstown Historic District (#83002837)
Regarding Old County Jail - 1819. Excerpt from the Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory Form (12/83):
First building constructed ca. 1800 just west of the townnsquare; second
Photographed by Mark Parker, August 18, 2025
2. Old County Jail - 1819 Marker to the right of the front door
Excerpts from the Bardstown Historic District Nomination Form (10/82):
Settlement first occurred around the public square with a two-story Georgian courthouse constructed in 1787 (replaced 1892). Residential and commercial buildings grew up around the courthouse and the square still exhibits much of this early development. The Nelson County Jail (#102), Talbot Tavern (#103), Harrison-Smith House (#146), and the McLean House (#147) are some of the oldest structures remaining in Bardstown and retain their original appearance...
The Nelson County Jail is a two-story sandstone building. The main structure is a two-story gabled roof building with
end chimneys. It has a one-story porch applied in ca. 1910. At the rear of the building is an ell addition which
contains the jail cells. The rear section was built ca.1875. The jail is five bays wide with wooden shutters that close over the windows. The structure is topped by a
modillioned cornice and has one interior brick chimney and one end brick chimney.
Also see . . .
1. Nelson County Jail Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory Form (pdf).
Photographed by Mark Parker, August 18, 2025
3. Full front view of Old County Jail
2. Bardstown Historic District. Wikipedia entry:
Links to National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form (Submitted on September 8, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 140 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 1, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. 2, 3. submitted on September 2, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
