Barbourville in Knox County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
First House in Kentucky
Dr. Thomas Walker Cabin
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 5, 2010
1. First House in Kentucky Marker
A replica of Dr. Walker's log cabin, 8 by 12 feet, marks the site of the dwelling built in 1750. It now stands in a 12-acre state historic site serving as a memorial to the surveyor and physician (born in Virginia in 1715) who constructed the first recorded pioneer dwelling in Kentucky.
Dr. Walker named the river the cabin overlooks in honor of the Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II. The park acreage was acquired and the memorial cabin built by the Barbourville Post of the American Legion.
The reproduction of the old one-room cabin is built of round logs with wide chinked joints and a small chimney, curiously framed in at the base with notched logs.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1750.
Location. 36° 52.022′ N, 83° 53.025′ W. Marker is in Barbourville, Kentucky, in Knox County. It is at the intersection of Daniel Boone Drive (State Highway 11) and North Broadway, on the right when traveling west on Daniel Boone Drive. THe marker is located in the Philip Fox,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Kentucky and in the Cumberland Plateau. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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 Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Civil War Actions (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Battle of Barbourville (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named The Battle of Barbourville (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named The Battle of Barbourville (about 600 feet away); County Named, 1799 (about 600 feet away); First Cabin in Kentucky (approx. 0.2 miles away); Knox County Veterans Memorial (approx. Ό mile away); Flem D. Sampson (1875-1967) (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Barbourville.
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 5, 2010
2. Nearby Sites of Interest on the Old Wilderness Road
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 5, 2010
3. Philip Fox, Sr. Memorial Park
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 5, 2010
4. Philip Fox, Sr.
Scoutmaster, mentor, friend. Information about the namesake of the park.
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 5, 2010
5. Boy Scout Memorial
Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 16, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,233 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 16, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
