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John C. Breckinridge Memorial

John C. Breckinridge Memorial is a historic site in Kentucky, at a modelled elevation of 296 m. Pleasant Hill stands 330 m to the east-southeast, 23 miles off. The nearest named place is Confederate Soldier Monument, a historic site 0.2 miles away. Old Frankfort Pike passes 0.4 miles off. 23 named summits stand within 25 miles.

The story

The John C. Breckinridge Memorial, originally on the courthouse lawn of Lexington, Kentucky, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1997, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS. It commemorates John C. Breckinridge, who was born and died in Lexington. He was vice president for James Buchanan and ran against Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 United States presidential election, winning nine Southern states. He served in the Confederate States Army, and was the last Confederate States Secretary of War, fleeing the country after the South lost.

The memorial was prepared by New York's Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company. The original pedestal was made of granite, with the statue cast in bronze. Breckinridge is seen standing contraposto. The state government of Kentucky funded the construction of the monument. Breckinridge's memorial was built in 1887, 24 years before the John Hunt Morgan Memorial, also formerly on the courthouse lawn and part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky MPS. The statues had stood on Main Street on the same plot of ground where slave auctions were held before the Civil War. In 2010, the monument was moved about 50 feet to a new location facing Main Street. This was done as part of the Cheapside pavilion construction project. The Old Fayette County Courthouse was renovated and reopened in 2018 to serve as a tourism, entertainment, and office hub.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Wikidata Q6224301, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

How to reach it

Coordinates38.05840, -84.50852

Named places within 25 miles

Historic sites: 60
Parks
  • Pyramid Park: 0.4 mi
  • Gatton Park on the Town Branch: 0.5 mi
  • Speigle Heights Park: 0.5 mi
  • Speigle Heights Park: 0.5 mi
  • Thompson Road Park: 0.5 mi
Artworks: 54
Museums: 23
Peaks: 23
  • Sugar Hill: 8.0 mi
  • Catnip Hill: 9.0 mi
  • Pleasant Hill: 9.1 mi
  • Meridian Hill: 10.4 mi
  • Spring Hill: 14.5 mi
Attractions: 11
Springs: 9
  • Blue Hole: 1.2 mi
  • Boils: 1.3 mi
  • Preston Spring: 1.8 mi
  • Commonwealth Spring: 2.0 mi
  • Linsday Spring: 2.7 mi
Nature reserves: 7
Waterfalls: 4
  • Silver Falls: 12.8 mi
  • Elk Lick Falls: 13.2 mi
  • Falls At Shaker Landing: 20.2 mi
  • Fulling Mill Falls: 20.7 mi
Rest areas: 2
  • Scott County (Georgetown) Rest Area Northbound: 13.3 mi
  • Scott County (Georgetown) Rest Area Southbound: 13.4 mi
Cliffs: 2

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of John C. Breckinridge Memorial. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Pleasant HillESE 104°330 m22.9 mi
Rose HillESE 109°311 m24.4 mi
Five Forks HillENE 78°307 m24.4 mi
Spring HillESE 103°294 m14.5 mi
The BackboneNW 305°262 m21.3 mi
Eagle Nest HillSE 124°260 m22.3 mi
Hickman HillWNW 301°251 m17.2 mi
The MoundWSW 256°226 m21.9 mi

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:4219:1519:50
June solstice06:1620:2521:05
September equinox07:2619:0219:37
December solstice07:5116:4117:22

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 5080 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F343846566573777669584638
Precip in3.43.64.54.45.45.05.13.73.43.73.44.2

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Lexington Bluegrass AP, 6 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

National Register of Historic Places, reference 97000705OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata
  • National Register of Historic Places — Breckinridge, John C., Memorial, reference 97000705, listed 07/17/97.

OpenStreetMap element node/9510561835

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