Bourbon County, Kentucky

The county seat of Bourbon County is Paris. It is one of Kentucky’s nine original counties and of course has an historical association with bourbon whiskey.

Government

Bourbon County Courthouse

Address:
301 Main Street, Room 203
Paris, KY 40361-2005

Phone:
(859) 987-2135 (office)
Fax: (859) 987-2136

Land and probate records are housed here.

Bourbon County Clerk

P.O. Box 312
301 Main Street, Suite 106
Paris, KY
40361-0312

richard.eads@ky.gov

Telephone: (859) 987-2142

Fax: (859) 987-5660

Recording of land records. Their recorded instruments go back to 1824.

Religious Organizations

The yellow pages lists 23 churches in Bourbon County, while the Kentucky Hometown locator only lists 6. Chief among these churches is the Hopewell Presbyterian Church. According to the Hopewell Museum website:

“…a group of people from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania settled and founded the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church at the south end of Bourbon County near the Fayette County line. This group sent George Pomeroy and John Veech to a conference of ministers and representatives of various churches held July 12, 1785 at Cane Run Meeting House in Mercer County to ask for membership. By April, 1787 Hopewell Church was a member of the Transylvania Presbytery.”

https://www.hopewellmuseum.org/learn/historic-preservation/bourbon-county-historical-markers/hopewell-church/

Another church of historical importance is the Centerville Baptist Church, a historic African American congregation established in 1867. The church is still active today. Hopewell Museum, “Centerville Baptist Church,” ExploreKYHistory, accessed March 29, 2019, https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/429.

The Cane Ridge Meeting House is of historical importance to religion for America’s Western Frontier. It is still an active church today, and has many historical artifacts of interest, including a graveyard and burial site of many early settlers.

Mailing Address: Cane Ridge Shrine, Inc., P.O. Box 26, Paris, KY 40362-0026

Physical Address: (Please do not send mail to this address) 1655 Cane Ridge Rd. (Hwy. 537) Paris, KY 40361

Phone: 859/987-5350

Website: www.caneridge.org

Email: curator@caneridge.org          

See this list for information on Bourbon County Church Record locations.

Institutions

PARIS-BOURBON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
701 High Street
Paris, Kentucky 40361
Phone: 859-987-4419
Fax: 859-987-2421

This library has an experienced researcher who will offer assistance by appointment.

John Fox, Jr. Genealogical Library

323 High Street, Paris, KY 40361

This library is focused on Revolutionary War ancestors.

Societies

Bourbon County KY Genealogical Society

P. O. Box 951, 

Paris, KY 40362

Sharon Ray – President

Mary Hatton – Events Director/Research

Ada Soberg – Newsletter Editor