Kentucky's Oldest Main Street

Stanford, incorporated on April 4, 1861, traces its history to 1775 and is the second oldest permanent settlement in Kentucky and the county seat of Lincoln County, one of Kentucky’s original three counties. Benjamin Logan, a pioneer from Virginia who came to Kentucky with Daniel Boone, built a fort in 1775 near St. Asaph Creek south of Stanford. In 1975, Logan’s Trace, the route followed by Colonel Logan, became part of the Wilderness Road by an act of the Kentucky Legislature, and Stanford’s Main Street, which is part of the Wilderness Road, is the oldest Main Street in Kentucky. Stanford has worked to preserve its heritage, with many homes and buildings restored in recent years and more areas planned for restoration. Its central historic area was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, and in 2004 Stanford was designated a Preserve American Community by First Lady Laura Bush. The town preserves early marriage and will records in the courthouse and is rich in pioneer, Civil War, and railroad history.

Stanford, Kentucky · United States