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Graveyards and Burying Grounds

Bellevue Cemetery

The cemetery some refer to as Bellevue is located near Leestown Road off Fifth Avenue and is now owned by
the State of Kentucky.  This cemetery has also been called the Bellfont Cemetery.  And, still today
there is much controversy surrounding this cemetery.  

Through the years this cemetery has remained abandoned and in ruins.  In 1976, it was overgrown with brush
and had sustained damage from vandals.  The only stone of Elizabeth G. Kendall remained. Today only large
stones once used to mount the monuments of the persons buried here remain.

Bellevue was the burying ground used by the city prior to the establishment of the Frankfort Cemetery.  On
February 16, 1845, 32 acres of land was purchased from Ambrose and Eliza Dudley to develop a city cemetery.
  Various documents have been located which mention Bellevue.  Even the plaque at the Frankfort Cemetery names
Bellevue as it's predecessor.  However, the location remains a mystery.


Elizabeth G. Kendall, consort of James J. Kendall - died July 15, 1840, aged 20 years, 3 months, 7 days

Effie, infant dau. of Irving and Susan Van Wort, of New York - died May 18, 1836, aged 10 months

Lewisa Elizabeth Iseninger, dau. of H. & L. Iseninger - born June 22, 1842, died ______

Jane Madison, wife of George Madison, - born April 20, 1777 - died April 4, 1811 (body moved to Frankfort Cemetery)

John B. Humphreys, son of Dr. Alexander & Mary Humphreys - died July 29, 1835, aged 44

Jacob Henry Smith - born December 21, 1843 - died January 9, 1844

Matilda, dau. of John & Matilda Cox, wife of Thomas F. Purcell - died October 19, 1838, aged 33 years, 13 days

Henry Iseninger - born October 30, 1790 - died June 22, 1843

Louisiana S. Taylor - no dates

Ophelia Western Page, consort of James S. Page, dau. of Wm. M. Woolfold, Sr. - born 1805 - June 22, 1826

David Nelson submitted a very interesting article he located in the Frankfort Roundabout - August 21, 1886

Frankfort, Ky., August 7, 1886

Editor Roundabout:

A few days ago, I was rambling about on the old farm of Orlando Brown, now L. B. Marshall's and Silas Noel's, curiosity
induced me to visit the old Hays Grave Yard, where I attended a funeral forty-seven years ago, and I was induced to
note down some of the names inscribed upon the monuments and slabs that still remain there, although the bones
of many of the more prominent ones have been removed to our beautiful cemetery.  The following are part of the names
still plainly inscribed thereon:

In memory of Matilda, daughter of John and Matilda Cox, wife of Thomas Purcell, died October 19th, 1838, aged 33
years, 13 days.
In memory of Louisa Alizabeth Iseminger, daughter of H. and L. Iseminger, born June 22and, 1842, died April 21st, 1843.
In memory of Elizabeth G. Kendall, died July 11th, 1840, aged 26 years, 3 months, 7 days.
Sacred to the memory of Sophia Western Page, consort of Thomas S. Page, and daughter of Wm. Woolfork, Seig., born
February 3rd, 1805, died May 2d, 1825.
In memory of Joseph Henry Smith, born December 21st, 1853, died January 9th 1844.
James Wilkerson Taylor, born March 26, 1806, died October 25th, 1836.
"This monument was erected by the Legislature of Kentucky to Christopher Greenup, who was a soldier in the Revolution
and was elected to the highest office in the State August, 1804 and died in his 69th year, April 27th 1818. This monument
was erected 1825.
Geo. Madison was Auditor of Accounts for 25 years, was a soldier and died in the 53d year if his age, on the 11th of
October 1816.  This monument was erected by the Legislature of Kentucky. He was elected Chief Magistrate of Kentucky.
On another monument is inscribed: Solomon P. Sharp, on the 7th of November 1825, was struck down by the hands of
an assassin in the 38th year of his age, at 2 o'clock in the morning of the meeting of the Legislature, of which he was a
member.

The following names I found on slabs and old broken moss-covered headstones:
In memory of Mrs. Mary Grooms, who died May 1st 1829, aged 44 years.
To the memory of T. Pettit, Lucinda Pettit, R. D. and W. Pettit and O. B. Pettit
Mary Spooner, died January 30, 1836
Another, whose name time has obliterated, who was a senator from Pulaski County, Kentucky

B.G.H.


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