Bellevue Cemetery
Also called Bellfont Cemetery · Franklin County, Kentucky
Located near Leestown Road off Fifth Avenue and now owned by the State of Kentucky. Bellevue was the burying ground used by the city prior to the establishment of the Frankfort Cemetery. On February 16, 1845, 32 acres were purchased from Ambrose and Eliza Dudley to develop a city cemetery. A plaque at the Frankfort Cemetery names Bellevue as its predecessor; the exact historic footprint remains debated.
Through the years the cemetery remained abandoned and in ruins. In 1976 it was overgrown with brush and damaged by vandals. The only stone of Elizabeth G. Kendall remained. Today only large stones once used to mount the monuments of those buried here remain.
Known Burials
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Kendall, Elizabeth G. | Consort of James J. Kendall · Died July 15, 1840 · Aged 20 years, 3 months, 7 days |
| Van Wort, Effie | Infant daughter of Irving and Susan Van Wort of New York · Died May 18, 1836 · Aged 10 months |
| Iseninger, Lewisa Elizabeth | Daughter of H. & L. Iseninger · Born June 22, 1842 · Death date incomplete on listing |
| Madison, Jane | Wife of George Madison · Born April 20, 1777 · Died April 4, 1811 · Body moved to Frankfort Cemetery |
| Humphreys, John B. | Son of Dr. Alexander & Mary Humphreys · Died July 29, 1835 · Aged 44 |
| Smith, Jacob Henry | Born December 21, 1843 · Died January 9, 1844 |
| Purcell, Matilda | Daughter of John & Matilda Cox · Wife of Thomas F. Purcell · Died October 19, 1838 · Aged 33 years, 13 days |
| Iseninger, Henry | Born October 30, 1790 · Died June 22, 1843 |
| Taylor, Louisiana S. | No dates |
| Page, Ophelia Western | Consort of James S. Page · Daughter of Wm. M. Woolfold, Sr. · Born 1805 · Died June 22, 1826 |
From the Frankfort Roundabout — August 21, 1886
Submitted by David Nelson. The letter describes a visit to the “old Hays Grave Yard” on the former Orlando Brown farm (then L. B. Marshall’s and Silas Noel’s). Some names below vary slightly from the listing above (spelling and dates as printed in 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:
- Matilda, daughter of John and Matilda Cox, wife of Thomas Purcell — died October 19th, 1838, aged 33 years, 13 days.
- Louisa Alizabeth Iseminger, daughter of H. and L. Iseminger — born June 22nd, 1842, died April 21st, 1843.
- Elizabeth G. Kendall — died July 11th, 1840, aged 26 years, 3 months, 7 days.
- Sophia Western Page, consort of Thomas S. Page, daughter of Wm. Woolfork, Seig. — born February 3rd, 1805, died May 2d, 1825.
- Joseph Henry Smith — born December 21st, 1853, died January 9th, 1844.
- James Wilkerson Taylor — born March 26, 1806, died October 25th, 1836.
- Christopher Greenup — soldier of the Revolution; elected highest office in the State August 1804; died in his 69th year, April 27th, 1818. Monument erected by the Legislature of Kentucky, 1825.
- George Madison — Auditor of Accounts for 25 years; soldier; died in the 53rd year of his age, October 11th, 1816. Monument erected by the Legislature; elected Chief Magistrate of Kentucky.
- 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.
Also noted on slabs and broken moss-covered headstones:
- Mrs. Mary Grooms — died May 1st, 1829, aged 44 years.
- T. Pettit, Lucinda Pettit, R. D. and W. Pettit, and O. B. Pettit.
- Mary Spooner — died January 30, 1836.
- Another, name obliterated — a senator from Pulaski County, Kentucky.
— B.G.H.