As the county seat of Rockcastle County, I anticipated too much of little Mt. Vernon. In truth, it is certainly not a fault of the people. Walking through downtown, I passed the closed (it was a Sunday) Tea Cup Cafe (pictured in the saloon-looking structure) as the owners were exiting. A short conversation revealed that they are working hard to increase the image of Mt. Vernon. The sidewalks need fixing and other downtown improvements are needed – but the good news is that members of this little community recognize and desire these improvements.
On one end of Main Street is the courthouse and new judicial center – which I will leave for Nate to discuss. It was, at best, disappointing (though none of the citizenry seemed to miss the old courthouse either). The town is named after George Washington’s Virginia home; the county after an observation by a hunting party that a rock in the area resembled a castle.
One destination missed on my sojourn is Rockcastle County’s most famous attraction: Renfro Valley. Located two miles north of Mt. Vernon, Renfro Valley is Kentucky’s Country Music Capital is the home to a popular entertainment center and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.