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County: Oldham

Westport Courthouse

Marker Number: 

2594

Location: 

6901 KY-524, Westport

Westport Courthouse - First court session held here in 1828. In addition to indicting criminals and appointing justices of the peace, the court resolved sales, auctions, and escapes of enslaved people & settled disputes pertaining to slave hire-outs. The court moved to nearby LaGrange in 1838. Sponsored by Oldham County Tourism and Oldham County Historical Society.

Reverse Description:

The Courthouse and Enslavement - Records related to enslavement were common. Justice of the Peace William Gatewood was charged for the illegal hire-out of Mahala, mother of Henry Bibb’s wife Malinda. Bibb, a famous abolitionist, escaped Gatewood’s enslavement & created a colony in Canada for fugitive slaves. Sponsored by Oldham County Tourism and Oldham County Historical Society.

Dedicated August 31, 2019.

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