Newport History Walk description

This six-stop, self-guided tour is an introduction to the history of Newport, Kentucky. You can take the tour from home - but for the full experience, grab your smart phone and your walking shoes and follow the map on this site.

Newport was founded in 1795, making it one of our region's and our state's oldest cities. It was carved from the western frontier of the newly established United States and was a staging point for the nation's further expansion west. By the mid-1800s it was a thriving, diverse, growing city. In many respects, Newport's history is a microcosm of America's history.

We suggest you start at General James Taylor Park, but you can choose your starting point. Our app lets your smart phone know when you are at the next historic site and automatically goes to the related page.

The six sites in this tour are:
1. Former Newport Barracks (General James Taylor Park)
2. Newport Flood Wall
3. Thompson House
4. Former Fourth Street School Location
5. Southgate Street School
6. Taylor Mansion

The Newport History Walk is based on installments of "Our Rich History," a local history column published each week in the online newspaper the Northern Kentucky Tribune. The tour was produced by Northern Kentucky University's Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement and NorseMedia by student interns Shelby Doyle and Jordan Bardgett.