The Kentucky Culture Symposium is one of our most valuable and important programs. It brings together national scholars and experts on the historic material culture of Kentucky and its impact on Kentucky culture today. Each year, we forge new connections with the people of Kentucky as we advance the body of knowledge in a way that is tangible and meaningful for all.
Honor Sachs, award-winning author of Home Rule, printed by Yale University Press, headlines a rockstar list of academic speakers. These include Dr. Will Kuby, University of Tennessee, who will present on Mary Jane Warfield Clay, wife of Cassius Clay. Jennifer Downs, Kentucky Historical Society, and Kate Hesseldenz, Mary Todd Lincoln House, will present on aspects of their new exhibition and Katherine Helm, respectively.
The Symposium will be held on August 8, 2026. The Kentucky Historical Society, serving as a Platinum Sponsor, has graciously provided their venue space at 100 W. Broadway, Frankfort, KY.
The Kentucky Culture Symposium supports the preservation of Liberty Hall Historic Site's two historic homes. The two houses have been collectively described as "the jewels of downtown Frankfort". Along with almost five acres of historic gardens, LHHS represents an oasis of historical beauty and natural calm. As you might imagine, the preservation of such an estate requires extensive and costly maintenance. Your support of the KY Culture Symposium goes directly towards that end and honors the motto of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America – “Entrusted with History’s Future.”