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The Filson Historical Society

The mission of The Filson Historical Society, Kentucky’s oldest privately supported historical society, is to collect, preserve, and tell the significant stories of Kentucky and Ohio Valley history and culture. The society was founded in May 1884 by 10 prominent Louisvillians who gathered at the home of Reuben T. Durrett. They named their new organization in honor of Kentucky’s first historian, John Filson. An early pioneer of Kentucky, Filson was best known for his book The Discovery, Settlement, and Present State of Kentucke and his map, the first to focus solely on Kentucky.

The Filson Society grew through the late 19th and 20th centuries from its beginning in the library of Durrett’s house to a professionally staffed and fully operating historical society. It has continued the mission of its founders by building and maintaining four permanent collections to serve and educate the public: a library (50,000 titles), a manuscript collection (1.5 million items), a photographs and prints collection (50,000 images), and a museum (10,000 items). The collections contain such items as original manuscripts, portraits, landscapes, photographs and prints, genealogical materials, printed family histories, local business records, and other primary historical materials with nationally recognized strength in the history of Kentucky, the Ohio Valley, and the Upper South. Today, Filson membership numbers more than 5,000. More than 12,000 people visit the society annually to conduct research, attend programs, and tour the building and museum.

The Filson’s education programs are designed to support KERA objectives. In addition to tours of the Ferguson Mansion, the society’s historic Victorian home in Old Louisville, and scavenger hunt museum tours, the Filson offers history trunks relating to Frontier Kentucky, the Civil War, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, along with dramatic presentations on Lewis and Clark and the Civil War and a neighborhoods history program. The Filson staff will work with teachers to design a custom itinerary best suited to class needs.

For more information, contact:

The Filson Historical Society
1310 S. Third St.
Louisville, KY 40208
(502) 635-5083
Fax: (502) 635-5086
www.filsonhistorical.org

The Filson web site includes extensive information about the society and its collections, along with a virtual tour of the Ferguson Mansion.

For information about educational programs at the Filson, contact Brian Pollock at (502) 635-5083 or e-mail brian@filsonhistorical.org.

http://www.filsonhistorical.org/

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