Camp Nelson National Monument

Camp Nelson National Monument Camp Nelson National Monument is the 418th unit of the National Park Service

Camp Nelson National Monument, the 418th unit of the National Park Service, protects and interprets this Civil War supply depot, recruitment center for USCT, and refugee site for the formerly enslaved. Located along Hwy. 27, 20 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky, the park includes the main camp area and the Fee Memorial Church, the site of the Home for Colored Refugees in the present day community of Hall.

The 2nd Annual Freedom Day Festival is almost here! The National Park Service (NPS) is partnering with the Camp Nelson ...
06/10/2026

The 2nd Annual Freedom Day Festival is almost here!

The National Park Service (NPS) is partnering with the Camp Nelson Foundation - Friends group for Camp Nelson National Monument, Huntertown Community Interpretive Park, National Coalition of Black Veteran Organizations, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Jessamine County Public Library, Visit Jessamine, the Kentucky Historical Society, and the General Charles Young Foundation to host a special event on Saturday, June 20, 2026, starting at 10:00 am!

We're commemorating Freedom 250 by marking the Independence Day celebration organized by African American soldiers and refugees at Camp Nelson on July 4, 1865, and the Brigadier General Charles Young Memorial Historical Corridor—the 170-mile route from Camp Nelson National Monument in Jessamine County to Mays Lick—and concludes at the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, Ohio.

The festival features live music featuring The Marshall Law Band, food, arts and crafts, children’s activities, guided talks and walks, and cultural demonstrations. It's free and open to the public!

Learn more HERE: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=ACBA51EA-F316-F6F9-D81B9B9648719197



IMAGE:
Mr. Ed Hamilton, acclaimed sculptor and artist, speaking to visitors at the 1st Annual Freedom Day Festival in June 2025. Courtesy: NPS/AG

The 5th Annual History at Sunset programs returns this week! 🪵🔥🌄 Join the National Park Service (NPS) for a campfire p...
06/08/2026

The 5th Annual History at Sunset programs returns this week! 🪵🔥🌄

Join the National Park Service (NPS) for a campfire program starting at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 12, 2026!

Camp Nelson's Miliary Machine of War:

Thousands of civilians, both free and enslaved, were tasked with constructing, operating, and maintaining Camp Nelson, a massive supply center and recruiting depot for the US Army during the Civil War. By war’s end, the base extended to over 4,000 acres and featured 300 buildings to supply miliary campaigns and 16 regiments organized, recruited, and trained here. The base also served as a refugee camp for civilians escaping war and enslavement.

The program is free and open to the public will take place in the field adjacent to the Visitor Center and Museum. Visitors should bring camping chairs.

KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet
Kentucky Tourism
Visit Jessamine
Visit LEX



IMAGE:
Harness, Wagon, Shoeing Shops and Coal Bin at Camp Nelson National Monument during the Civil War. Courtesy: National Archives

Camp Nelson Closes On June 6, 1866, William F. Rice, the Freedmen's Bureau Agent for Nicholasville, Kentucky, reported...
06/06/2026

Camp Nelson Closes

On June 6, 1866, William F. Rice, the Freedmen's Bureau Agent for Nicholasville, Kentucky, reported "that the Refugees & Freedmen's Camp at Camp Nelson is broken up." After 3-years of service, Camp Nelson was officially deactivated. The process to shutter the US Army base began in the summer of 1865 as most of the infrastructure which comprised of over 300 wooden buildings were dismantled and sold at auction. Military supplies and equipment, especially cannons, munitions, and uniforms were removed, and the landscape to prewar private civilian ownership. However, the fate for thousands of formerly enslaved people who found refuge at Camp Nelson remained uncertain and precarious.

By June 1865, there were over 3,000 refugees at Camp Nelson, including the wives and children of US Colored Troops. Beginning in August, most refugees were relocated to other cities and areas, notably Lexington, Louisville, and Ohio. A few hundred remained on site and made their stay permanent by purchasing plots of lands at the Home for Colored Refugees from Reverend John Fee and his wife Matilda. The post-war Black community of Arial was born.

Camp Nelson served various roles during the Civil War: US Army supply depot, hospital, recruitment and training center, and site of refugee for civilians escaping war and slavery. Its role may have officially ended on June 6, 1866, but its legacy and reverence endured in the hearts and minds for thousands of soldiers, refugees, veterans, and their families and descendants for generations to come.

Camp Nelson endures.

https://www.nps.gov/cane/community-of-ariel-hall-and-fee-memorial-church



IMAGES: 1] Home for Colored Refugees at Camp Nelson. 2] US Soldiers' Home. 3] Recruiting Rendezvous featuring USCT soldiers. 3] Camp Nelson featuring the Oliver Perry House, Government Warehouses, and Ambulances. Courtesy: University of Kentucky and National Archives

Camp Nelson National Monument is saddened to hear of the passing of former Jessamine County Judge Executive Neal Cassity...
06/03/2026

Camp Nelson National Monument is saddened to hear of the passing of former Jessamine County Judge Executive Neal Cassity. As employees of the National Park Service (NPS), we are privileged to work in amazing places around the country. We also recognize there are many people responsible for Camp Nelson being a park in the first place and then becoming part of the NPS so that we would have the privilege to do what we do.

I arrived at Camp Nelson in July 2020 and began learning about the efforts of so many people who played vital roles in preserving this landscape. On May 27, 2021, the president of the Camp Nelson Foundation and former magistrate George Dean thoughtfully brought Judge Cassity by the park to meet me and the staff, and to see some of the new changes in the park, including our new sign on the Visitor Center.

From my conversations with Judge Cassity, I’m sure he would deflect any credit for the role he played in the creation of the park, but Camp Nelson National Monument will forever be grateful for him, and so many others who had the vision and determination to make this park a reality.
-Superintendent Ernie Price, June 3, 2026

https://www.bettsandwestfuneralhome.com/obituaries/william-cassity

IMAGE: Former Jessamine County Judge Executive Neal Cassity, Superintendent Ernie Price, and Former President of the Camp Nelson Foundation George Dean at Camp Nelson National Monument, May 2021. Courtesy: NPS/MD

On June 2, 1865, a week after the Grand Review of the Armies, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, General-in-Chief, iss...
06/02/2026

On June 2, 1865, a week after the Grand Review of the Armies, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, General-in-Chief, issued a farewell message to the tens of thousands of US soldiers mustering out of service from army headquarters in Washington DC. Grant honored the soldiers’ service and sacrifice and made clear that the institution of slavery--its protection and potential expansion--was "the cause and pretext of the rebellion." Within days, the majority of the volunteer soldiers were civilians once again, but not all.

"Washington, D. C., June 2, 1865.

SOLDIERS OF THE ARMIES OF THE UNITED STATES:

By your patriotic devotion to your country in the hour of danger and alarms-your magnificent fighting, bravery, and endurance-you have maintained the supremacy of the Union and the Constitution, overthrown all armed opposition to the enforcement of the laws, and of the proclamation forever abolishing slavery-the cause and pretext of the rebellion-and opened the way to the rightful authorities to restore order and inaugurate peace on a permanent and enduring basis on every foot of American soil.

Your marches, sieges, and battles, in distance, duration, resolution, and brilliancy of result dim the luster of the world's past military achievements, and will be the patriot's precedent in defense of liberty and right in all time to come.

In obedience to your country's call you left your homes and families and volunteered in its defense. Victory has crowned your valor and secured the purpose of your patriot hearts, and with the gratitude of your countrymen, and the highest honors a great and free nation can accord, you will soon be permitted to return to your homes and families conscious of having discharged the highest duty of American citizens. To achieve these glorious triumphs, and secure to yourselves, your fellow-countrymen, and posterity the blessings of free institutions tens of thousands of your gallant comrades have fallen and sealed the priceless legacy with their lives. The graves of these a grateful nation bedews with tears, honors their memories, and will ever cherish and support their stricken families.

U. S. Grant, Lieutenant-General."

50,000 soldiers remained in service, including over 20,000 US Colored Troops [USCT], who were making the long and arduous journey from Virginia and other states to Texas, arriving in late June 1865. The USCTs included thousands of Black Kentuckians recruited and trained across the state, notably the 114th US Colored Infantry and 116th US Colored Infantry from Camp Nelson.

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
General Grant National Memorial



IMAGE: Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, General-in-Chief US Army, May 1865. Courtesy: The Library of Congress

These Honored Dead. 🇺🇸 At 4:00 pm on July 4, 1924, the George M. Monroe Chapter 8, Kentucky Colored Corps, a division ...
06/01/2026

These Honored Dead. 🇺🇸

At 4:00 pm on July 4, 1924, the George M. Monroe Chapter 8, Kentucky Colored Corps, a division of the Women's Relief Corps of the Grand Army of the Republic, unveiled the African American Civil War Memorial at Green Hill Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky. According to the Frankfort Journal, "The “monument, which has been erected to the memory of the Colored Soldiers of the Civil War from Frankfort and Franklin County," and "each soldier’s name has been cut on the stone." According to the story, the monument cost several hundred dollars was funded by public contributions.

Almost 102 years later this past Saturday, the National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with the Green Hill Cemetery Board of Directors, Camp Nelson Foundation - Friends group for Camp Nelson National Monument, 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery (Reactivated), and the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (Elijah P. Marrs Camp No. 5), honored the 141 US Colored Troops interred here and the service, sacrifice, and legacy of US Colored Troops [USCT] and their families and descendants.

We express our gratitude to all the participants and supporters who made this special event possible, especially the Green Hill Cemetery Board of Directors and USCT descendants.

Learn more about Green Hill Cemetery and the USCT Legacy HERE:

https://visitfrankfort.com/listing/green-hill-cemetery/

KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet
Kentucky Tourism
Kentucky Historical Society
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War - National Organization



IMAGES: Wreath Dedication at African American Memorial at Green Hill Cemetery on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Courtesy: National Park Service/JR

Happening. Tomorrow. 🇺🇸 The National Park Service (NPS) at Camp Nelson National Monument in partnership with the Green...
05/29/2026

Happening. Tomorrow. 🇺🇸

The National Park Service (NPS) at Camp Nelson National Monument in partnership with the Green Hill Cemetery Board of Directors, Camp Nelson Foundation - Friends group for Camp Nelson National Monument, 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery, Sons of Union Veterans, descendants, and community members invite you to a special ceremony to recognize the service and sacrifice of US Colored Troops [USCT] and their families at Green Hill Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky starting at 12:00 pm on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

The cemetery was established in 1865 and honors Frankfort’s rich African American history and heritage, including over 140 USCTs who served during the Civil War. The burials include soldiers who served in Black regiments organized, recruited, and trained at Camp Nelson.

The program is free and open to the public.

Green Hill Cemetery
East Main Street (U.S. 60) and Versailles Road (U.S. 421)
Frankfort, KY, 40601

Learn more HERE: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=11BAC97C-BB92-6152-638605840BDEAB18

KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet
Kentucky Tourism

Happening. This. Week. The National Park Service (NPS) at Camp Nelson National Monument in partnership with the 12th US...
05/27/2026

Happening. This. Week.

The National Park Service (NPS) at Camp Nelson National Monument in partnership with the 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery, Sons of Union Veterans, descendants, and community members invite you to a special ceremony to recognize the service and sacrifice of US Colored Troops [USCT] and their families at Green Hill Cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky starting at 12:00 pm on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

The cemetery was established in 1865 and honors Frankfort’s rich African American history and heritage, including USCTs who served during the Civil War. The burials include soldiers who served in Black regiments organized, recruited, and trained a Camp Nelson.

The program is free and open to the public.

Green Hill Cemetery
East Main Street (U.S. 60) and Versailles Road (U.S. 421)
Frankfort, KY, 40601

Learn more HERE: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=11BAC97C-BB92-6152-638605840BDEAB18

KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet
Kentucky Tourism



IMAGE:
USCT grave at Green Hill Cemetery in Frankfort, KY. Courtesy: NPS/SP

"This cemetery is situated upon a conspicuous hill within the limits of what was known as Camp Nelson, Jessamine County,...
05/25/2026

"This cemetery is situated upon a conspicuous hill within the limits of what was known as Camp Nelson, Jessamine County, Kentucky."
–Edmund Burke Whitman, Superintendent of National Cemeteries, April 1868 🇺🇸

Memorial Day Ceremony today at Camp Nelson National Cemetery on Monday, May 25, 2026.

The cemetery's origins can be traced back to Camp Nelson during the Civil War. The US Army's base featured four cemeteries, notably Graveyard No. 1 and 2. The latter was located in the southern portion of the base adjacent to a hospital. It served as a final resting place for US soldiers and civilian employees who died at Camp Nelson during the Civil War. In the 1866, Graveyard No. 2 was designated as Camp Nelson National Monument. 2,452 burials date to the war, including 837 United States Colored Troops, dozens of civilian employees, and US soldiers from several regiments organized at Camp Nelson.

The Visitor Center, Museum, and Reconstructed Barracks are now open 7-days a week, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

Learn more here deep connection to the national cemetery HERE:
https://www.nps.gov/cane/camp-nelson-national-cemetery.htm

Central Kentucky Veterans Committee Serving Camp Nelson National Cemetery
KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet
Kentucky Tourism
Visit Jessamine



IMAGES:
A cemetery featuring headstones adorned with US flags with trees and white clouds in the background. Courtesy: National Park Service/SP

Address

6614 Old Danville Road Loop 2
Nicholasville, KY
40356

Opening Hours

Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18598815716

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