Editing West Point, Kentucky (section)

==History==
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West Point was founded by pioneer James Young, who built a cabin at the site in 1789 and, in 1797, built a brick house and inn that is still standing today. In 1803, [[Lewis and Clark]] passed nearby and recruited West Point citizen John Shields to join their Corps of Discovery.

West Point sits at the confluence of the Ohio and [[Salt River (Kentucky)|Salt]] rivers, a strategic position that led [[Union Army|Union]] forces to construct a fort here during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] to protect their supply routes. [[Fort Duffield]] is the state's largest and best-preserved earthen fortification from the period.

West Point also retains many of its other historic resources, and a large portion of the community is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as a historic district.

One of the newest preservation projects in West Point is the rehabilitation of the West Point Independent Colored School (1926), one of the "Rosenwald Schools" built by philanthropist [[Julius Rosenwald]] to educate African-Americans in rural areas. Plans call for using the one-room school as a visitor, educational, and research facility.

West Point commemorated the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's visit with a heritage festival that celebrated local history and drew heritage tourists. Year-round, Fort Duffield is an important tourist destination, and the city recently secured a grant to fund walking trails at the site.

West Point was a childhood residence of the late [[Louisiana]] Governor [[James A. Noe|James A. Noe Sr.]], a wealthy oilman and landowner.