New Zion

01

Two deeds with a wider purpose

On November 23, 1872, Calvin Hamilton and Primus Keene acquired neighboring tracts totaling about 23 acres through separate deeds. The National Register nomination describes later lot sales to other freedpeople. The settlement was first called Briar Hill. Keene also provided land for the community well, school, and church. These shared places made ownership part of a larger community life.

02

The dates tell different stories

The recorded purchase is a firm historical anchor, but it need not mark the first arrival of residents. A 2018 tourism account attributes an earlier 1868 beginning to oral history. The two dates describe different kinds of evidence and should be read together rather than silently combined.

03

Generations of connection

The Kentucky historical marker records descendants of Hamilton and Keene living in New Zion and the survival of Hamilton’s home. Its account connects family continuity with the physical places residents built. Individual family histories and the original tract’s relationship to modern parcels still deserve further documentation.

FROM THE RECORD

Two deeds for neighboring tracts

Scott County Deed Book 12 records separate conveyances from Harvey C. and Martha R. Graves. The two descriptions share a line, giving researchers a way to compare the original tracts before attempting to locate them on a modern map.

At a glance

1. 1868 · attributed account
   A 2018 anniversary announcement attributes an earlier beginning at Briar Hill to oral history.

   • New Zion anniversary announcement · Georgetown/Scott County Tourism

2. November 23, 1872
   Calvin Hamilton’s deed describes about 16 acres. Primus Keene’s deed describes about 7 acres. The combined area is about 23 acres.

   • Hamilton deed, Book 12, pp. 147–148 (viewer scan 148)
   • Keene deed, Book 12, p. 148 (viewer scan 149)

3. November 27, 1872
   The clerk’s entries on page 148 document the recording of both instruments.

   • Clerk’s entries, Book 12, p. 148

Research still open. How do the two historical tracts relate to present-day parcels? Some deed calls need a clearer reading. The tracts, the later New Zion historic district, and nearby Zion Hill are distinct.

READ THE EVIDENCE

Sources and further reading

• New Zion historical marker 1938 ↗
• Georgetown Scott County Tourism anniversary account 2018 ↗
• New Zion church and community reporting 2023 ↗

Location note: Approximate New Zion Road area, not the historic district boundary.