Outdoor Exploration
Visit the marker block and farmers market
Walk the renamed square, read the Cheapside Slave Auction Block marker and the Tandy dedication, and explore the Lexington Farmers Market when in season.
- Duration:
- 30 min
Outdoor / Natural Site
Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park (formerly Cheapside Park)
Downtown Lexington square renamed in 2020 for the formerly-enslaved mason Henry A. Tandy, on a block whose pre-Civil-War slave auction trade is now memorialized by historical markers.
251 West Main Street, Lexington, KY 40507
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 4sources
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public park; Lexington Farmers Market and events use the space.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved plaza adjoining the Old Fayette County Courthouse.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1781 · Lexington's central public square since 1781 · Major pre-Civil-War slave auction site in Kentucky · Renamed in August 2020 for Henry A. Tandy · Site of the Cheapside Slave Auction Block historical marker
The square at 251 West Main Street has functioned as Lexington's central public space since the town's founding in 1781, originally laid out as 'Public Square' and later known for most of the 19th and 20th centuries as 'Cheapside.' It served as the main marketplace for produce, livestock, dry goods — and, before the Civil War, for enslaved people. Thousands of enslaved men, women, and children were sold here, many separated from their families and forced into the cotton-and-sugar economies of the Deep South.
A Cheapside Slave Auction Block historical marker, produced through the efforts of the Lexington Alumni Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the Kentucky Historical Society, was installed on the square to make this history visible. The 'Take Back Cheapside' community campaign, formed in 2017, pressed for further reckoning with the square's history and for the removal of Confederate monuments associated with the courthouse.
In August 2020 the Lexington–Fayette Urban County Council voted to rename the park Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park. Henry Allen Tandy was a Black entrepreneur and mason who was born into slavery and, after emancipation, partnered with Alfred Byrd to form Tandy & Byrd — one of central Kentucky's leading masonry contractors. Their firm laid the brick under the stone facade of the 1898–1900 Old Fayette County Courthouse that stands at the north edge of the square.
Today the park hosts the Lexington Farmers Market, civic events, and Black-history walking tours. The site is adjacent to the Old Fayette County Courthouse / Lexington History Center.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheapside_Park
- https://history.ky.gov/markers/cheapside-slave-auction-block
- https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/171
- https://www.wuky.org/local-regional-news/2020-07-24/once-a-slave-auction-block-cheapside-could-soon-be-renamed-after-a-builder-freed-from-slavery
Unexplained footsteps and brief voicesFlickering lights along the courthouse facade after darkShadowy figures near the historical marker'Dancing orbs' in farmers-market photographs
The square is presented on most Lexington ghost tours as a site of residual trauma rather than as the haunt of any single named individual. Tour operators including US Ghost Adventures' Lexington Ghost Tour, ScavengerHunt.com's Lexington Ghost Trail, and the Bites of the Bluegrass walking tours include the square as a stop and frame the haunting context through the documented history of the Cheapside slave auction block.
Guides report that visitors describe unexplained sounds (footsteps, voices, brief crying), flickering lights along the courthouse facade after dark, shadowy figures observed near the historical marker, and 'dancing orbs' captured in photographs during early-morning farmers-market visits. These reports are treated as testimonial rather than evidentiary; no paranormal investigation team has published formal data on the square.
In keeping with the sensitivity of the site's history, the haunting framing is best understood as a way visitors and guides process the weight of what happened on the square between 1781 and 1865. The site memorializes a documented history of enslaved people who were bought and sold here, including children separated from parents. Visitors should approach the park as a site of memory — read the historical marker, the Tandy dedication, and the surrounding civil-rights interpretive panels — rather than as a thrill-seeking ghost-tour stop.
Notable Entities
Memorialized presences of enslaved people sold on the block (1781-1865)
Media Appearances
- US Ghost Adventures Lexington Ghost Tour
- ScavengerHunt.com Lexington Ghost Trail
- Bites of the Bluegrass walking tour
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Walking Tour Booking Required
Ghost-tour and Black-history stop
Lexington walking tours (US Ghost Adventures, Scavenger Hunt, Bites of the Bluegrass) include the square; the site is also a stop on Lexington's Black-history walks led by the Lexington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi.
- Duration:
- 30 min
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park (formerly Cheapside Park) family-friendly?
Daytime visit is appropriate for all ages; slavery-history content benefits from adult framing. Avoid romanticizing antebellum context. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park (formerly Cheapside Park)?
Free public park; Lexington Farmers Market and events use the space. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park (formerly Cheapside Park) wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park (formerly Cheapside Park) is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Paved plaza adjoining the Old Fayette County Courthouse..