In 1848 a Father Lancaster came to Frankfort and found the congregation in great need of a new building. On April 2, 1849, property was bought for $5000 in the name of J.M. Lancaster at the corner of St. Clair and Wapping Streets including the former Presbyterian Church and parsonage. The Presbyterian building was small for the needs of the congregation, so in 1850 Father Lancaster began construction of a new building which would be given the title of “Good Shepherd.” John Haly, a member of the congregation would supervise, but construction would be completed by other church members working in the evenings and weekends. Many residents of Frankfort can trace this work to their 2nd, 3rd and 4th great grandfathers, a testament to the skill and a physical manifestation the faith of these early parishioners. During construction, services would be held in the Presbyterian Church while the new building would be constructed around it. Within the year the church would be completed and the former building demolished, all without any interruption of services.

The Good Shepherd Church would grow to become a leader in our community, comprising many downtown buildings. In 1860, the congregation would form St. Joseph’s Academy in the adjacent former parsonage. Through the years the campus would grow to include the school, convent, rectory, and other properties throughout the community. In 1922, the congregation began construction of a new school building designed by architect Mr. Robert E. Crowe of Covington and cost in some $70,000.00. The new school would open in August of 1923, known then by Good Shepherd School since 1917, serving to educate the children of our community continually to this day.

Through the years the parish has made many changed to their home, new formal stained glass windows were installed in 1902, as was a new organ, and the interior spaces refreshed. For their centennial celebration in 1948 the congregation improved the building, repainting lavish interiors, updating fixtures, and published a historical sketch. For much of its history the exterior of the church would be painted, and later additions of a new parish house would replace the old Convent. A gymnasium would be built on the site of the former Lawyers Row and Rectory after they were demolished. Later the church interior would be modernized, painting the interior a monochromatic color scheme, and eliminating early fixtures, replaced with a modern interior.

In 2011, the Good Shepherd Parish after many years of planning moved to their new campus along Leestown Road. For over 180 years, the Good Shepherd School served the community from their Downtown locations, just as they continue today from their new expanded campus. However, their departure brought into question the future of the former historic campus and potential uses for the buildings. The recent courthouse expansion threatened demolition of the church and destroyed the former convent and gymnasium. Since that time discussions for re-purposing the remaining campus have been of great speculation, including parking, a library extension, low income housing, museum, event venue, and numerous other uses. In 2013 the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation listed the church on its endangered buildings list “Eleven in their Eleventh Hour,” further questioning the future of this historic landmark. However, we may now have an answer to ensure these historic buildings are preserved with their recent purchase by Inspirational Grounds LLC and its agent Mr. Joseph Dunn.