Historical Marker

Romantic 1825 Tragedy


Jereboam Beauchamp and wife Anna buried here in same coffin at own request. To avenge her alleged seduction by Col. Solomon Sharp, Beauchamp murdered him at Sharp's Frankfort home, 1825. Beauchamp and Anna were held in Frankfort jail. She was released but joined her husband in his cell, refusing to be separated even by force. He was sentenced to hang.

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Romantic 1825 Tragedy - On execution day, they attempted suicide by stabbing themselves. Her wound was fatal, but he lived to be hanged that day, the first legal hanging in Ky., 1826. Col. Sharp's political prominence caused case to have widespread newspaper publicity. Edgar Allan Poe and many other authors wrote of the tragedy, inspired by Beauchamps' deep devotion and love.