Bracken

Formed December 13, 1796 (20^th county)

Bracken County (8,403), Brooksville (653), Augusta (1,099)

The brown/tan brick courthouse, on Miami, Locust, Madison, and Jefferson streets, was built in 1915 and enlarged in 2003.  Kentucky State Highway 19 passes in front of the courthouse.  The Beaux Arts designs were provided by Andrew J. Bryan.  A Justice Center was built in 2013.  The courthouse features a tower and columns.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Earlier courthouses dated from 1802 in Augusta and 1862 in Brooksville, following the December 13, 1796 county formation.  It was created from parts of Mason and Campbell counties as the 20^th county.  Augusta was the original county seat until 1839 when Woodward’s Crossing, renamed Brooksville, became the seat.  The county is named for settler William Bracken.  Kentucky State Senator David Brooks is the namesake for the county seat. 

Bracken County government consists of a sheriff, County Judge Executive, and 8 Magistrates.  One Circuit Court Judge and One District Court Judge serve Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties.  The county is on the northeast border with Ohio.  The Ohio River forms its northern border.  Cincinnati, Ohio is northwest and Lexington, Kentucky is southwest of the county.  The county center is 3.2 miles North of Brooksville nearer Chatham.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Ohio and Mason, Robertson, Harrison, and Pendleton counties. 

The area of the county is 203 square miles.  It is 101 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 108 out of 120 in population in the state.  It has a density of 41.4 persons per square mile making it 80 out of 120 in the state.  Bracken County has 21.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county looks like a punch bowl.  Brooksville is slightly east of center in the county.  Augusta is on the Ohio River in the northeast.  Brooksville is the county seat and Augusta is the largest city.  Brooksville is 7.8% of the county population while Augusta is 13.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area.