Mount Vernon emerged from a  frontier outpost called “Langford’s Station” which was the creation of Stephen Langford in 1791 who had been indicted for aiding the British. Langford also pioneered a new route, known as “Langford’s New Trace,” which approximated the modern US 25 and crossed the Rockcastle River just south of Livingston leading to his newly-built station and evolved into the Wilderness Road.

The station was set on Spout Spring because it furnished good drinking water and was a good place to settle. It became a city in 1810 and was named to honor George Washington, the first president of the United States, by giving it the name of his estate, Mount Vernon. This history can be recounted by visiting the History Garden at the corner of Richmond St (Hwy 25) and New Brodhead Rd (Hwy 150.)

Mount Vernon also features the adjacent renowned Renfro Valley Entertainment Center and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Museum. It hosts the Bittersweet Festival annually.

A visit to Mount Vernon should begin at the Office of Economic Development located adjacent to the History Garden at the intersection of Hwy. 25 and 150 or the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Museum in Renfro Valley on Hwy. 25.