Construction began in 1917 but stopped in 1918 at a height of 175 feet (53 m) due to building material rationing during World War I.

To mark the occasion of its completion, the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross from the top of the monument.

[1] The obelisk was closed to the public from 1999 until May 2004 for renovations and construction of a new visitor center.

[2] The Jefferson Davis State Historic Site is one of eleven historic sites in Kentucky which include small parks and are maintained by the Kentucky Department of Parks.

The center sells books and memorabilia about Davis, the American Civil War, and the surrounding area, as well as Kentucky handcrafts.