Stephen Decatur Choate Stephen Decatur Choate was born in 1815 in Delaware. In the 1830’s, he moved to Cincinnati to become an apprentice silversmith. From there, he moved to Louisville and opened a jewelry store on Fourth Street downtown, where he also manufactured silverware. After fifteen years, Choate came to Shelby County, first to Simpsonville … Stephen Decatur Choate

Southside Elementary School The 1950’s brought years of overcrowding without a solution in sight because of increased enrollment from county students wanting to attend city schools. There were also talks on desegregation and consolidating the city and county school systems. In 1957, a new school called, “Southside” was built off 7th Street, where a small … Southside Elementary School

Shelbyville Female Seminary The Shelbyville Female Seminary was founded in 1839 by the Rev. William F. Hill. In 1848, he completed this building at Seventh and Main Streets that would house a boarding school for the next 57 years. In 1851, the school was purchased by Rev. David Todd Stuart, a Presbyterian minister, who was … Shelbyville Female Seminary

History of the Shelbyville Dogwood Festival The Shelbyville Dogwood Festival began in 1973, honoring former Shelbyville Mayor, Paul F. Schmidt.  Mayor Schmidt first donated 351 dogwood trees to property owners along Main Street in 1938.  He continued to donate them to Shelbyville’s citizens until 1944, for a whopping total of 2,048 trees! Ms. George Ann Carpenter chaired … History of the Shelbyville Dogwood Festival

Shelbyville Blockhouse At one time, the Shelbyville fountain was located in the center of Main Street at 5th, but during the Civil War, a blockhouse stood watch in the same place. The blockhouse served as a small fort that local merchants would flock to when the alarm was sounded, ready to guard the town. There … Shelbyville Blockhouse

Shelby County P.O.W. Camp Shelbyville was home to a Prisoner of War camp from 1944-1945. Surrounded by barbed wire, around 300 (mostly) German P.O.W.s resided in camps set up in Shelbyville across from the current location of Shelby County High School, and in Eminence, at the Henry County Fairgrounds. Most had been captured in North … Shelby County P.O.W. Camp

Shelby County Fiscal Courthouse Our old courthouse is truly an architectural work of art. The cornerstone was laid on June 11, 1913, containing all of the relics housed in the previous courthouse’s cornerstone along with pictures of Shelbyville street-scenes and newspapers from that era. The cost to build was $120,000, and unlike the previous courthouse, … Shelby County Fiscal Courthouse

Scouting in Shelby County Scouting in Shelby County Scouting arrived in Shelby County more than seventy-five years ago.  One of the earliest Troops is said to be Number 164, chartered by William L. Shannon.  Troop 164 has been continuously sponsored by First Presbyterian Church on Main Street in Shelbyville, since its founding.  It is rumored that … Scouting in Shelby County

Shelby County Community Theater The Shelby County Community Theater was chartered in 1977, with “The Music Man” as its first production. Purchased for $30,500, the present building at the corner of Main and 8th Streets performed “Oklahoma” as its first in-house play. The exterior of the building underwent extensive renovation in 2004.

Ralph’s Market & the Ralphburger Ralph and Lillian Wade opened Ralph’s Market in 1972, after Ralph left his job as a butcher at the A&P after 22 years. The market was located in the one-story, brick building at the corner of Rockbridge and Mt. Eden Rd., just south of I-64. It was a corner grocery/diner … Ralph’s Market & the Ralphburger