Jeffersontown was established in 1797 on 40 acres owned by Abraham Bruner.
By the early 1800s, Jeffersontown was the center of a thriving agricultural
area whose fertile soil produced bumper crops of fruit, vegetables,
grain and tobacco. Jeffersontown had 12 churches, 20 taverns and two
schools, and hospitality was the pride of its people.
Jeffersontown is proud of its history as a burgeoning industrial center
as well as its rural Kentucky roots. Twenty-three sites in Jeffersontown
are listed with the National Register. Historical highlights include
several homes, farms and schools.
The Jeffersontown Historical Museum offers a full, self-guided tour
of Jeffersontown historical sites. For more information, contact the
museum at 502-261-8290.
Learners of all ages benefit from Jeffersontown’s state-of-the-art
library. The City of Jeffersontown funded the $1.6 million construction
of this 14,000-square-foot facility, which also houses the Jeffersontown
Museum. The library, a branch of the Louisville Public Library System,
serves approximately 15,000 people monthly and holds over 40,000 volumes
as well as numerous computers, online databases, videos and books on
tape. The library also receives over 100 magazine subscriptions for
children and adults. The library’s state-of-the-art computer system
aids in community-outreach programs that include basic Internet and
computer classes. Other library programs include the summer reading
program, rotating displays and art exhibits, an active Friends of the
Library group, and unique services for the homebound or visually impaired.
The primary mission of the Jeffersontown Historical Museum is the preservation
and exhibition of artifacts and information pertaining to Jeffersontown’s
historic past. Many artifacts on display were once in the possession
of founding families and current residents, giving a broad overview
of Jeffersontown’s 200-plus years of history.
Included among the museum’s holdings is the “Dolls of the
World” collection, believed to be the largest of its kind in the
Midwest. The 1,250 dolls in the collection were donated by Petra Williams,
a writer, attorney, businesswoman, world traveler and antiquarian who
has lived in Jeffersontown since 1966. Williams began collecting the
dolls at a very young age, seeking out dolls that were authentic in
representing the dress and culture of people all over the world. Many
of the dolls are in excess of 100 years old; several are priceless.
Among the collection are a 2,300-year-old Tanagra figurine and a very
rare two-story Schoenhut dollhouse dating from the 1920s. In giving
this priceless and beautiful collection to the Jeffersontown Historical
Museum, Williams sought to keep the collection intact, protected and
available for the enjoyment of as many people as possible.
Thoroughbred Chorus is one of the oldest performing arts organizations
in Kentucky. The group began over 54 years ago in a downtown hotel of
Louisville as a select group of people brought together by their love
of singing. As the membership increased, the group formed a barbershop
chorus society. The Thoroughbred Chorus has since won the Barbershop
Harmony Society’s international competition seven years. “The
sound of a 50-man a cappella barbershop chorus is a sound you won’t
forget,” says Ken Slye, manager.
The group hosts an annual Holiday Show during the first week of December
at the Memorial Auditorium in Louisville. Their repertoire includes
Broadway show tunes, familiar melodies, love songs, and patriotic and
contemporary numbers. A particular favorite of the home crowd is, of
course, the four-part harmony of “My Old Kentucky Home.” The
Thoroughbreds have sung for presidents, governors and mayors, as well
as for major corporate, church, military and educational conventions.
The chorus is always looking for new members, and anyone is welcome
to try out.
