The Oldham County History Center Campus is located just 25 minutes from downtown Louisville at the La Grange Exit 22 off I-71. Nestled on the corners of historic Main Street, Second Avenue, and Jefferson Street in downtown La Grange, our campus is comprised of three historical buildings, a cellar original to the Peyton Samuel Head home and Colonial garden, and the new Dahlgren Pioneer Barn. We offer hands-on activities, year-long programs for children and adults, an Author Dinner Series, walking tours, holiday workshops, and monthly programs, including Living Treasures and Barnyard Fun. Check out Events for more information.
The J.C. Barnett Library and Archives is a restored 1840s “Kentucky Four Square” house. The Archives building holds a vast collection of documents, genealogical records, photographs, a family name database and a library of regional and local history materials, including extensive family files. In 2016 the Archives received an Underground Railroad designation by the National Park Service Network to Freedom – the ONLY archives designation in Kentucky! The building also serves as the administrative headquarters for the Oldham County Historical Society. This building was originally owned by James Mount and Amanda Malvina Railey Mount, who were one-time slave owners. Many people living in the community still remember the home from their youth. A Kentucky Historic Resources Inventory described the house as the oldest building on the square and one of the oldest in town.
The J.C. Barnett Library and Archives houses family papers and cemetery information for genealogical research. These papers contain deeds and records that include information dating to Oldham County families beginning in 1824. There is an $8 research fee per day for individuals conducting research. There is an additional charge for any photocopies made. The Oldham County History Center also offers research conducted by staff at the rate of $20 per hour with a one hour minimum. There is a fee for photocopies and postage of researched materials.
The Peyton Samuel Head Family Museum, originally built in the 1840’s, is now an interactive and interpretive community museum. Peyton Samuel Head (Sept. 8, 1849-Nov. 28, 1928) was a banker and landowner in Oldham County during the early 20th century. He invested in real estate, was one of the county’s earliest bankers, was town treasurer and served as deputy sheriff of Oldham County. Head’s daughter, Louise Head Dodge Duncan (b. about 1900-d. Dec. 30, 1990), inherited her father’s estate. In her will, she donated her home to the Oldham County Historical Society for the site of the current museum. Mrs. Duncan believed in giving back to the community, as proven by leaving the majority of her estate (over $5 million) in a trust for charitable groups in Oldham County. She owned the Archives building at one time as well. The museum has undergone a complete renovation as part of a $2 million capital campaign project for the entire campus. It has been added onto over time, and is painted in historically correct colors on the exterior, and trimmed in Victorian era scroll work.
The campus is also home to The Peyton Samuel Head Root Cellar, a unique attraction from the 1840s that educates about food preparation and storage in Antebellum America.
In 1880, La Grange resident Amanda Mount deeded property for the construction of a Presbyterian Church near her home. It would become the church were Dr. Rob Morris, founder of the Order of the Eastern Star, often served as a Ruling Elder. He would many times be called upon to occupy the pulpit in the absence of the church’s regular minister. Morris would frequently lecture on his travels in the Holy Land in the interest of Masonic research. The Oldham County Historical Society presently owns the Presbyterian Church, now known as the Rob Morris Educational Building, and uses it for educational classes, meetings and public programs. It was remodeled and dedicated on August 20, 2006 by Freemasons and the Order of the Easter Star. Rob Morris said there were two things in life dear to his heart: his little Presbyterian Church and Freemasonry.
The Dahlgren Pioneer Barn is a demonstration barn for different programs and events. The History Center offers hands-on activities, year-long programs for children and adults. It gives great depth to our educational programs, expanding our family activities and providing unique exhibits. Come enjoy the smell of wood smoke, roasting meats and fresh bread as an inviting way to entice people to experience history!”
The Road Warrior Stature was created by local sculptor Wyatt Gragg. Gragg, a local HOG member and Harley rider designed the sculpture so visitors can “hop” on and take a ride with Bruce. “I was excited to be a part of this venture and have deep respect and gratitude for World War II Veterans,” stated Gragg.
Heilman’s motorcycle is a special “Marine” issue with the Marine insignia on the side that was issued to veterans by the Harley-Davidson Corporation.
Designed by local sculptor, Wyatt Gragg, this sculpture depicts WWII Veteran and National Spokesperson, Dr. E. Bruce Heilman, on his Marine issue Harley-Davidson motorcycle as he has traveled across the United States, including Alaska, bringing attention to the sacrifices of WWII veterans and their contribution to the democracy that we enjoy today in our nation. As a farm boy who grew up in Oldham County, Bruce represents the thousands of soldiers who, like him, grew up in rural America, not realizing that the challenges of the Depression years would prepare them for the battlefields of the 2nd World War.
Visitors can “hop on and ride” with Bruce in this interactive sculpture on the History Center campus.
The Kentucky Black Trailblazers AR Experience is a black history project two years in the making that bring to life the stories of influential black Americans in each county with a program jumpstarted with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding. The History Center’s campus is home to the Trail Blazer Marker of Alex Beaumont. Alex Beaumont was born a slave in 1839 in Garrard County. He was enslaved in Oldham County by Susan Beaumont who signed for him to enlist in the Union Army on June 16, 1864 at Camp Nelson, KY. He was in the 116th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops, African American soldiers who fought for the Union. Camp Nelson was a recruitment center for U. S. Colored Troops. The Conscription Act of 1864 allowed for the recruitment of slaves and free blacks into Union troops. As a result, records show that by 1865, 10,000 African-American men mustered into Camp Nelson — making it the largest recruitment center in Kentucky for African-American troops. Beaumont mustered out on January 17, 1867 at New Orleans. He married Lucy Fible and they had six sons and one daughter. He is buried in La Grange’s Historic African American Cemetery.
