Named for Revolutionary War hero Patrick Henry, history-rich Henry County was established in 1789.
Located about 35 miles northeast of Louisville, Henry County is situated within Kentucky’s “golden triangle” region, as the area within the three points of Louisville, Lexington and Cincinnati is sometimes known. The county’s rustic vistas are only 70 miles northwest of Lexington and 65 miles southwest of Cincinnati. Interstate 71 runs through the heart of the county and I-64 passes just south of it, providing easy access to all three cities as well as to Frankfort, Kentucky’s state capitol.
The county seat, New Castle, founded in 1798, is the third oldest incorporated town in Kentucky. Among the county’s other notable towns are Pleasureville, Smithfield, Campbellsburg, and Eminence.
Henry County had 15,060 residents in 2000, a 17 percent increase over the 1990 census, making it the 20th fastest growing of the state’s 120 counties.
The average sale price of existing homes in Henry County in 2003 was $81,000. New homes generally sell from $100,000 to $250,000. Some of the county’s newer subdivisions include Lost Creek Estates, on Highway 146; Whitaker Estates, in Pendleton, and Silver Acre Estates off Old Jericho Road.
Henry County’s two school districts con-tain six public schools.
Campbellsburg Elementary School, Eastern Elementary School, New Castle Elementary School, Henry County Middle School and Henry County High School are administered by the Henry County Public School District and have a total enrollment of about 2,100 students. The district spent $6,041 per student during the 2002-2003 school year
Eminence Independent Schools serves about 550 students from kindergarten through high school.
The Henry County Board of Education is the county’s largest employer, with 340 employees. Hussey Copper is the largest private-sector employer, followed by Eminence Speaker Corporation and Steel Technologies.
The Henry County Chamber of Commerce is actively working on a plan to address future residential, commercial and industrial development. The chamber’s goal is to attract light industry and businesses that will complement already-established companies while preserving the county’s rural heritage and quality of life. An indus-trial park is under development in Campbellsburg, near Interstate 71.
Historically, Henry County has relied on an agricultural economy centered around growing tobacco, alfalfa hay and beef and dairy cattle. During the growing season, the Henry County Farmers Market is held each Saturday on the courthouse lawn in New Castle.
A new twist on this agricultural heritage appeared in 2003 when the Smith-Berry Winery and Art Gallery opened on Highway 202 just outside New Castle. A former dairy barn houses the winery and a tobacco barn has been transformed into a venue for concerts and dinners. The gallery specializes in Kentucky artists.
The two main local festivals are the annual Henry County Harvest Showcase, held on the last Saturday in July at the Henry County Fairgrounds, and the Historic Drennon Springs Storytelling and Crafts Festival, held the second week in October, which features black-powder musket shooters, Native-American crafts and storytelling.
The 291 square miles that comprise Henry County present a variety of pic-turesque landscapes of gently rolling farm-land and enchanting small towns.
The county’s rural and small-town char-acter is evident in such local landmarks as The Sulphur Trace Bed & Breakfast — a working sheep farm — on Highway 157; Our Best Restaurant in Smithfield, which offers old-fashioned Southern cooking in a renovated warehouse next to a grinding mill; and the Chat-n-Nibble in Eminence, reputed to be one of the oldest continually operated family restaurants in the state.
Most of the county’s notable historic buildings are located in New Castle, including the Caplinger House, built in 1863, which also serves as the home of the Henry County Historical Society; the Henry County Courthouse, completed in 1877 and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and the Pearce Log Cabin, built in 1790, which is on the Kentucky Historic Register.
Recreational facilities include the Henry County Country Club, one mile north of New Castle on Ky. 55, and Lake Jericho, just off I-71’s exit 28. Covering 136 acres, the lake offers fishing, boating, camping, and picnicking facilities. Regional fisher-man know it as a good spot for catching bluegill and crappie.
Harry Hill Park, located two miles from New Castle on U.S. 421, has baseball, soft-ball and soccer fields; volleyball courts, a playground and covered shelters for picnics or family reunions. The Eminence Pool is a public facility with a playground, two ten-nis courts, and a baseball diamond.
