Illustration by Annette Cable
When you reside in Shelbyville, one of the first things people say is, “You live way out there?” But trust me, it’s not that far. From my home about five miles south of Shelbyville’s historic downtown area it takes only 20 minutes to get to Jeffersontown. Even the beehive Shelbyville Road malls are just down the road — at least from my perspective.
I admit that my take on distance is a little warped. Although I’m a Louisville native, I lived on the West Coast for many years, including 10 years in Los Angeles, where I dropped anchor everywhere from the beach to the canyon to the suburbs east of downtown. I became accustomed to driving at least an hour to get anywhere. Now that I’ve returned to my home state, driving 20 minutes on mostly traffic-free roads is a breeze.
For my husband Joe and me, the best part about living in Shelbyville isn’t so much about the stores and restaurants, of which there are plenty. Instead, we enjoy the peaceful, laid-back nature of this community of 10,730 residents. Some of the things that we savor most are the beautiful rolling green hills and the seemingly endless stretches of pastures with picturesque black board fences. When we first moved here, we’d sp/files/storyimages/the occasional long summer evening just driving around, appreciating the views and discovering more about our new home. It was such a contrast to the barren fire-ravaged hills that surrounded us in California.
One of our favorite drives is down Zaring Mill Road, just off of Main Street (US 60) in the heart of Shelbyville. This stretch of blacktop takes you past the stately Tarry Long historic home, which was built in 1851 and features antebellum architecture. It’s a lovely place with a long stretch of dry-laid stone fence that I’ve been told is one of the most admired in Shelby County. Another beautiful stone fence can be found in front of Shelby County High School on Frankfort Road (again, US 60).
Almost directly across the street from Tarry Long is yet another stunning historical beauty, Undulata Farm. This showplace is owned by Edward “Hoppy” Bennett, who breeds, raises and trains American Saddlebred horses. Those equines are an important part of the area, as evidenced by the fact that the community bills itself as the “American Saddlebred Capital of the World.” Every August the town is filled to capacity with visitors to the Shelbyville Horse Show at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Even the county clerk’s office gets in the act with a wall covered by posters from the annual horse show.
I never dreamed I’d rave about government offices, but I have to say that I was more than pleasantly surprised when, shortly after moving here, I was required to do four things at once. I needed an electrical permit for the barn we were about to build; I also had to have my vehicle inspected, apply for Kentucky license plates and get a new driver’s license. All of the buildings were within about 100 yards of one another and there were no lines. It took me 30 minutes to do all four things. In Los Angeles, I had to set aside three hours to get license plates alone. And that was with an appointment.
Rolling green hills and black board fences: The author and husband Joe take in the open country around their Shelbyville home.
History, obviously, is part of my town’s appeal. The short drive down Main Street in downtown Shelbyville silences me for a moment as I gaze at the lineup of turn-of-the-century homes. Named after Kentucky’s first governor, Isaac Shelby, and founded in 1792, this early settlement has been the scene of many noteworthy events, several of which are commemorated with historic plaques. I’m making it a point to explore each one.
You can’t mention Shelbyville without including another focus on the past, the numerous antique stores. I have yet to buy anything from the shops, but I am a frequent flyer when it comes to browsing. Shuffling from showroom to showroom on Main Street is a great way to sp/files/storyimages/a rainy Saturday afternoon. There’s Antiques for You, the Ruby Rooster Antique Mall, the Shelbyville Antique Mall and, across the street, Gardner House Antiques.
Since we’re in the midst of building a house to go with that barn of ours, I’m busy looking for fabric and materials to decorate my home. One of my favorite spots is Making Ends Meet, on Washington Street, which is a charming cottage with three floors filled with fabrics and trim. The shop is also well-known for upholstery work. On the grounds of the former Science Hill Female Academy, founded in 1825, you’ll find Wakefield-Scearce Galleries, well-known for English antiques, as well as the Shops of Science Hill and the Science Hill Inn Dining Room. Renowned for its menu of Southern specialties — including Kentucky trout, shrimp and grits, and hot-water cornbread — and elegant dining space, Science Hill takes me back to a more genteel time, with its polite servers and views of the gorgeous country estate garden out the windows.
More authentic regional cuisine is available at Claudia Sanders Dinner House (on US 60) for when you get an urge for fried chicken or country ham, or Cattleman’s Roadhouse (on Breighton Circle), with perfectly grilled steaks, chops and chicken.
A recently opened Mexican restaurant, Sergio’s, has garnered a local following for its ever-growing list of bottled beers, which now number 250. The restaurant specializes in south-of-the-border food but has an eclectic menu that includes T-bone steak and even hummus. My husband’s favorite is the carne asada. I like Sundays, when menudo (don’t ask what’s in it) is served. Two traditional soups, posole and caldo de res, are always on the menu.
We also like Ken-Tex Bar-B-Que on KY 53. It’s right off Exit 35 from I-64 and, although it doesn’t look like much from the outside, it sells one of my favorite-ever pork barbecue sandwiches. I was worried I’d have to drive miles for caffeine, but Sixth and Main Coffeehouse satisfies my craving for nonfat sugar-free vanilla latte. The shop is also knit into the community’s social fabric with local book signings and an open-to-all book club that meets the second Wednesday of the month.
After the hubbub of Southern California, I’m enjoying a place where everyone knows you and remembers you. I find that the most charming part of living in a small town. When I go to Walgreen’s, I bump into our dog groomer. When I shop at Kroger, I see the guy who dug the trenches for the house we’re building. At the post office, when I’m struggling with heavy boxes, people stop to not just hold the door open, but to help me carry the items inside.
Our three golden retrievers — Neil, Moses and Clifford — love it too. They’ve made great friends with Angie Glass, who owns Sawgy Dawg Grooming & Pet Supplies. She’s even managed to tame our rescued golden, who never liked any groomer until now. And our beasts also enjoy Clear Creek Park, which has a great walking path around its perimeter where leashed dogs are welcome.
Since this is a mostly agricultural community, we’ve learned to take advantage of the fresh produce. On summer Saturdays, we buy our vegetables and fruit at the Shelbyville Farmers’ Market. We also like to drive to Gallrein Farms, which sits on hundreds of acres and also vends fresh produce. Gallrein also has a petting zoo for the kids and offers wagon rides to the pumpkin patch during autumn, which we found fun last year even without kids in tow.
Naturally, I struck up a conversation with an employee at the produce market at Gallrein Farms, only to discover that her dad lives near us and she grew up just a few miles from the home we’re building on five acres. That, to me, is the key to Shelbyville. Wherever you go, you’ll meet someone who knows someone that you have in common. The so-called six degrees of separation don’t go so far in Shelbyville. It’s more like three degrees of separation. And to us, that bit of charm makes this a truly close-knit ?community.
