Discover 6 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Shelbyville (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Science Hill School, St. John's Methodist Church, and Church of the Annunciation. Also, be sure to include Carriss's Grocery in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Shelbyville (Kentucky).
Table of Contents
Science Hill School
Science Hill School, originally known as the Science Hill Female Academy was founded on March 25, 1825 by Julia A. Tevis as a female preparatory school. In 1975 the school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1978, it was opened as a restaurant known as the Science Hill Inn by Donna Gill and Tim Barnes.[1]
Address: 525 Washington St, 40065 Shelbyville
St. John's Methodist Church
Methodist church in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The St. John United Methodist Church in Shelbyville, Kentucky was a historic church located on College Street. It was built in 1896 and added to the National Register in 1984.
It was deemed to be the "best local example of frame Gothic Revival religious architecture" and also an "important landmark in the evolution of black religious history in Shelbyville."
The congregation was originally affiliated with the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. The land to build a church was acquired from David H. Wayne in 1887, but construction did not commence until 1894, being completed in 1896. Over the next century, many notable figures in the African American history of Shelby County were members here, including Zora Clark, the first African American in the county to receive a nursing degree; T.S. Baxter, the first African American elected to the Shelbyville city council; and Emma Payne Roland, the first African American reporter for the local newspaper, the Shelby Sentinel. After various conference mergers, it eventually became a congregation of the United Methodist Church, and in 1996, moved to a modern worship space at 212 Martin Luther King Junior Street nearby.
The church building appears no longer to exist.
The church was one of the best local examples of Carpenter Gothic architecture, known for its tall steeple and 30 stained glass windows. At the time of its construction, it was the largest African American congregation in town, and served the largest congregation.[2]
Church of the Annunciation
Catholic church in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Church of the Annunciation is a historic Roman Catholic church at 105 Main Street in Shelbyville, Kentucky. It was built in 1860 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
It was built in 1860, after the first Roman Catholic priest came to Shelbyville in 1842. It is a two-story brick Gothic Revival-style church built with stone sills and arches. It has a three-story tower.[3]
Carriss's Grocery
Carriss's Feed Store, located at KY 55 and KY 44 in Southville, Kentucky, was built in 1915. It is a work of James W. Adams. It has also been known as Southville Feed Store. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[4]
Address: 7 Southville Pike, Shelbyville
Bethel AME Church
Methodist church in Shelbyville, Kentucky. The Bethel AME Church in Shelbyville, Kentucky is a historic African Methodist Episcopal church located at 414 Henry Clay Street. It was built in 1916 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
It was deemed notable as the "best example of integration of Gothic Revival and Classical Revival styles" among Shelbyville's churches, and it was asserted the "sanctuary is also important in the evolution of black religious life in Shelbyville."[5]
Saffell Funeral Home
The Saffell Funeral Home, located at 4th and Clay Streets in Shelbyville, Kentucky, was built in about 1830. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
It is or was a two-story, three bay brick side passage plan building which had been stuccoed by 1983.
The building appears to have been removed by 2014.[6]