Oldham County History Center

Encompassing a city block in La Grange, Kentucky, immediately to the west of the Oldham County courthouse, the Oldham County History Center is an impressive collection of buildings and artifacts representing the rich heritage of the local area. Wonderful Wife and I stopped here after spending a nice, if cloudy, afternoon visiting the unique shops of the La Grange downtown business district.

The centerpiece of the complex is the Peyton Samuel Head Family Museum housed in the restored Victorian home once owned by the museum's namesake, a local banker in the early-20th century. His daughter Louise Head Duncan donated the house and adjacent property to the Oldham County Historical Society, who've since done a remarkable job restoring the structure and converting it into first-rate history museum.

Peyton Samuel Head Family Museum

The first floor contains an abundance of artifacts from the area's earliest inhabitants right on up through modern times. Special attention is given to the life and career of D.W. Griffith, who was born and raised in Crestwood (just about 10 miles west of La Grange down I-71). Annie Fellows Johnston, author of the Little Colonel series of books and a turn-of-the-20th-century resident of the Pewee Valley area, is also given special attention by the museum. All of the interpretive displays are of impressive design and each is presented in such a way as to maximize the limited space of the Victorian home. I was struck by the unexpected wealth of information and artifacts on display. Plan to spend upwards of an hour examining all of the interesting exhibits.

Printed word special exhibit

On our visit, the second floor of the museum was devoted to a special exhibit honoring the printed word. Extra space was devoted to the stories of Annie Johnston, with additional exhibits featuring various local history artifacts such as war-time letters and ephemera related to Louisville's Southern Exposition. Although the material was presented in a way that was quite "busy" (the museum staff once again packed a considerable amount of information into tight quarters), seeing it all was a treat.

Next to the museum is a restored 1840's house that is home to the society's administrative offices as well as what is, I am told, a rather extensive research library. I had no cause to look in on the library, but perhaps one of my research projects will one day lead me to examine what they have to offer.

Honestly speaking, I was not expecting much given what are often the limited resources available to local history museums. Needless to say, I was significantly impressed by the Oldham County History Center and certainly recommend a visit to any history-loving visitors to La Grange. There is no admission fee, though donations are accepted - and I would encourage you to help keep this little gem in operation.

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