Bardstown dates to 1770, and 27 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #20 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
Most of Bardstown was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1985. 27 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 274 buildings between them. Below: 16 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Bardstown’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bardstown is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #20 of 142 in Kentucky. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bardstown’s overall grade.
Kentucky towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kentucky town has 29.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bardstown’s 227 sits above most of its state (83% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 314 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1770.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A+. The pre-1940 share (±2.3 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Bardstown’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
First settled in 1780, Bardstown is among the oldest cities in Kentucky. That year, the Old Talbott Tavern was built, a year before the settlement of Salem (later renamed Bardstown) began, making it the "oldest western stagecoach stop" still in operation. Named county seat of the newly created Nelson County, Virginia (now Kentucky) in 1784, the town was formally established in 1788. It was incorporated by the state assembly in 1838.
Passages that mention Bardstown, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Sketches of the early Catholic missions of Kentucky1844Read the page →
Read the text
They reached the new country some time in the year 1785 ; and located themselves chiefly on Pottinger's Creek, at the distance of from ten to fifteen miles from Bardstown. A few of them, however, settled in the more immediate vicinity of Bardstown. The selection of Pottinger's Creek as the location of the new Catholic colony, was unfortunate. The land was poor, and the situa-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Sketches of the early Catholic missions of Kentucky1844Read the page →
Read the text
the great body of the Catholics had located themselves in the vicinity of Bardstown, he too removed thither, in order to enjoy the blessings of his religion. He purchased a farm about a mile from Bardstown, embracing the site of the present burial-ground of St. Joseph's congregation. It was he who made a present to the church of this lot of ground, upon which old St. Joseph's church
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Bardstown, 1770 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bardstown. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1953Bardstown sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bardstown.
Every building
Bardstown, building by building, 1886–1910
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
In 1770, according to Wikidata. Bardstown’s post office opened in 1794, and the first U.S. census counted 216 people here in 1790.
How does Bardstown rank for history?
Bardstown is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #20 of 142 in Kentucky. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Bardstown?
27 listings: 21 buildings, among them the My Old Kentucky Home (listed 1971, the first), 4 historic districts with 274 contributing buildings, 1 structure, and 1 object. 314 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Bardstown?
6% of Bardstown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.3 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1985.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the Library of Congress (10), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (27), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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