Hurstbourne dates to 1982, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 12% of U.S. towns · #128 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
Most of Hurstbourne was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1977. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 4 buildings. Below: maps from 1907 on and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hurstbourne is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #128 of 142 in Kentucky. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hurstbourne’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 Hurstbourne’s 25.5 sits near the middle of its state (47% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 12 historic buildings outnumber those of 77% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1982.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 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 Hurstbourne’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The land of the present city was part of a military grant to Henry Harrison. It was surveyed by John Floyd in 1774 and first settled by Maj. William Linn, who erected Linn's Station along Beargrass Creek in 1779. It was probably located along the east side of what is now Hurstbourne Parkway and at the time formed a part of the road from the Falls of the Ohio to Fort Harrod. The victims of the 1781 Long Run Massacre were on their way to this site from Squire Boone's Station when they were attacked by Indians and British soldiers. Finding their claim to the land's title questionable, Linn's heirs abandoned the site in the 1790s.
In 1982, according to Wikidata. the census of 1990 counted 4,420 people here.
How does Hurstbourne rank for history?
Hurstbourne is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #128 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 Hurstbourne?
Three places: the Soldiers Retreat (listed 1983), the Lynnford-Lyndon Hall (1985) and the Lyndon Cottage (1990).
How old are the homes in Hurstbourne?
0.0% of Hurstbourne’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1977.
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 the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
