Shively dates to 1938, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 19% of U.S. towns · #119 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
Most of Shively was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1958. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1912 on, and the census since 1940.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Shively is more historic than 19% of U.S. towns, #119 of 142 in Kentucky. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Shively’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 Shively’s 1.9 sits below most of its state (26% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1938.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share (±2.7 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 Shively’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
After Louisville was founded at the Falls of the Ohio in 1778, farms spread out into the nearby countryside. Early landowners included Col. William Pope, Maj. Abner Field, and the Shivelys, Christian William and Jacob. Christian opened a mill and tavern on his 1,000-acre (400 ha) tract near Mill Creek and the road connecting Louisville to the Salt River. (The road would later be incorporated as the Louisville and Nashville Turnpike.) The buildings became the focus of a settlement known as the "Shively precinct".
In 1816, Christian donated the land for a church that is today known as Parkview Methodist.
A stagecoach stop was opened in 1831. The Elizabethtown and Paducah Railroad arrived in the 1870s.
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.
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.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Heatherfield
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Shively
Louisville Memorial ParkStowers
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Shively’s history
What year was Shively founded?
In 1938, according to Wikidata. the census of 1940 counted 1,273 people here.
How does Shively rank for history?
Shively is more historic than 19% of U.S. towns, #119 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 Shively?
Two places: the Clover Hill (listed 1978) and the Wade-Braden District (2024).
How old are the homes in Shively?
5% of Shively’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.7 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1958.
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 (3), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
2006
