Georgetown is a community rich in history, tradition and culture. Yet this fast growing city in the heart of the Bluegrass is also at the center of all that is new and exciting about Kentucky. Georgetown’s founding in 1776, originally as McClelland’s Fort, makes it one of the oldest communities in the state. The 2010 World Equestrian Games, hosted at the nearby Kentucky Horse Park, put the community at the forefront of what is happening today in Kentucky’s signature industry, the Horse Industry. Unique among the oldest towns in Kentucky, Georgetown has managed to maintain a near perfect blending of the old and new. A town so steeped in history is also the home of one of the largest auto manufacturing plants in north America, Toyota Manufacturing. And as rich as the city is with history, the presence of Toyota and Georgetown College also add a level of diversity not seen in many communities of this size anywhere in the nation.
Among the many historical attractions of the city are the Georgetown-Scott County Museum, located in an old US Post Office; the Georgetown Cemetary, burial place of equine artist Eward Troye and several Kentucky Governors; the Scott County Courthouse, the county’s fourth seat of government built in 1877 in the Second Empire or “General Grant” style; Ward Hall, an antebellum mansion said to be the largest example of Greek Revival Architecture in Kentucky; the Cardome Center, formally a monastery building designed for the Sisters of the Visitation in 1898, and St Francis Catholic Church, the oldest church of the Diocese of Covington and originally built in 1794. The many historical sites host a number of events, festivals and meetings each year and serve the community by retaining our ties to the past and bringing history alive for future generations.
A walking tour of downtown Georgetown is like taking a walk through history as so much of the city’s original architecture remains. Over 300 buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include Georgetown College, established in 1787 as the oldest Baptist College west of the Alleghenies, but still a vibrant and active education institution today. You can see major art exhibits at one of Central Kentucky’s largest galleries, the Anne Wright Fine Arts building which is located on the Georgetown College campus. Be careful as you tour the downtown area – you just may come upon one of the many festivals and event hosted along main street. No one does it better than Georgetown, from the annual Festival of the Horse to the Christmas Parade, all of Georgetown turns out for the party.
Georgetown offers many entertainment and shopping venues. You can visit our Yuko-En on the Elkhorn, the official Kentucky-Japan Friendship Garden. Or take a canoe trip down the Elkhorn Creek (larger than most rivers, but classified as a creek due to its short length). Or enjoy a day of fishing at one of the area streams. If golf is your thing, you will be hard pressed to find a community with more facilities for a relaxing day on the course. And if you enjoy watching good basketball or football, Georgetown is the place to be. Georgetown College is a perennial powerhouse at the Collegiate NAIA level, and the city hosts the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL each year for their training camp.
Georgetown became a center of manufacturing in the 1985 when Toyota selected the community as the location for its largest North American manufacturing facility. The plant employs over 7,000 workers from all over central Kentucky, and produces more than 500,000 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Venza and Avalon models each year. The presence of such a large manufacturing facility has provided opportunity and encouragement for numerous related businesses to locate in Georgetown and the surrounding communities.
Not only is Georgetown blessed with its rich heritage expressed in the architecture that makes up the downtown area, but the surrounding Scott County is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the state in the form of horse farms. The 2010 World Equestrian Games gave the city the opportunity to spotlight its role in the state’s signature horse industry.
Whether you are coming for a visit or considering a move, you will find all you could want and more in the community that is Georgetown.