Woodford County to celebrate 150th anniversary of Huntertown Community

VERSAILLES, Ky. (Press Release) – August 28 and 29 mark a historic weekend as Woodford
County commemorates the 150th Anniversary of the Huntertown Community with the opening of new public park designed to interpret the African American hamlet that once stood on the 38-acre park site.

The Huntertown Community Interpretive Park will officially open to the public on Saturday,
August 28 at 10:00 am with a celebration honoring the deep roots of Huntertown, a community settled by formerly enslaved men and women in 1871. The program, designed to share Huntertown’s rich history, includes presentations by Robert Bell, U.S. Colored Troop Civil War reenactor; Dr. George C. Wright, noted author and African American history scholar from the University of Kentucky; Bryan Kennedy, WTVQ Sports Anchor; and Huntertown descendant Desiree Jackson, author and spoken word poet.

A Kentucky Historical Marker honoring the Huntertown Community will also be unveiled on Saturday morning, followed by a free community picnic and historic tours of the park.

On Sunday, August 29, the Huntertown 150th Anniversary Community Worship Service will begin at 9:00 am, featuring pastors and musicians from Simpson Chapel, St. Paul AME Church and First Baptist Church in Versailles. Two former Huntertown residents will return to take part in the service: Rev. Larry Weathers, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Gadsden, AL and Elder Diana McDonald from Emmanuel Apostolic Church of Zion in Lexington, KY.

“This park will be a treasure for the entire community,” said Woodford County Magistrate Larry Blackford, a member of the planning committee. “We are excited to welcome former Huntertown residents and their descendants back home for this historic weekend, and we hope all of Woodford County will join in the celebration.”

The weekend events are open to the public, and all are welcome to attend. Huntertown Community Interpretive Park is located at 1546 Huntertown Road in Versailles, KY and is part of the Versailles-Woodford County Parks and Recreation Department. All events are outdoors, and will strictly follow Federal, State and Local Covid-19 protocols to ensure a safe event for all to attend. Social distancing and masks are recommended and encouraged.

The Kentucky Historical Marker Program, administered by KHS in cooperation with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, tells Kentucky’s story through on-the-spot history lessons that connect the history, communities and items housed in the Commonwealth’s many historical organizations. The program makes Kentucky’s history accessible to the public not just on markers along the state’s roadways, but also online at www.history.ky.gov/markers and via the Explore Kentucky History smartphone application available free at iTunes and Google Play.