Griffytown
Middletown, Jefferson County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Griffytown. The Louisville and Frankfort Shortline railroad, which arrived in eastern Jefferson County through Hobbs Station (now Anchorage) in 1848, created a cluster of communities which would be known as Anchorage, Berrytown, and Griffytown. Presented by Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee, Inc. (Reverse) Griffytown - Local tradition holds that, in 1879, freedman Dan Griffith bought the cabin of early Middletown settler Minor White from his family. He moved the cabin to Old Harrod's Creek Road, founding the settlement known today as Griffytown (originally spelled Griffeytown). Cabin burned, 1956. Presented by Louisville and Jefferson County African American Heritage Committee, Inc.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
When the Louisville and Frankfort Shortline railroad reached eastern Jefferson County in 1848, it seeded a cluster of communities—Anchorage, Berrytown, and Griffytown. Local tradition holds that in 1879 the freedman Dan Griffith bought an early settler's cabin, moved it to Old Harrod's Creek Road, and founded the settlement that still bears his name. The original cabin stood until it burned in 1956.
Why it matters
Griffytown is one of the freedmen's hamlets that African Americans built for themselves after emancipation, tangible evidence of Black community-making in the decades after the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Dan Griffith
- · Minor White
Themes & tags
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