Program

Historic Transportation

Subject

Site, Transportation

Location

766 E Main St, Scottsville, KY 42164, USA

Lat/Long

36.7527197, -86.1817165

Grant Recipient

City of Scottsville Historic Preservation Commission

Chartered in 1885, the Chesapeake & Nashville (C&N) Railroad ran from Gallatin, Tennessee to Scottsville, Kentucky, approximately 35 miles. By January 1887, the line was completed, and a combined freight and two-story passenger depot had been built in Scottsville. The January 26, 1887 Courier-Journal, a paper published out of Louisville, Kentucky, noted that “Scottsville, in consequence of railroad facilities, is on a boom, and buildings are going up rapidly.” The railroad provided the growing community with passenger and freight services, impacting the local businesses and agriculture, as well as providing a new means of travel through the area.

In 1905, the C&N Railroad was acquired by the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Railroad. The L&N continued passenger service until 1953. After passenger service ceased, the two-story passenger portion of the depot was removed. Freight service continued until the railroad was abandoned in 1977. The tracks were removed shortly after.

In 2001, the remaining freight depot in Scottsville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The community has undertaken a restoration project for the structure, with the goal of rebuilding the original 2-story passenger portion of the depot, along with creating a railroad history museum and a community event space. In February 2025, the Laura G. Turner Charitable Foundation provided a $375,000 grant in support of the project. The necessary remaining funds to save and restore this important reminder of transportation and local history are being raised through community donations.