Greensburg, Kentucky, (population 2,396), located on the Green River in south-central Kentucky, was founded in 1794. The second Green County Courthouse was built in Greensburg in 1802 and stayed in use until 1931. Today, it is the oldest surviving courthouse in Kentucky and the oldest courthouse west of the Allegheny Mountains.
The stationary footbridge built in 1928 provides access from the town square to a lower lying area of Greensburg. The footbridge is 445 feet long, 40 feet high, and is still in use today. Downtown Greensburg is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district and includes early stone buildings, a log house, and early brick commercial buildings arranged around a public square.
The Green County Historical Society hosts the Glovers Station Rendezvous, a weekend event that features living history camps along the Green River. Trading booths allow individuals the opportunity to see items from the early pioneer days through the Civil War era, while campsites offer a glimpse into pioneer life in early Kentucky. The Native American gathering allows individuals to experience arts, crafts, and music. The event is designed to allow individuals a glimpse into the past, through music, arts, performances, and reenactments.
Greensburg has worked with the Nature Conservancy, the Green County Conservation District, the Cumberland-Green Lakes Resource Conservation and Development District, local businesses, and citizens on an environmental education project about the Green River. The city provides the Nature Conservancy with the historic Greensburg Water Plant complex (1936) to use as an information center and museum about the Green River, “the fourth most-biologically diverse river in the world.” The building and an adjacent water tank also feature a lively mural of the river entitled, “The River Runs Through It,” by a local artist.
The Cow Days festival is an annual event that originated during the Great Depression. Local merchants would give customers tickets for a drawing for a cow, a significant award for the period. The event was revived by the Greensburg Rotary Club in 1973, including the commissioning of a life-size fiberglass Holstein named “Annie.” Today, “Annie” serves as the symbol of Cow Days, allowing children to milk the cow to get a free beverage. Cow Days occurs in historic downtown Greensburg and is an opportunity for individuals to experience the history of Greensburg.
Designated a Preserve America Community in April 2004.