Shelbyville (population 10,085), the seat of Shelby County, was founded in 1792 and was located on one of the main pioneer routes through the wilderness.
As today's center of Kentucky's saddle horse industry Shelbyville's historic downtown is the hub of the rural farming community of Shelby County, located between the larger cities of Louisville and Frankfort.
The picturesque streets are lined with renovated storefronts, quaint cafes, and antique and specialty shops. The tree-lined streets and brick-paved walkways are highlighted by late-Victorian-style buildings, many of which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
A downtown focal point is the world-renowned Wakefield-Scearce Galleries in the historic Science Hill buildings (circa 1790 and a well-known girl's school in the 19th and early 20th centuries).
Shelbyville, billed as the American Saddlebred Horse Capital of the World, hosts the annual Shelbyville horse show jubilee that attracts participants and tourists from all over the country.
Designated a Preserve America Community in April 2004.