Located just nine miles south of Elizabethtown,¹ in Hardin County, KY, is one of Kentucky’s charming, small, unincorporated towns. Each town has its own history, and Glendale, KY, is no different. It hasn’t always been known as Glendale, however. Instead, this small farming community began as Walker’s Station. Walker’s Station was named for Lewis Berry Walker,² who started a country store in the area sometime before 1859.

Lewis Berry Walker (1797 – 1877)

Lewis B. Walker was born on October 28, 1797, to Mareen Duvall Walker (1758–1845) and Anne Berry (1767–1830), in Nelson County, KY. The Walkers were from Colonial Maryland and Pennsylvania

Mareen Duvall Walker’s father (Lewis’s grandfather) was Gideon Walker, a Revolutionary War Patriot, who served “under Captain Andrew Linn from the winter of 1781 in Westmoreland Co., [PA], to the conclusion of the War in September 1783.”³

“In November 1793, Gideon Walker and family travel by flatboat up the Monongahela River to Pittsburgh, PA and descend the Ohio River to the Falls in Louisville, KY… He moved to Kentucky as a result of the taxation by the Federal Government which led to the Whiskey Rebellion. [Gideon was a whiskey distiller.] … Gideon Walker and family move to Nelson Co., Kentucky in 1795; they are joined by Mareen Duvall Walker and family.”

Family Search

That’s how the Walkers came to Kentucky, leading to Lewis Berry Walker’s birth in Nelson County, KY. In 1820, Lewis appeared on the Hardin County U.S. Census, and on March 8, 1825, he married Susannah Bland in Nelson County, KY.⁴ According to tax and census records, Lewis and Susannah lived in Spencer County, KY, from roughly 1825 to at least 1830. The Walkers were in Hardin County by 1835. Sadly, it was on September 14 of that year that Susannah passed away. According to the Bullitt County GenWeb site, she was buried in the Red Mills Cemetery in Hardin County.

Lewis Walker remarried on February 10, 1837. He married Sarah Rosson in Meade County, KY.

In 1840, Lewis was in Hardin County with 5 possible children (the 1840 census only uses tally or hash marks) and 2 enslaved individuals.⁵

In the 1850 U.S. Census, Walker was again in Hardin County.⁶ The 1850 census actually lists Walker as a farmer and names those within the household. Sarah was listed as his wife, and there were 5 children in the home: Martin A. Walker – age 19 (first marriage); Thomas B. Walker – age 16 (first marriage); Ellen Walker – age 9; Susan Walker – age 7; and Lewis T. Walker – age 5. (Lewis and his first wife, Susannah, also had a daughter together, Eliza Ann Walker. She was born in 1828. She married William Richardson on April 25, 1850.)

In the 1860 U.S. Census, Walker was listed in Glendale, KY, as a farmer and merchant. Sarah was listed as his wife, with Sarah [Ellen] Walker (age 19), Susan Walker (age 17), and Lewis Walker (age 14) listed as children within the household.

Walker’s Station becomes Glendale

You know I love to write about our Revolutionary War forts/stations. That’s not the type of station we are discussing this time, however. Instead, this station was a train station. When Lewis Walker arrived in the area we now know as Glendale, he opened a general store. The small farming community grew up around Walker’s store, becoming “an important farm trade center.”⁷

“The settlers came. They felled the giant oaks and the poplars and built log cabins snf barns and schools and churches. They cleared the woods and planted the cleared fields and raised corn and hay and tobacco abundantly. And they prospered, for the soil was fertile and easy to till. They built bigger barns, and tore down their log cabins and built hiuses. Then someone built a store, and then a blacksmith shop, and a shopping-center was established.

The Dixie Turnpike was built and about 1855 the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company laid its tracks and built its station. Glendale was now a thriving village as well as an agriculture center.”

Watts Franklin⁸

On March 2, 1859,⁹ Lewis Walker was appointed postmaster of the newly established local post office. The post office was named for the recently built railroad station which had received the name of Glendale. It is believed it “had been named for the Ohio hometown of one of the L&N’ s engineers.”¹⁰

Moving into the 1900s

By the early 1900s, Glendale was reflecting “the general prosperity of the surrounding farming region.”¹¹ Most of the commercial and residential buildings were constructed between 1903 and 1920. (A fire destroyed several businesses in 1916, and they were rebuilt shortly after.) In 1903, the Glendale Bank opened in a two-story brick building constructed along Main Street. A lumber, grain, and telephone company opened to serve the town and the area farmers. Glendale boasted 125 residents in 1914.¹²

As you can imagine, the Great Depression of the 1930s negatively impacted Glendale. However, Glendale had already begun a decline leading up to the 30s.

“Farm prices beagn a general decline in the 1920s and commercial activity in Glendale began to wane. In the summer of 1923 the Glendale Bank was closed due to the embezzlement of funds by its president. This caused the bankruptcy of many residents and hastened the decline of the community. Passenger traffic on the L&N declined throughout these years and the railroad closed its Glendale station in the 1930s.”

Historic District Summary Form

While Glendale pretty much fell off the map for a few decades, the community began experiencing new prosperity in the 1970s when shops and restaurants began opening to cater to the I-75 interstate traffic.

Thankfully, very little has changed in the appearance of Glendale’s Main Street since the 1920s. Glendale Historic District is “the most intact historic small community” in Hardin County, featuring a “significant collection of early 20th-century commercial and residential” buildings. “The shops and stores are visible reminders of the influence of the railroad and the historic prosperity of the community.”¹³

Then & Now

While the appearances of the buildings on Main Street haven’t changed much since the 1920s, the businesses within those buildings have definitely changed over the last 120+ years. We’ll now take a look at the businesses that fill the historic buildings within Glendale’s Historic Downtown District. Many of these spaces have been many different types of businesses over the years, so I’ll just cover what the building was originally and what it is today. Let’s take a look!

The Mail House / T & T Hat Co.

Today’s T & T Hat Co. calls this c. 1901 Mail House home. I had never heard of a Mail House before! Talking with Caitlyn, the current owner, I realized it was basically what we know as a post office today.

Mail Houses were built within small towns along the railroad track. As the train passed slowly through town, the person in charge of mail on the train would throw out a large bag of mail for the postmaster to pick up. For outgoing mail, the postmaster would hang a mailbag on a mail hook, located next to the train tracks, before the train’s scheduled arrival. The catcher pouch was grabbed by a mechanical arm just as the train passed by. This was known as “mail on the fly”¹⁴ because the train could deliver and receive mail without stopping.

Today, this charming little building is home to a specialty hat shop and custom hat bar where you can special order a customized, handmade hat, or purchase one off the shelf. Caitlyn uses her love of working with her hands and her incredible creativity to bring customers’ visions to life. Each hat she crafts becomes a one-of-a-kind beauty.

The T & T Hat Co., located in Glendale’s 1901 Mail House / Photos Property of KHT

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The Glendale Bank / Mary’s Market on Main

Today’s Mary’s Market on Main calls the c. 1903 Glendale Bank its home. This two-story brick commercial building is “unusually intact” with its original wood and frame double doors, transoms, and flanking display windows.

“In 1903, a bank was established by the Davis family of Cave City, KY. The Glendale Banking Company opened the doors of its new building in Glendale on June 6, 1903.”¹⁵ Just a short 20 years later, in 1923, the banking authorities were forced to close the bank due to embezzlement by its president.

Today, this colorful brick beauty is home to a gift shop full of local and U.S.A. made products. Mary’s Market on Main stocks products from 50+ American businesses. Just a few examples are Elk Creek Soapery (from New Haven, KY), Homestead Hound Treat Co. (from Bardstown, KY), and Saleigh Mountain Co., LLC (from Hermann, Missouri).

Made in the U.S.A. products at Mary’s Market on Main / Photo credit: Mary’s Market FB Page

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Hardy’s Grocery / The Mercantile

Today, The Mercantile calls this c. 1917 building its home. While the building was built in the early 1900s, the business most locals know it for didn’t open until the mid-1900s.

T.F. Hardy bought the building in 1952 and opened Hardy’s Grocery. It became a local hangout, a popular stop for students before and after school. Continuously owned and operated by three generations of Hardy family members, Hardy’s Grocery became a Glendale staple until sometime in the late 1980s. It was then that the business passed out of family hands and became today’s Mercantile.

The Mercantile is fantastic for unique vintage finds and vintage architectural details. / Photos property of KHT

Today, this Glendale staple is always decked out for the season! In addition to seasonal decor, you’ll also find the store packed full with “unique Women’s clothing, jewelry, soap, books, vintage, antiques, and “Man-tiques”.”¹⁶

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The Livery / Glendale Antique Mall

The Glendale Antique Mall calls this 1800s building home. While I couldn’t find anything on the history of this building, the current owner informed me that this was the original Livery for the town. The main entrance, which faced the railroad track at the time, was wide enough to pull your horse and wagon into the building. She also explained that there used to be a well within the Livery where the horses would be “watered.” Today, there is a cover over the well that looks like a lift hatch to a hidey-hole. Original beams can still be seen here-and-there throughout the space. As you walk through the store, you will be very aware of the waviness of the flooring, which to me points to the age of the building and the fact that it wasn’t built to be a sturdy home. It was built to care for horses.

Top and Bottom Far Right: Original support beams. Bottom Three on Left: Flooring throughout the store. / Photos property of KHT

Sometime in the 1970s, a man named Sonny Hatfield owned the property, running it as an antique mall. (You’ll read more about him shortly.) He had acquired several log cabins that he disassembled from their original locations throughout Kentucky, had them transported to Glendale, and reassembled them on site.

One of those log cabins was assembled at the antique mall. The story is that the couple who owned the cabin wouldn’t move out until they passed away, but they sold it to Sonny beforehand. The cabin was moved to Glendale, and the couple moved with it. They lived in the cabin until their last days. Once the couple passed away, the cabin was attached to the antique mall with a breezeway, and the space became part of the mall.

The Breezeway and Interior of the Log Cabin / Photos property of KHT

Today, the Glendale Antiques Mall is one of the area’s largest antique furniture dealers. You’ll find multiple vendors with collectibles, crafts, glassware, and Derby items. You’ll also find historic architectural features throughout; you just have to look!

Original wood features / Photos property of KHT

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Glendale Hardware / The Whistle Stop

Today’s Whistle Stop Restaurant calls this c. 1917 two-story building home. Originally, the building on this exact spot was built prior to 1916 and held the Hatfield and Van Meter Store. That store was one of the buildings destroyed by the 1916 fire. The current building was rebuilt around 1917. The building functioned as several types of businesses over the years, including a grocery store with a pool hall and phone switchboard upstairs.

Sometime before 1965, James Idell purchased the property and opened the Glendale Hardware store.¹⁷ In 1975, James’s wife, Idell, jumped in on the business by adding a small sandwich shop inside of the hardware store.

“On April 30, 1975, Idell Sego made her dream a reality when she opened a sandwich shop seating 20 people in her husband’s hardware store. With little experience, but a great love for homemade food and entertaining, the country restaurant grew. By 1979, they sold the hardware inventory to expand the restaurant which now seats 85 and 85 more in the upstairs dining room used for private parties.”

The Whistle Stop

The exterior and interior of The Whistle Stop Restaurant / Photos property of KHT

Also, sometime around the 1970s, a log cabin (acquired by Sonny Hatfield) was attached to The Whistle Stop Restaurant. The cabin now houses the restaurant’s gift shop. Upstairs, you’ll find a Christmas store where you can purchase Christmas-themed items all year long.

The Log Cabin Gift Shop at The Whistle Stop / Photos property of KHT

The restaurant has changed hands a few times over the years, but the priorities have remained the same – “to continue the traditions and use the original recipes that were handed down from the Segos so many years ago, as well as keeping ownership local and preserving the history of the restaurant.”¹⁸

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Goff Drug Store / Side Track Shops

Today’s Side Track Shops calls the c. 1917 Goff Drug Store building its home. While the building was once a drug store, it has also served as a saloon and various other types of stores over the years. You’ll find this eclectic store next door to The Whistle Stop Restaurant. Original architectural details can be found throughout the store, from the flooring to the front door hardware. All you have to do it look closely!

Interior of The Side Track Shops / Photos property of KHT

The Side Track Shops opened in the building in 1980, and it has been in continuous business for 46 years.

“The Side Track Shops has been owned an operated by Sheree Vance since 1980. A co-op of retailers, the shop features an eclective assortment of antiques featuring Shabby Chic, Garden Decor, Victorian Rose China, Old English Ironstone and pottery of all kinds.”

The Side Track Shops

Many great finds are around every corner at The Side Track Shops. / Photos property of KHT

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Personal Residence / Mountain Mike’s

In Glendale, even the personal residences are considered a part of the Historic District, with many of the homes being built in the late 1800s to early 1900s. While many of the houses are still homes to Glendale locals, some – like the home of Mountain Mike’s Coffee House – have become businesses.

This business does feel like home, though. When you enter, you’ll find community photos hanging on the walls, stacks of books on bookshelves, a partially completed puzzle on the table, cozy seating areas, and a display of locals’ travels. Mountain Mike’s is more than just a coffee shop; it’s a community hub, a place for locals and visitors alike to sit, socialize, and enjoy not only coffee but teas and breakfast items.

The interior of Mountain Mike’s makes you feel right at home. / Photos property of KHT

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Hardin “Sonny” Hatfield’s Home / Glendale Gardens

Sonny Hatfield was a Glendale community member and business owner who bought his home and 5 acres around 1972.¹⁹ What you see today is not the home Hatfield purchased. The home was originally just a few rooms dating to the 1930s. Upon purchase, Hatfield began adding on to his home, creating the unique, eclectic, and beautiful home you see today.

If you ask a local Glendalian about Sonny Hatfield, you’ll likely hear that he was instrumental in the revitalization of Glendale in the 1970s. Hatfield was a building contractor with a love of woodworking and a love of Glendale. Sometime in the 70s, he acquired several (at least 6) c. 1869 log cabins from other places in Kentucky. He had them disassembled (including their chimneys), delivered to Glendale, and then reassembled and preserved. One log cabin was added to the Glendale Antique Mall, which Hatfield owned at the time. Another was added to The Whistle Stop. A third was assembled and attached to two barns that had also been moved to create a business for his wife. (More on that next!)

The other cabins were moved to Hatfield’s property. He added one to the home, placed one a few feet from the home, and placed another on the hillside. He then added more spaces to the home, including a charming porch. He created ponds and beautiful gardens on the property, turning it and the house into a lovely, peaceful home for himself and his family.

The grounds of Glendale Gardens / Photos property of KHT

“On the back side of the property is a hill that used to have a tower with a beacon on it used by a small airport in Glendale during World War II… It was called Beacon Hill and there’s a lighting fixture in the home that illustrates the name.”

Becca Owsley²⁰

The Hatfields called this property home until the very end. Sonny’s wife, Marcella Disney Hatfield, died in 2007, and Sonny passed on February 16, 2011, in a tragic grass and barn fire on his property.

The current owners purchased the property in 2017 and turned it into a wedding venue and event space that opened in May 2018.

Two rooms of the original section of the home have now been transformed into a lovely Bride’s Suite where the bride and her ladies of honor can relax and get ready on the “big day.”

The log cabin added to the home now serves as the Groom’s Room where he and his gentlemen can relax and prepare for the day.

The remainder of the home is typically used by the owners for family visitors or their special guests. Original details can be found throughout the home that help tell the story of this unique and historic creation.

Historic architectural details can be found in every corner of this home. / All photos property of KHT

The barn on the top of the hill is now used as an event space for ceremonies, receptions, or parties. An outdoor space behind the barn is also available for ceremonies. Both spaces bring a unique, beautiful backdrop to a memorable day that will last a lifetime.

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Antique Shop / The Cabin at Glendale

The Cabin at Glendale is a home decor store focused on antiques and unique finds. This shop was built by Sonny Hatfield for his wife, Marcella. She wanted an antique store, so he moved two barns and a late 1800s log cabin onto this site. He connected the structures, creating a large, distinctive space. You’ll find exposed logs, tin ceiling tiles from the original Glendale train depot, and original flooring in this one-of-a-kind building.

The beautiful logs and unique character of The Cabin at Glendale / Photos property of KHT

Our Visit & Reflection

Glendale has been a favorite of ours for quite some time. When my daughter was little, we took her to The Whistle Stop for lunch with my parents. She thought it was magical, and the train passing by was fascinating to her. She also loved the antique stores with old gadgets and gizmos. We visited another time when she was a bit older, again for lunch at The Whistle Stop.

Just a few weeks ago, we made another visit. This time we were meeting with Shannon, the President of the Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association. We walked through the businesses, visiting with many of the owners. My daughter noted which stores she remembered visiting as a child and which were more of a blur. (Since our visit years ago, Mountain Mike’s, the T & T Hat Co., and Glendale Gardens have been added to the list of Glendale businesses.) Just like when she was little, she enjoyed perusing the antique gadgets and gizmos.

Each business deserves extra time to really look at each room, each shelf, and each item. There are so many great finds around each corner. And if you love history, which I know most of you do – I mean, why would you be reading this if you didn’t? – You must take the time to look for all the historic architectural features of these special buildings. Take a moment, too, to ask the business owners about the special history of their businesses. These ladies- yes, every owner I met with was a woman – are very proud of their town and extremely knowledgeable about the history of their specific building. I’m telling you, you will absolutely make their day if you ask them about the history of their town or building!

I highly recommend a day in Glendale. Start at the coffee shop, visit all the wonderful stores, and then finish the day at The Whistle Stop. You’ll love everything on the menu! I hear the desserts are to die for, but I’ve never had them. I’m always too full by the time dessert comes around.

Don’t forget to drive by Glendale Gardens. If you don’t drive to the other end of town, out by the church, you’ll miss seeing this exceptional home and grounds. It truly is a must-see!

Glendale Events – Great Chances to Visit!

Want to experience Glendale during a special event? The town is famous for the Glendale Crossing Festival, which takes place on October 17, 2026, from 8 AM to 5 PM. It’s not the only special event the town holds, though. Check out these additional happenings in Glendale!

• September 19, 2026: Celebrate Mary’s Market 2nd Anniversary from 12 PM to 6 PM, and enjoy T & T Hat Co’s Annual Hat Party from 3 PM to 7 PM.
• November 6 through 8, 2026: The Mercantile Holiday Open House (check their sites for times)
• November 21, 2026: Glendale’s 2nd Annual Indoor Holiday Market – held at The Old East Hardin School from 9 AM to 3 PM
• December 5, 2026: Christmas in the Country from 11 AM to 5 PM, and Glendale Home Tours from 5 PM to 8 PM

You can find additional details on all their events on the Historic Glendale Kentucky Facebook page.

I do hope you’ll take some time to visit the beautifully quaint and historic Glendale, KY! Make sure to tell the ladies hello from KHT!

Go on! Get out and see Kentucky! You’ll be happy you did.

Happy Travels!

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Resources

1. https://www.touretown.com/listing/glendale-historic-district/167/ ↩︎
2. https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1205&context=kentucky_county_histories ↩︎
3. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/memories/KFL6-3QD ↩︎
4. Dodd, Jordan, Comp., Kentucky Marriages to 1850. Electronic transcription of marriage records held by the individual counties in Kentucky, via Ancestry.com. ↩︎
5. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8057/images/4409447_00117?usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=1262076 ↩︎
6. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4192493_00225?usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=17183298 ↩︎
7. https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=rennick_ms_collection ↩︎
8. Franklin, Watts, Richards’s Poor Father’s Almanac Farmer’s Night, February 21, 1956, via Brawner & Bell, Glimpses and Gleanings of Glendale, October 2005 ↩︎
9. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1932/images/30439_065431-00153?usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&pId=315362 ↩︎
10. https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1205&context=kentucky_county_histories ↩︎
11. “Glendale Historic District,” Multiple Nomination Historic District Summary Form, August 26, 1988 ↩︎
12. “Glendale Historic District,” Multiple Nomination Historic District Summary Form, August 26, 1988 ↩︎
13. “Glendale Historic District,” Multiple Nomination Historic District Summary Form, August 26, 1988 ↩︎
14. https://postalmuseum.si.edu/museum-highlight/mail-crane ↩︎
15. Winstead, Guy, “History of Glendale: Part 6,” Hardin County Independent, August 5, 1993 ↩︎
16. https://www.facebook.com/MercantileInGlendaleKY/ ↩︎
17. https://www.kentuckyliving.com/explore/worth-the-trip/big-on-delicious ↩︎
18. https://whistlestopky.com/about-us ↩︎
19. Owsley, Becca, “Sonny’s Labor of Love,” The News Enterprise, April – May 2017 ↩︎
20. Owsley, Becca, “Sonny’s Labor of Love,” The News Enterprise, April – May 2017 ↩︎