Henry County History Society

Hello Fellow Members of the HCHS:

We look forward to seeing all of you at the open house at HCHS center in New Castle on Friday December 4th from 4-8 p.m. This event will be taking place at the same time as Light Up New Castle. This should be a great time to see old friends, enjoy the festivities, and take a brisk stroll to enjoy the holiday celebration. You can also rejuvenate at the history center with Christmas delicacies and a warm beverage.

The nominating committee has selected candidates for the board and also for secretary of the society. Members are encouraged to vote at the open house.

Thanks to all of your for your support this year as well as your continued efforts with the HCHS. We encourage all of you to stay involved or become more active in the society.

May the blessings of the Christmas season be with you and your family. We look forward to your participation, guidance and friendship in 2010! The first board meeting is January 11th at 7 p.m. We hope to see as many of you there as possible to help start the new year.

Peace,
Jim Kleinert, President

Dear Henry County Historical Society Member,

As many of you are undoubtedly aware, each year we hold a Gala Event in order to raise funds for the Historical Society. This will be our fourth year. This is the only fundraiser that we hold each year and the only time we ask the membership for money, beyond dues or catered meal costs at programs. In order for the Gala to succeed, we must have wide-spread membership support. This year our Gala will be held March 21,2009 at Smith-Berry Winery. We are pursuing an Evening in Italy theme. As always, members have the first chance at tickets and we are hopeful that as in every past year, we will sell out. Please be watching in January for your notice that tickets are available. Tickets will, once again, be $65.00. We are keeping the price the same, in spite of rising food and entertainment costs, to appeal to the widest number of our members. However, this year tickets are non-refundable.

Carla Gerding and husband John
Historical Society Vice President Carla Gerding & husband John
at the 2008 Henry County Historical Society Gala held at the Smith-Berry Winery.
More Photos submitted by Robert Winburn.

We have a special appeal this year. The Gala Committee and Board Members of past year's Galas have been heavily involved in the procurement and donation of items for our auction. We cannot continually rely on these few members to subsidize the event. If you have not donated to our Gala, please consider doing so. We need a variety of items, at all price points. Oftentimes, we select beautiful small items and group them in a similarly-themed basket. If you have nothing with which you can part, then consider a monetary donation to help us fill out our offerings. As always, monetary or auction item donations are tax-deductible and we are happy to provide a receipt. Additionally, we are always happy to answer questions regarding appropriate items and can arrange to pick an item up if necessary. Please do not hesitate to call 845-0999 if you need assistance.

We truly believe we have the most devoted, supportive membership in the entire region and are continually working to provide topical, entertaining programming and opportunities. We encourage all our members to stop by the Caplinger House, attend one of our free programs, or come celebrate with us in March!

Thank you,

Elizabeth Howard, Past President
Henry County Historical Society

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the creation of Henry County the Henry County Historical Society has purchased THE CAPLINGER HOUSE in the county seat, New Castle. The house will be used as a museum/genealogical/educational resource center. The idea for this project started in 1993. At that time the society decided to publish a new history of Henry County with the proceeds from the sale to be our seed money for the purchase of a building. "Henry County, Kentucky 1798-1995" was published in 1995. Only one thousand copies were printed.

The proceeds from the sale of the history book Henry County, Kentucky 1798-1995, the Henry County Cemeteries and some very generous donations enabled us to purchase the house in July of 1997. Renovations continue as we are now open to the public five days a week, two hours a day. An architect and an historic preservation consultant, both teachers at the College of Architecture at the University of Kentucky, are assisting with our preservation plan. The plans will include a long-term maintenance plan, blueprint drawings and a rendering of what the house should like when completed.
The Smithfield Garden Club was instrumental in providing new plantings for the front porch area of the house and also two specimen shrubs for the lawn. More plantings are planned.

As we all know, renovations are very costly. We have had some folks step forward and offer their services for free or at a lower cost, but we are still in need of funds for renovation as well as decorating and furnishing the building.