Henry County, Kentucky

Henry County [†] is situated in the north central portion of the State and is composed of rich undulating farmland. Its eastern boundary is formed by the Kentucky River and the northern boundary is about twelve miles south of the Ohio River. The county, named after the renowned Virginia statesman and orator, Patrick Henry, was established in 1798 out of Shelby County. In 1823 and 1836 Oldham and Trimble Counties were formed out of parts of Henry.

The first Henry County Courthouse was built in New Castle in 1799, near the present site of the courthouse. It was a frame structure consisting of four or five rooms in a row with a jail attached. The original structure was replaced in 1804. It was not until 1817, however, that the town of New Castle, the county seat, was incorporated. New Castle was ideally located in the center of the county at the intersection of all the major routes that traverse the county.

† Mary Ctonan Oppel, Historian; Walter E. Langsam, Architectural Historian, Kentucky Heritage Commission, Henry County Courthouse, nomination document, 1976, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.