Timeline story
New Castle, Henry County Seat
When the General Assembly cut Henry County from Shelby County in 1798 and named it for Virginia’s Patrick Henry, New Castle was fixed as the seat—just north of Shelby County, inside the Louisville–Lexington–Cincinnati triangle.
Landowners opened a courthouse square; the town was incorporated in 1817 and is counted among Kentucky’s oldest incorporated communities. Tobacco, hay, and cattle long carried the surrounding farms, and the courthouse square still anchors a preserved downtown.
The 1863 Caplinger House, built by druggist James N. Caplinger, was the Henry County History Center until it was sold in 2017 and became a private residence.
Caplinger House update: https://www.history.henrycountyky.com/caplinger.html (opens in a new tab)
Cite this story
Published . Last revised .
Chicago
Snowden, Shannon. "New Castle, Henry County Seat." Kentucky History Drive. Published September 30, 2026. Last revised October 26, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/new-castle-henry-county-seat/.
MLA
Snowden, Shannon. "New Castle, Henry County Seat." Kentucky History Drive, published 30 Sept. 2026, last revised 26 Oct. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/new-castle-henry-county-seat/.
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