Buechel Terrace Neighborhood Association

A History of the Buechel Area, Part I

Jun 26, 2008

One of the first settlers in the Buechel area was George Hikes. That was around 1790. Hikes built a stone house on a spot close to where St. Michael?’s Orthodox Church stands today. It?’s believed that Hikes Lane was the driveway to that old house, which burned down long ago. George Hikes was most famous for building the first sawmill in this area.

According to an old history, Buechel looked like this in those times. ?“Buffaloes are still numerous. Bears are plentiful, and as they made visits up and down Beargrass Creek would occasionally pounce upon a hog. Wildcats and panthers often exhibited their fondness for young pigs, and it was difficult to preserve sheep from their ravages.?”

For a long time, this area was called the Two Mile Precinct because it began about two miles from Louisville. There were mostly pastures and farms here at that time. Potatoes were probably the most important crop. Two other nearby roads named for early settlers are Hunsinger Lane and Fegenbush Lane.

The Buechel area got its name in the 1870s when John Buechel bought a hotel and tavern on Bardstown Road, just south of present-day Buechel Bank Road, and established a post office. This was a popular stop between Louisville and Bardstown most famous for its fried chicken, roast beef sandwiches, and chili. The old building lasted until 1983 when it was demolished to make space for another business.

In 1909, Charles Scoggan established the Bank of Buechel which primarily handled the deposits and loans of the local potato farmers.

Buechel?’s business district developed in the 1920s and 1930s along that part of Bardstown Road known today as old Bardstown Road. There were grocery stores, hardware stores, drug stores, and barber shops. Local residents called it ?“the Miracle Mile.?” Many people still remember Fanelli's Ice Cream store, a very popular meeting place in the summer. The Buechel By-pass relieved traffic congestion in the area in the 1950s.

It?’s said that hunting was still popular in the nearby fields and wooded areas during much of this time. Red foxes and squirrels were plentiful. There were many sinkholes inhabited by skunks. Many of the children found Indian arrowheads.