St. Matthews

St. Matthews History

The land now called St. Matthews was officially settled in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War. Colonel James John Floyd from Virginia settled the area. After surveying the Jefferson County area, he bought 2000 acres of land in 1774. He then arrived in November of 1779, bringing several of his family members. They built a stockade area and several cabins, in a place which would eventually come to be called Floyd’s Station. It is located along the middle fork of the Beargrass Creek near today’s Breckenridge Ln. in St. Matthews.

The Louisville and Lexington Turnpike was a stagecoach route connecting the eastern part of the state to the Ohio River and is known today as Shelbyville Rd and Frankfort Ave. Paralleling that, the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad was completed in 1849 when the area had already become known as Gilmans’s Point, being named for the tavern owner. The area’s first post office was opened in 1851 and image-conscious residents decided to name the community after the Episcopal church, established there in 1839.

The area was farmland until 1893 when the first subdivision was planned. In 1901 the interurban train connected St. Matthews and Louisville, while the area was well known for its cockfighting establishments and potato farms. The St. Matthews Potato Exchange located on the rail line was the second largest potato shipper in the nation before it closed in 1946.

Housing booms in the 1920s, and after the 1937 flood, brought a new type of suburban shopping to the area. In the three decades between 1940 and 1970 a large business district developed along Lexington and Shelbyville Rds. and Frankfort Ave. to serve the expanding suburbs.

The St. Matthews community developed around the intersection of what are now Breckenridge Lane, Shelbyville Road, and Westport Road

Today, St. Matthews is one of Louisville’s major shopping areas, home to Mall St. Matthews and Oxmoor Center, along with many smaller shopping centers along Shelbyville Road.

Housing ranges from small ranches to larger, more prestigious homes. There are also a number of park, Seneca Park being the largest. There’s a great deal to do in this extremely desirable and central location.

FairSquare House Buyers – Why we buy houses in St. Matthews

Our office is located in the heart of St. Matthews so we are big fans of this area! This is a very family friendly neighborhood with easy access to our wonderful park system, downtown and prime shopping district. We have purchased many single family homes in this area and it is one of our favorite places to buy. This is a top rated neighborhood in Louisville and its property value only continues to rise.

Real Estate Statistics for St. Matthews

Median Home Value: $229,200

Median Rent: $1016

Median Household Income: $60,639

Population: 18,147

Rent vs. Own:

Top Public Schools serving St. Matthews

For additional statistics on the St. Matthews neighborhood, please review the St. Matthews Neighborhood Profile created by the Kentucky Data Center in partnership with the University of Louisville and Metro United Way.

*Data Sourced from: Kentucky State Data Center