Smoketown in Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Rev. William H. Sheppard

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 24, 2022

1. Rev. William H. Sheppard Marker (side A)

Inscription. Born in Waynesboro, Virginia, in 1865, Sheppard attended Hampton and Stillman Institutes. Sent to the Belgian Congo in 1890, he served as missionary in Africa until 1910. Became a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society of London in 1893 for his explorations. Sheppard denounced the Belgian colonists' cruelty in the Congo.

Returning from Africa, Sheppard was pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Louisville from 1912 until his death in 1927. One of the city's most respected African American leaders, he was known for his work in the Smoketown community. Sheppard Park (1924) and Sheppard Square Housing Project (1942) named in his honor.
Presented by Alderman George Unseld.

Erected 2000 by Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2055.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 38° 14.584′ N, 85° 44.631′ W. Marker is in Louisville,

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Kentucky, in Jefferson County. It is in Smoketown. It is at the intersection of South Hancock Street and East Jacob Street, on the right when traveling north on South Hancock Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Louisville KY 40203, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Ohio River Valley.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Presbyterian Community Center (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Smoketown / Historic Area (about 700 feet away); Green Street Baptist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); First Lutheran Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Father Herman Felhoelter / Sacrifice in Korea (approx. 0.3 miles away); Louis D. Brandeis Home / Louis D. Brandeis (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ursuline Sisters & Academy (approx. 0.4 miles

Rev. William H. Sheppard Marker (Side B) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2020

2. Rev. William H. Sheppard Marker (Side B)

away); St. Paul's German Evangelical Church (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.

Also see . . . William Henry Sheppard (Wikipedia). (Submitted on December 1, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Rev. William H. Sheppard Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2020

3. Rev. William H. Sheppard Marker

Rev. William Henry Sheppard image. Click for full size.

Public domain, circa 1917

4. Rev. William Henry Sheppard

Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 30, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 430 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 4, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on November 30, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on December 1, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.