Bardstown in Nelson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
The Smiley - Browne Building
1843
Photographed by Mark Parker, August 18, 2025
1. The Smiley - Browne Building Marker
Inscription.
The Smiley - Browne Building. This unusual commercial building was remarkable from the time it was built with four separate shops on the ground floor (most buildings had only one or two) and a series of four chimneys along the front cornice eve to serve the 2nd floor apartment rooms. (The chimneys are still there , now enclosed in the front parapet added about 1925.) As the years passed, a series of 'saloons' developed in these shop spaces on the east side of 3rd street; this included some of the Smiley Browne Shop 'bays'. "Saloon Row", as it came to be known was 'off limits' to the ladies of Bardstown with proper Victorian morals. They would not venture to this shady side of the street. Since the two early banking houses were on this east side of 3rd street, in the same block, the 'money men' had a problem. By the late 19th century, the banks were advertising to encourage the ladies to come over to the money side and ignore those old saloon fronts, sharing space with bankers! Today high fashion ladies shops have replaced the saloons and the bankers are still with us, bigger than ever. Advertising pays, aided by the passage of time and changing tastes., Contributing to the Bardstown National Register District
This unusual commercial building was remarkable from the time it was built with four separate shops on the ground floor (most buildings had only one or two) and a series of four chimneys along the front
cornice eve to serve the 2nd floor
apartment rooms. (The chimneys are still there now enclosed in the front parapet added about 1925.) As the years passed, a series of 'saloons' developed in these shop spaces on the east side of 3rd
street; this included some of the Smiley Browne Shop 'bays'. "Saloon Row", as it came to be known was 'off limits' to the ladies of Bardstown with proper Victorian morals. They would not venture to this shady side of the street. Since the two early banking houses were on this east side of 3rd street, in the same block, the 'money men' had a problem. By the late 19th century, the banks were advertising to encourage the ladies to come over to the money side and ignore those old saloon fronts, sharing space with bankers! Today high fashion ladies shops have replaced the saloons and the bankers are still with us, bigger than ever. Advertising pays, aided by the passage of time and changing tastes.
Contributing to the Bardstown
National Register District
Topics.
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This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 37° 48.603′ N, 85° 27.985′ W. Marker is in Bardstown, Kentucky, in Nelson County. It is on North 3rd Street (U.S. 150) south of East Flaget Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 119 N 3rd St, Bardstown KY 40004, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Louisville Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 98 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
