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Lawrenceburg’s bicentennial celebration planned for Sept. 10-11

Did you know Lawrenceburg was called Coffman’s Station before incorporating as Lawrence in 1820, then was renamed as Lawrenceburg in 1827? You can learn more about this and other facts from Lawrenceburg’s history during the upcoming bicentennial celebration, which is being held downtown in conjunction with the Stave Fest from Sept. 10-11.

Stop by the bicentennial tent in front of the Anderson County Courthouse from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. each day to pick up a free brochure that will guide you along a walking tour of downtown. At stops along the tour you will find photos on display showing how some of the downtown buildings looked 100 or more years ago. There will also be information about what businesses once operated there. Some stops will have photos of buildings at those locations that have been gone for years.

You can also pick up a free brochure to take a walking tour along South Main Street and learn more about the historic homes where the “Built By Bourbon” banners are posted outside. Each of these homes was built and/or owned by a former Anderson County bourbon distiller, before or just after the beginning of the 19th century. A history of Lawrenceburg handout will also be available for free.

For those who want to take a piece of Lawrenceburg history with them, the bicentennial tent will have the following items for sale – reprints of a 1906 special supplement of the Anderson News ($10), an Anderson County pictorial history book ($20), prints by local artist Lois Todd ($20), and prints of the Lakeview drive-in and of the old Lawrenceburg High School ($5 each).

On Friday, Sept. 10, at 6:50 p.m., and again on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 2:50 p.m., George Geoghegan will do a presentation at the Lawrenceburg Green – before Stave Fest musicians take the stage – and talk about Lawrenceburg’s early days and evolution over the years.

Lawrenceburg’s bicentennial was to be celebrated in 2020, but events were moved to 2021 due to Covid-related concerns delaying the planning process.