Sixth-class city located in northern Jefferson County bordered roughly by Lime Kiln Ln. to the east, River Rd to the north, Brittany Woods Circle to the south and the Knights of Columbus property on River Rd. to the west. In the mid- to late 1800’s, several wealthy families from Louisville moved eastward and erected large estate homes on the high cliffs overlooking the Ohio River.
In order to live outside the city while continuing to work downtown, several local businessmen cooperated with other families living further east in Harrods Creek to open a commuter rail line. In 1877, the Louisville, Harrods Creek, and Westport Railroad was completed, running from First St. to Prospect. The new railroad permitted easy transportation for the residents of the area and drew visitors to the outlying community during the summer months. The line, later incorporated into an electric interurban commuter system, was abandoned in the 1950’s, but two of the train stations continued to be used into the 1990’s – one as the Glenview post office and part of another as a carpool pick-up at the base of the hill below the Chance School. Three years before the railroad came, meat packer James C. McFerran unknowingly named the future city when he established Glen View – later changed to Glenview Farms – on land formerly owned by Virginia-born planter James Smalley Bate. In 1868, McFerran purchased the inheritance of Bate’s youngest son, which was the larger of his father’s seven allotments, and opened a trotting-horse farm. After McFerran’s death in 1885, developer John E. Green acquired the land and renamed the property Glenview Stock Farm.
A social club was constructed in the area in the late 1880’s for recreation and entertainment. It was dubbed the Fincastle Club, reputedly after Virginia’s Fincastle County that once included Kentucky. The club furnished a gathering for summer guests while also providing “cottages” for five families. As more families (including the Binghams, Belknaps, and Ballards) moved permanently into the neighborhood after the turn of the century, the club closed and an amphitheater was built on the site, by then part of the Bingham estate.
After a 1983 attempt by Louisville to annex the residential area, the residents moved to form their own city. This led to the 1985 creation of the sixth-class city of Glenview. In the mid-1980’s, the county established the Glenview Historic District and added several of the residences to the National Register of Historic Places. Some of the homes were designed by local architects such as John Bacon Hutchings and the firm of Nevin and Morgan. A number of the houses and gardens were included in a “country estates historic district” nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The population of Glenview in 1980 was 511, in 1990 it was 853, and in 1996 it was 686.
Used with permission: University of Kentucky Press; Louisville Encyclopedia
Glenview is a city located in northeastern Jefferson County, Kentucky, along the Ohio River. The population was 558 at the 2000 census, and 636 by the 2005 census estimate, giving it the fastest growth rate of any location in Jefferson County.
Glenview has the second-highest per capita income of any place in Kentucky and the 74th highest of any place in the United States. Its boundaries are roughly Lime Kiln Lane to the east, River Road to the north, Brittany Woods Circle to the south, and the Knights of Columbus property on River Road to the West. The city is known for its old estate homes on high bluffs overlooking the Ohio River.
Much of the land was originally owned by Virginian James Smalley Bate, and was purchased in 1868 by meat packer James C. McFerran. McFerran opened horse farm called Glen View. After his death in 1885, John E. Green acquired the farm and renamed it Glenview Stock Farm.
In the late 1800s, wealthy families from Louisville began moving east, to build summer homes (such as in Anchorage, Kentucky) and eventually full-time residences. Early residents of Glenview cooperated with other communities to open the Louisville, Harrods Creek and Westport Railroad in 1877, a commuter rail line, which would be in use until it was abandoned in the 1950s. Some of Louisville's most influential families, such as the Binghams, the Ballards and the Belknaps, moved into the area after the opening of the railroad.
Louisville attempted to annex Glenview in 1983, which led to residents incorporating as a 6th class city. Many of the houses are part of the Glenview Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Developers have attempted to play off of Glenview's reputation, with more recent nearby communities such as Glenview Hills and Glenview Manor
Entry from Wikipedia.com