Shelbyville Armory

The National Guard has not been in Shelbyville very long. The exact date when a unit formed there is unknown, but it was there a few years before the current armory was built. The armory does not have a drill hall, but the building has been rented out to local employers who hold classes in the armory.

Due to its very recent date of formation, the Shelbyville unit does not have a long history in the National Guard. The current unit, Company C of the 1/123rd Armor, is the only unit that has ever been there. The entire unit has never been activated for overseas duty, but a few members of the unit did volunteer for Desert Storm.

The Shelbyville unit has participated in state active duties, including flood duty in March, 1997, snow duty in 1997, and some of the members were activated for snow duty in February 1998.

The Guard participates in activities in Shelby, Henry, and Spencer counties. Some of these activities include: providing security at county fairs and festivals, such as Bagdad Days and the Dairy Fest, and providing security and parking control at high school sporting events and functions.

The current armory is the only one ever built in Shelbyville. Before the armory was built, the National Guard met in a leased commercial building a few doors down from the current building.

Photos and information courtesy Kentucky Heritage Council -- Report No. 25" Inventory and Evaluation of National Guard Armories in the State of Kentucky" - 1999 by Kate Carothers.