Located on the banks of the Ohio River in northern Kentucky is the quaint little town of Rabbit Hash, population 315. This historic town may have gotten its name from a well-known meal that used rabbit meat. It was a popular meal in the 19th-century, especially among passengers on the steamboats that were traveling down the Ohio. Perhaps the most iconic building in the whole town is the Rabbit Hash General Store, which has a truly fascinating history that is still unfolding.
The Rabbit Hash General Store has been in operation since 1831.
Rabbit Hash is an authentic country store. When you visit, you will feel like you stepped back in time to another era, but everyone will welcome you as if you've been a lifelong resident of the community.
The General Store itself, as well as several other buildings in Rabbit Hash are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Many considered the Rabbit Hash General Store to be the most well-known and best preserved country store in the state.
However, the store has had its fair share of difficulties over the years.
Given that the store is located right on the Ohio River, flooding has been an issue over the past 185 years. The very first flood that inevitably seeped into the building was in 1832, when the store hadn't even been open a full year. More devastating floods in 1884, 1913, and 1937 plagued the resilient little store. The 1937 flood crested at 79.9 feet, completely submerging Rabbit Hash General Store under water. Many other buildings in Rabbit Hash were completely destroyed, but the General Store has iron rods that hold it securely in place.
However, on one of the coldest nights of 2016, the iconic store caught fire and was mostly destroyed.
But the Rabbit Hash General store didn't survive the last 185 years through monstrous floods and the Great Depression for nothing. The community has vowed to rebuild the General Store back to how it originally stood, and construction has been underway for the past several months. Terrie Markesbery ran the General Store at the time of the fire, and opened a temporary store in a barn during the rebuilding effort, so you can still visit the historic site.
After the fire, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to raise money for rebuilding that insurance would not cover. They still need to raise more money to get the General Store back to its former glory, so if you are interested in donating, click here.
The Rabbit Hash General Store is located at 10021 Lower River Road, Rabbit Hash, KY 41005. For more information on the history of the General Store, visit their website.
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