Even in its earliest days, it was clear that the newly formed Kentucky Country Day School would need more room. The new school had formed in 1972 from the merger of the all-boys Louisville Country Day School and the all-girls Kentucky Home School, creating a novel (and sometimes challenging) coeducational school environment. The 435 students of the new school were split between two campuses: one on Browns Lane for grades K–6 and one on Rock Creek Lane near Seneca Park for grades 7–12.
Board members, including board chair Owsley Brown Frazier and David Jones Sr., began looking for a location where they could bring the two schools together and provide plenty of room to grow. They found it in an 80-acre sod farm in the mostly rural east side of Louisville. When the new campus opened in October of 1978, it was surrounded by corn fields and not much else. To many students and faculty, it seemed like their new school was truly in the middle of nowhere.
That board decision to locate the school “in the middle of nowhere” turned out to be an inspired one. Over the years, students and teachers at the Springdale campus have watched the suburbs come out to meet them. KCD is now surrounded by thriving neighborhoods, shops, and restaurants. Our campus has also changed, as generations of parents, faculty, and board members have thoughtfully improved our facilities, creating a wonderful environment where students can learn, play, compete, and perform.
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Springdale campus, we’d like to thank those prior generations of KCD community members who helped make this campus what it is today. We’d also like to thank the individuals below for sharing their memories of the earliest days on Springdale Road.
David Jones Sr.
former board member, former parent, current grandparent
At that time, Owsley Frazier was board chair and I was a member. We knew a new campus was definitely needed, so we took a look at demographics and saw that nice housing starts were moving toward the Snyder Freeway, then under construction and called the Jefferson Freeway. We looked for property and found the current location on Highway 22, a small farm of around 75 acres. We negotiated a price of $7,000 per acre, with the couple who owned it retaining the right to live in their house and surrounding 5 acres until the last to die.
Together, we led the fundraising effort that paid for the land and new buildings, which have served the school well, as additional structures and sports fields and an auditorium have been added. Owsley Frazier was a thoughtful, generous, and successful leader for KCD.
E. J. Schickli
Springdale campus architect, former parent
It was a fun design. The basic design was based on the premise that certain facilities, such as administrative offices, the dining facilities, the library, and the gym facilities, were functions of all three schools—the lower school, middle school, and upper school. These common functions had to be accessible to all three divisions, so it was an architectural problem that required some thinking and input. The contractor finished it literally less than a week before it had to open. It was a rather hectic last week. But we got it open, and the project came in under budget. I remember that it seemed to work out pleasantly for both administration and students. It was really a fun group to work with.
George Wagner ’86
alumnus, current parent, current board chair
I came to KCD in 1977 when I was in fourth grade. The next year, we switched over to the new campus on Springdale Road. It was brand new and way, way out. There was nothing out there! It was all corn fields, and honestly, among the KCD community, there was a lot of grumbling about how far out it was. Stepping out on the front lawn of the school, all you could see were corn fields and what used to be called the Jefferson Freeway. On the other side of the freeway were more corn fields. That’s the way it was from 1977 all the way until I graduated in 1986—there was no hint of what was to come. Obviously, the board at that time were knowledgeable about where the city was moving, and it was a great move.
Steffi Sachs Sparks ’79
alumna & current parent
I graduated in 1979, which was the first year at our new campus! There was nothing around our school—no Paddock, no Tinseltown, no Kroger, not even a stoplight at the Gene Snyder (originally named the Jefferson Freeway) and 22. There were no homes or subdivisions there at all. There were no sport fields on campus. Our lunches were served family style, with underclassmen serving and cleaning. The school construction was a little behind schedule, so we were delayed for our first day. Then there was a huge snowstorm that delayed us even more. George Jansing, Dick Aylor, Charlie Fothergill, Walt Gander, and Frank Lambert (and others I’m sure) all helped load their cars to bring things like garbage cans and supplies from Rock Creek, trying to get things set up so school could open!
John Crockett ’82
alumnus & former parent
As a freshman in 1978, I was in the first class to attend all four years of high school at the Springdale Road campus. My memories of this campus stretch from the earliest days in 1978 to this past Monday night, when I attended a Bearcat basketball game to watch my nephew, William. So, 40 years and counting as a student, parent, and fan.
Much of what exists today was still aspirational in 1978: the second gym, football stadium and track, tennis courts, artificial surfaces everywhere, a new upper school and performing arts center. I suppose I’ll never forget (nor miss) two things: the all-dirt baseball field featuring no fence, no dugouts, and no press box or bleachers; and the Tartan polyurethane surface of the basketball court, later replaced with traditional wood (and none too soon).
Margaret Johnson Dry ’83
alumna & former parent
I was actually very sad when we moved, because I was finally going to be at the upper school campus (by the park) where my sisters were instead of at the Browns Lane lower school campus. My oldest sister was in the first graduating class from the new campus. I remember thinking that it was huge and we had so much room, but then when my girls were there I wondered how we ever all fit in the school.