The majority of the area now known as L’Esprit was first conveyed to John Preston and Ballard Smith of Virginia by treasury warrants in 1780 before Kentucky was a state. By the 1880’s the major landowners of this property were still few; Miss S. H. Gibson, the Yager family, General E. T. Barry and R. W. Vance. The land was farmed at the time with dairy and tobacco being prevalent. By 1942 about 24 owners had holdings in Oldham and Henry Counties, the largest of which was the W. T. Hicks farm later purchased by the Reynolds family of Reynolds Aluminum Co. The farmhouse on Parkshore Road (tract 149) was constructed in the early 1900’s. Fox hunts were held on the property when it was owned by the Reynolds family. Some coop jumps still exist along the old fence on the Bridle Path. In the 50’s and 60’s some of the tracts were purchased by the W. L. Lyons Brown family of Brown Forman Distillers. This property included the Ashbourne Inn located at Hwy. 42 and Old Sligo Rd. It remains in L’Esprit (tract 111-B). The Ashbourne Inn was built in 1845 and the stone façade was added later. It operated as a roadhouse in the early days and still was used as a restaurant and inn until the mid 1960’s. In fact, recipes from the Ashbourne Inn can be found on the internet for waffles and chicken cacciatore.

In the early 1980’s a group of investors purchased approximately 5,400 acres in Henry and Oldham counties. The investors included Dr. Eugene LaCroix, Alec Courtelis, and others involved in the Arabian horse industry. CMW, Inc. Architects was commissioned to plan an equine community consisting of 60 horse farm tracts from 13 to 700 acres; including a large sales center, barns, roads, infrastructure and a receiving and quarantine center on Hwy 157. 

After completion the property was marketed as an Arabian horse farm community with Bridle Path easements and restrictions by Kentucky Park, Inc., the legal name of the developer, under the L’Esprit name. The sales office was located at Hwy 42 (tract 101). Later several sanctioned 25 and 50 mile endurance rides were held in L’Esprit in the early ‘90’s . In 1996 and 1997 rides were organized as fund-raisers to benefit the L’Esprit trails.

The Ishikawa family of Japan purchased approximately 1500 acres in 1987, including Lasma East, a large Arabian horse breeding and sales operation, located on tract 100 and numerous tracts on Bluegrass Parkway, Tobacco Road, Yager Lane and Parkshore Road.

Kentucky Park, Inc. constructed the Sales Center on tract KPI-1 on L'Esprit Parkway for the purpose of an Arabian horse sales facility. The cost to construct the facility at the time was reported to be around $4,000,000.   

With the decline of the Arabian horse market in the late 1980’s (the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and the restrictions on "passive investment write off"), many of the tracts were left unsold.

The Developer, Kentucky Park, Inc., (KPI) had borrowed $5,000,000 from Citizens Fidelity Bank and Trust Company, now known as PNC Bank, Kentucky, Inc. (PNC) January 4th, 1983 to purchase and develop the land. As of September 24th 1993 KPI owed PNC Bank $8,165,939.63 and agreed to deed the title of the unsold tracts to CFRH, the nominee of PNC (Deed Book 439 Page 429-436 Oldham County Clerks Records).

CFRH sold all the property, which consisted of the unsold tracts within the L'Esprit Development, and tracts outside the L'Esprit Development that were called F (or Future) tracts, to Henry Oldham Properties LTD (HOP) located in Paducah, KY for $3,400,000 (Deed Book 451 page 445-453). HOP then auctioned off the tracts in L'Esprit and the property outside the boundaries of the L'Esprit Development. At the auction in 1994 many of the tracts sold for $2,000 per acre; with some even selling for less per acre. Much of the property was resold with the purchasers at the auction making a great return on their investment. Some still own property they purchased at the auction.

Since that time many of the properties purchased at auction have been subdivided or developed to make L’Esprit what it is today. Approximately 1200 acres were designated as “future development tracts” and were sold separately . This included the property around Yager Lake, the Hwy 42 and Tobacco Rd. northwest corner, and property at Bluegrass Parkway and Hwy 42. The L’Esprit community now encompasses approximately 4200 acres with the sale of these tracts. 

Stanton Estates, Inc. (August R Doll Sr and August R Doll Jr - Robbie) purchased tract 119 consisting of 200 acres, subdivided it into 16 tracts and developed Stanton Estates. Four of the subdivided tracts front on Webbtown Road and 12 front on Stanton Way. Since the original tract was divided into more than 8 sub-tracts a "Subassociation" was set up in accordance with the Declaration (Covenants and Restrictions).

Don Henson, Henson Investments LLC, purchased tract 123 consisting of 165 acres. He split the tract and sold sub-tracts 123-A, 123-B, and 123C - a total of 40 +/- acres. The remaining 120 or so acres he developed into L'Esprit Farms - a total of 7 tracts - labeling them L'Esprit Farms A through G. The development turned out to be a fine asset to L'Esprit. 

Dennis Pollard purchased tract 140 and developed the majority of it into the "Woods of L'Esprit" along Wildwood Trail. Most of the tracts in this development are 5 acres and since it was divided into more than 11 sub-tracts a "Subassociation" was formed. One sub-tract in tract 140 was split off before the development of the Woods of L'Esprit. 

The Ishikawa family sold tract 100 to TGL Inc., an Oklahoma corporation, in May 1998 for $5,000,000. In 1999, tract 100 was divided into 17 tracts and auctioned by Williams & Williams Auction Co. for a total of approximately $7.1 million. The Ishikawa family also sold the other tracts they owned in L'Esprit. 

L'Esprit Parkway, Bluegrass Parkway, Tobacco Road and Forest View Lane were all roads constructed by KPI and taken over by the respective counties around 1994. 

Stanton Way, L'Esprit Farm Road, L'Esprit Farm Circle, and Wildwood Trail were constructed to the respective county standards by the developers of those subdivisions and became part of the respective county road system. Stone River Drive is still a private road with the maintenance the responsibility of owners with frontage on it.   

Today there are near 180 tracts in L’Esprit with a variety of uses, ranging from a large thoroughbred training facility, equine boarding facilities, an equine rehabilitation facility, equine breeding operations, large and small farms, estate homes, a bed and breakfast, residential developments, and investors with vacant land.

The landscape of L’Esprit has changed over the years . Although the original concept may have changed, it is still a unique, equine friendly community that property owners should take pride in.   

Resource credit for this article is given to Oldham County Historical Society, Oldham County Clerk's Office, Henry County Clerk's Office, numerous internet sources, and long-time area residents.  Any added history is welcomed and encouraged. Please email to peabodyfox@yahoo.com.