About

The City of Middletown was originally incorporated in 1797 by the Jefferson County Court on 500 acres of land lying on a branch of the forks of Beargrass Creek that originally belonged to Jacob Meyers and Culberth Harrison. Though there is no recorded explanation why the city was named Middletown, it is commonly believed that that name was chosen because the town was in the "middle" of the two older cities of Louisville which was founded June 24, 1778, and Shelbyville, which was founded December 20, 1792. In 1871 the Kentucky General Assembly amended the original charter to increase Middletown's boundaries.

After failing to hold elections and collect taxes after 1919, Circuit Judge Macauley Smith dissolved the city's charter on July 26, 1960, and Middletown lost its 163-year-old city status. The city's charter was restored as a sixth-class city on August 7, 1976, with a commission form of government. On July 15, 1982, this was upgraded to the status of a fourth-class city.^[3]

Public education in Middletown is administered by Jefferson County Public Schools, which operates Eastern High School, Hite Elementary, Middletown Elementary, and Crosby Middle School in the Middletown area. Middletown also has multiple privately funded schools. There is also a branch of the Louisville Free Public Library.

Anchorage-Middletown-Eastwood-Worthington fire and EMS operates out of 11 stations to provide fire protection to 90 square miles of the eastern Louisville Metro area. Middletown is also home to a small 24 hour paid police department based out of city hall. Middletown is also home to LMPD's 8th division. EMS is serviced by the fire department and Louisville metro EMS.