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Discover the home of the late Dr. Francis Joseph (“F.J.”) Halcomb, Jr. and his wife, Mariola Shrewsbury Halcomb, two members of the Scottsville-Allen County community. Loaded with history, the Halcomb House now serves as a time capsule to the history of Scottsville and modern medicine. The Halcomb House Foundation is excited to share this piece of history with you for education, enrichment and enjoyment opportunities!
learn the history
Halcomb House Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation,
and donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Tax ID: 84-4920872.
The City of Scottsville and the Halcomb House Foundation are partnering to preserve the unique history of the over 120 year-old home and to tell the story. We're looking for people who share an interest in historic preservation.
We're actively collecting stories and memories from those who knew the Halcombs or were patients.
Our hope is to share these stories in such a way that future generations will know the impact they had on the community. And by unveiling special memories, we hope to keep the stories of Halcomb House alive for generations to come.
The Halcomb House Foundation has also established a scholarship in memory of Dr. and Mrs. “F.J.” Halcomb, Jr. This award recognizes graduating senior students, who have demonstrated one or more of the following:
The award is limited to students who will be attending an accredited, four-year college or university.
Halcomb House was gifted to the City of Scottsville by the Halcomb family in 2014. Over the next several years, the City maintained the property and provided meeting and storage space for non-profit organizations in the community. The family established the Halcomb House Foundation, Inc. in 2019, as a nonprofit public benefit corporation. Partnering with the City, the family appointed a Board of Directors to operate the Foundation, which assumed ownership of the property.
The Foundation is working to restore Halcomb House to its original state and repurpose it as a regional center for tourism. The vision is to also make it a prominent Allen County venue for community events, school field trips, weddings, private parties, and film shoots. All revenue earned from event rentals benefits the maintenance and preservation of this historic property.
In his 95 years of life, Dr. “F.J.” Halcomb, Jr. carved out a powerful personal legacy that can still be observed by residents of Scottsville and Allen County today. He was a physician and civic leader who effectively served his patients, the local community, and organized medicine for nearly 70 years. A seemingly tireless servant of his community, Dr. Halcomb was elected to public office and also volunteered in a variety of social, service, church and medical organizations. He was also a devoted husband and father, grandfather and great-grandfather, as well as a friend known for his dedication to his patients and engaging sense of humor. He always had a smile and a twinkle in his eye that attracted people to him and made them feel better just for knowing him. As a sign of respect, he was often addressed as “Dr. Halcomb,” but many people in the community knew him simply as “Doc.”
Old McDonald Had a Farm
Constructed in 1900, the house was originally owned by a farmer, named McDonald. Unfortunately, Mrs. McDonald became blind, and the couple were not able to maintain the property as a working farm and moved across the road. “F.J.” and Mariola purchased the house in the late 1940s, after Mariola “fell in love” with the log home in White Plains. They successfully raised their three children there and called it home for the rest of their lives.
"Wormy" chestnut
The original house was made of wormy or “wormhole” chestnut logs (exterior) with wormhole chestnut wood fashioned into wooden beams, paneling, and flooring (interior). The outbuildings were also made of rough-sawed wormhole chestnut wood—which has survived the test of time. Wormy chestnut lumber is both rare and relatively valuable, making the house and outbuildings truly unique today. It is usually salvaged from old barns and other structures, and reprocessed and sold as reclaimed lumber. Between the nail holes, discoloration, worm and insect damage, wormy chestnut is preferred in applications where a rustic or unpolished appearance is desired.
All of the structures were distinctively painted black and white—and this color scheme has been maintained over the years. The original architectural drawings (house plans) have been preserved—and were included among other artifacts gifted with the house.
The distinct black and white log home features the main floor with a living room, dining room, kitchen and bathroom. The upstairs holds an expanded bedroom and several closet spaces. The property also includes a two-car garage, barn and henhouse, nicknamed “The Chicken House” by the family.
Additions to the house were constructed and include three bedrooms as well as an updated kitchen on the main floor. A large recreation room connected to the basement by a hallway. A screened-in porch was constructed and converted into a den in the 1950’s, where “F.J.” saw many patients. Boat storage was also constructed and built onto the garage in the 1960s.
National Registry of Historical Places
Halcomb House was gifted to the City of Scottsville, Kentucky in December 2014. The family’s primary objective was to preserve the historical integrity of the home while giving something back to the community. A key step toward achieving this vision was attained when the House and property were listed in the National Register of Historical Places in 2018.
Over the years, the house was a gathering place for many visitors and local groups. Phil Everly, of the rock and roll duo, the “Everly Brothers,” came to the house with family friend, Norris Wilson—right after recording the hit song, “Wake Up Little Susie.” Kentucky Governor Wendell Ford also came for a visit one time. The Halcomb House Foundation hopes to continue the Halcomb's legacy of this being a gathering place for all.
Francis Joseph (“F.J.”) Halcomb, Jr. was born on May 19th, 1918—and grew up in a farming family in Simpson County during the Great Depression. This helped him to develop a keen sense of hard work and dedication, which he shared in his service to others.
“F.J” was less than ten years old when his father took him to visit a relative who was ill—and that’s when he decided he wanted to be a doctor. And despite his father's reservations, he remained intent on pursuing medicine after high school.
“F.J.” graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1939. He then went on to the University of Louisville to study medicine. One night as a medical student, he became ill while on duty at the Clark County Hospital across the river in Jeffersonville, Indiana. His nurse happened to be Mariola Shrewsbury, a young lady from Glen Dean, Kentucky. He was so impressed with her that he later asked her to marry him—and the rest, as they say, is history.
“F.J” and Mariola were married in 1942, as America was becoming involved in World War II. “F.J.” graduated from the UofL School of Medicine in 1943—and started his internship at Nashville General Hospital, in Nashville, TN.
By then, the U.S. was fully engaged in the War, and Dr. Halcomb’s internship was interrupted for military service. He entered the U.S. Army in 1944, commissioned as a Lieutenant and was later promoted to the rank of Captain. He served in the 5th Auxiliary Surgical Group, which took him into the operating rooms close to the front lines in Western Europe. The unit was essentially a mobile army surgical hospital, usually using schools, barracks, and other buildings before moving on to the next location. The days following the invasion at Normandy saw the unit push eastward close behind the fighting. The warfare brought thousands of men to the hospital, keeping the doctors and nurses busy night and day. They worked around the clock in 12-hour shifts and treated prisoners of war (POWs) as well as Allied Forces in these field hospitals.
Dr Halcomb returned home from the war in 1946 and planned to continue his residency and become an OB/GYN. But a Bowling Green physician, Dr. G. W.. Graves , who ran Graves Infirmary, was looking for a young doctor to handle the medical needs in Allen County. Scottsville had been without a hospital since the Graves Infirmary had closed in 1942. Dr. Halcomb accepted the offer, thinking it would be short-term, and started his private practice in the Graves Building on the square in January 1946. Mariola was trained as a nurse and assisted him in his practice—and often went with him on house calls in his Jeep. That was only the beginning of what would become a routine of making house calls in the community and out in the county. A colleague, named Dr. Earl P. Oliver, joined Dr. Halcomb to reopen the Graves Infirmary, which they operated for about six years.
When the Allen County War Memorial Hospital opened in July 1952, the Graves Infirmary was closed. After extensive renovations, the infirmary was renamed the Halcomb and Oliver Clinic in February 1953. Dr. Halcomb not only saw patients at the hospital and the clinic, but also at Halcomb House. He called these “home visits” and initially used the office space as a consultation room and the "porch" as an examination room.
In addition to Dr. Halcomb’s professional career, he also was known for being an active member of the community. He served on the Allen County Board of Education for 24 years, 18 years as chairman, and served on the Scottsville City Council for 20 years. Dr. Halcomb was also active in the Jaycees and served as State Vice President. In addition, he was also a Mason, Shriner, and Rotarian.
Dr. Halcomb was an avid sports fan and served as team physician for the Patriots basketball team for many years. There were countless stories about his interaction with the team and how he would improvise to help the players stay in the game. Once, during a state tournament, he stitched up a player without pain medication—and got the player back on the court.
Dr. Halcomb was also active in organized medicine. He was a charter member of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians (KAFP), which was established in 1948—and selected Kentucky Citizen Doctor of the Year in 1970. He served as President of the Kentucky Academy in 1975-76. He was also a Charter Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)—and served as a legislative representative for the national organization.
Dr. Halcomb received the prestigious President’s Award from the AAFP in 2006. This was in recognition of his efforts in helping establish the Kentucky Chapter—but also the evolution of family medicine into the specialty it is today. As a Charter Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine, he was one of first physicians in the country to be board certified in Family Medicine.
Dr. Halcomb passed away on May 16th, 2013. He was devoted to his family, his patients and the community. The imprint he made on the City of Scottsville and Allen County is still recognized today.
Mariola Halcomb
Mariola Shrewsbury was born on November 29th, 1916 in Glen Dean, an unincorporated community in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. She grew up on a small farm during the Great Depression. It was a simple life with simple pleasures.
Mariola graduated from Nazareth College, later renamed Catherine Spalding College, and trained at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. With her nursing degree in hand, she went to work in a hospital across the river in Jeffersonville, Indiana. She met and married “F.J.” while she was a nurse in Jeffersonville, and he was studying medicine at UofL.
The couple moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1943, after “F.J.” graduated from medical school. Mariola worked as a public health nurse, while “F.J.” interned at Nashville General Hospital. During his internship, “F.J” entered active duty in January 1944 and was trained to serve as a medical officer in the U.S. Army.
While “F.J” was in military service in Europe during World War II, the couple’s first daughter, Julie Dee, was born in Nashville on May 20, 1944. Soon thereafter, Mariola moved with baby Julie to Hardinsburg, Kentucky to live with her Shrewsbury family. It would be their home for 18 months, until “F.J” returned from the War.
After World War II, the family moved to Scottsville, Kentucky and rented a house in town. Mariola soon fell in love with the log house on Franklin Road (in White Plains), which they purchased in the late 1940s. It was here that Mariola and “F.J.” raised their three children: Julie, Harriet and Joe. For a number of years, Mariola and Dr. Halcomb continued to manage the small working farm, where they raised cows, chickens, and sheep and tended a vegetable garden and grape arbor. Mariola often referred to the farm as “Back-Achers,” because of the work required to maintain it. Visitors usually found a verse of scripture or a special greeting written on a small chalkboard by the front door.
Mariola was well-known in the community for her flower garden, which was filled with irises and daylilies. She grew a number of varieties and yet, knew each one by name. The local newspaper even ran an article about the lilies she grew. Many kids in the neighborhood remember her walking them through the garden, letting them pick their favorite, tying a coordinating string to her journal and the flower and then getting the children a bulb to put in their own garden.
Mariola also raised Boxer dogs and sold the puppies in order to purchase a set of encyclopedias for her children. She was memorable to the neighborhood children who often remember getting invitations to her home for tea parties and gatherings where crafts would be made for holidays like Mother's Day and Christmas. Making fruitcakes became a holiday tradition, and her crocheted Afghans were a labor of love—and to some, a priceless heirloom.
In addition to this, Mariola found time for a variety of other activities. She taught youth Sunday School classes and was an active member of Scottsville Homemakers for many years. She volunteered to help lead a number of youth organizations in the community, such as 4-H and Girl’s Auxiliary. And she regularly visited and spoke to classes at White Plains Elementary School, where the students referred to her as “Grandmother O.” She particularly enjoyed visiting her “little friends” in Nancy Taylor Stinnett's class and telling them what life was like when she was a little girl. Connecting with someone about her past meant the world to her.
Mariola was a registered nurse and helped her husband start his medical practice. She was often seen riding along with Dr. Halcomb in his Jeep on house calls in Scottsville and throughout Allen County. Mariola passed away in the home she loved on September 28th, 2006.
“F.J.” and Mariola Halcomb were very involved in serving their community. It is no wonder that all three of their children went into service careers—and education is a big part of their stories. All three visited Halcomb House over the years, bringing their families and friends with them—and keeping their ties to the community. Everyone was always welcome at the Halcomb House—and the children who grew up there want to give back to the community by preserving the legacy of this gathering place.
Julie Halcomb Koch
Julie Dee Halcomb was the Halcomb’s first child, the first of three siblings. She was born on May 20, 1944 in Nashville, Tennessee, where her mother worked as a public health nurse. Julie's dad was serving in the United States Army in World War II. After she was born, she and her mother moved to Hardinsburg, Kentucky to live with her mother's parents, "Ma" and "Pa" Shrewsbury. They also spent time with her dad's parents, "Grandma Halcomb" and "Daddy Joe" in Franklin, Kentucky. When her dad returned after the War, Julie was 18 months old and the family moved to Scottsville, Kentucky.
Julie graduated from Allen County High School in 1962 and attended Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas her first year of college. Her sophomore year, she transferred to the University of Kentucky (UK) where she was a member of Chi Omega Sorority and served on the Student Government Council. Julie met her future husband, Gary Alan Koch of Russellville, Kentucky at UK (introduced by Jim Bond of Scottsville). They married in Scottsville in 1965, and Julie finished college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1966. After graduation, the couple moved to Maysville, Kentucky, where they raised their daughters: Dawn Leigh Koch of Lexington, Kentucky and Holly Halcomb Koch Carnegis (Philip) of Troy, Michigan. They have three grandchildren, who also reside in Troy.
While in Maysville, Gary worked for Browning Manufacturing Company, a division of Emerson Electric and Julie taught school for the Mason County School System. The entire family was very involved in service to the school, church and community. In 1980, Julie earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Morehead State University. In 1985, she was chosen as Kentucky “Teacher of the Year.”
Julie and Gary moved to Maryland in 1997, and Julie retired from teaching in 1999. While living in Maryland, Julie was commissioned as a Stephen Minister and later as a Stephen Leader and has served in that capacity for over 22 years. Gary finished his career with Emerson Electric as President of Kop-Flex in Hanover, Maryland and the couple moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 2003 to be closer to family. For many years, Julie and Gary traveled from Lexington to Scottsville every week to visit with “F. J.” and Mariola at Halcomb House.
Julie was the first child to live in the original Halcomb House before her sister and brother were born, and she has many fond memories of those years growing up in Halcomb House and Scottsville, Kentucky.
Harriet Lea Halcomb
Harriet Lea Halcomb was born in Scottsville, Kentucky on September 4, 1949. She was delivered by her dad, because his partner, Dr. Earl Oliver, was out of town at the time. She was the second oldest of three siblings. She was married to Robert G. Zinn on April 18, 1987 in Palatine, Illinois.
Harriet graduated with honors (Class Valedictorian) from Allen County High School in Scottsville in 1967, and then the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky in 1971. She held Master’s degrees in both Spanish and Italian, and completed graduate coursework toward a doctorate in Spanish at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Harriet was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, in recognition of her outstanding academic achievement. She also served as Vice-President of Chi Omega Sorority and was a member of the Panhellenic Council at UK.
Harriet was a language teacher with a professional career spanning 35 years. While her primary focus was on Spanish and Italian, she also taught English as a second language. She taught at the junior high, high school, and college levels, not only in the U.S. (including Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois and Florida)—but also Madrid, Spain and Tokyo, Japan.
Harriet was very involved in her community throughout the years and actively participated in the ministries of her local church. She went to the Lord on September 24, 2010, in Charlotte, North Carolina, following complications of breast cancer.
F. Joseph (Joe) Halcomb III, M.D.
Dr. F. Joseph (Joe) Halcomb III was born in Scottsville, Kentucky on March 27, 1951. He is the youngest of three siblings. He graduated with honors (Class Salutatorian) from Allen County High School in 1969. He then enrolled at UK, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity and served in various leadership roles, including president.
Dr. Halcomb earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from UK and completed post-graduate training in Internal Medicine. He also holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from UK and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), respectively. In addition, Dr. Halcomb received the degree of Honorary Doctor of Engineering from UK in May 2021.
Dr. Halcomb is a private equity investor with a distinguished career as an executive in the medical device and biotechnology industries. Under his leadership, teams of engineers and scientists developed new products that transformed the practice of medicine—and helped improve people’s lives.
In 2010, Dr. Halcomb established the Halcomb Family Endowed Fellowship in Medicine and Engineering at UK as a special tribute to his father. After a larger commitment to the endowment in 2016, the Department of Biomedical Engineering became the first named department at the university.
Joe has held leadership roles in a number of non-profit organizations and currently serves as a Trustee of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation. He is also active in his home church and has traveled on mission trips to the Republic of Burundi, in central Africa, to help local churches bring lasting change in their communities. Joe and his wife, Joani, live in Camarillo, CA. They have two daughters and eight grandchildren.
Joe loves driving his restored 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster (the one his dad used on house calls). He is also an avid drummer and plays a custom kit made from the burl wood of a 300 year-old European poplar tree.
Between 1865 and 1890, there were at least five doctors who were known to practice medicine in Allen county. The first practice was opened in 1893 in Scottsville by Dr. W.E. Willoughby. In 1893, the first County Health Doctor was appointed to Allen county and the first hospital was built by doctors Hubert M. Meredith and William E. Meredith. The hospital opened in 1908 and was named the Meredith Infirmary. A fire eventually closed the facility in 1914.
Around a year after the Meredith Infirmary closed, brothers Lattie and Pellie Graves opened a medical practice in Scottsville after receiving degrees from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Years later, the siblings opened a hospital named the Graves Clinic located at 217 W. Main Street. The staff consisted of five people, including two doctors. The facility could house up to nine patients and had an up-to-date X-ray machine. Dr. Pellie Graves passed away in 1925 and his brother Dr. Lattie Graves and his family kept the clinic open until they opted to close it after the new Graves Clinic opened in the larger city of Bowling Green. The next doctor to enter the medical field in Allen county was Dr. Halcomb.
Halcomb Opens a Practice
Scottsville had been without a hospital since the Graves Infirmary had closed in 1942. Halcomb accepted the offer from Dr. G. W. Graves and started his private practice in the Graves Building on the square in January 1946. Mariola Halcomb was trained as a nurse and helped Dr. Halcomb to start his practice—and often went with him on house calls in his Jeep. That was only the beginning of what would become a routine of making house calls in the community and out in the county.
A Partnership that Flourished
Halcomb asked fraternity brother and med school classmate, Earl Oliver, to “help him through the first winter.” But when Dr. Oliver joined him in August 1946, a long-term partnership was established. Halcomb and Oliver reopened the Graves Infirmary (on West Main Street) and ran the hospital for about six years, while county officials were building the Allen County War Memorial Hospital. The new hospital opened its doors in 1952—and the Graves Infirmary was closed. After extensive renovations, the two opened what became known as the Halcomb and Oliver Clinic in February 1953.
The two partners worked side by side until they sold the practice to Dr. Lee Carter in 1984. Both continued to work at the clinic—and did their share of weekend duty as emergency room physicians at the local hospital. Over the years, they delivered over 5,000 babies as part of their medical practice.
There are many ways to visit and see the Halcomb House. From educational trips to business meetings and formal events, we hope that the Halcomb House becomes a place of gathering and growth for our community.
Allow the Halcomb house to be the next venue for a school field trip with learning objectives revolving around Allen County history and historical practice of medicine. Contact us to schedule your classroom's next field trip to learn of the history of Scottsville and Allen County.
Simply looking for a historical space to tour in the area? In the future, we hope to provide you with select dates to educate yourself about medical history in Allen County and the perfect place to show out of town visitors a historical Allen County treasure.
For formal events, consider the garden area near the barn, located at the rear of the property. This area is perfect for weddings or showers. Indoors, you will find the dining room to be a perfect, simple meeting space. Contact us to schedule your next event.
Enjoy Live Music From Wednesday to Sunday
