Danville, Kentucky
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| Danville, Kentucky | |
| Downtown Danville | |
| Nickname: "The City of Firsts," "Birthplace of the Bluegrass" | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Boyle |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Hugh Coomer |
| - City Manager | Paul Stansbury |
| - Mayor Pro Tem | Kevin Caudill |
| Area | |
| - Total | 15.8 sq mi (40.9 km²) |
| - Land | 15.65 sq mi (40.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.02 km²) .06% |
| Elevation | 984 ft (300 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 15,477 |
| - Density | 980.4/sq mi (378.4/km²) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 40422-40423 |
| Area code(s) | 859 |
| FIPS code | 21-19882 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0490584 |
| Website: http://ci.danville.ky.us/ | |
Danville is a city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 15,477 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Boyle CountyGR6. It was the original home of Transylvania University, which soon after its founding moved to Lexington. Later, Centre College opened in Danville, and remains there today. Danville is also home to the Great American Brass Band Festival and to the Pioneer Playhouse, an important part of theater in Kentucky.
In 2001, Danville received a Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Contents |
[edit] History
Danville was established on December 4, 1787, by the Virginia Legislature. Before recognition from Virginia, Danville and its vicinity had already been home to settlers for several years, being in the original Great Settlement Area around Harrod's Fort (now Harrodsburg), which was first settled in 1774.The name of the city is in memory of Walker Daniel, who purchased the original site of the settlement from John Crow, another early settler. Walker, who was killed by Indians on the way to Bullitt's Lick in August 1784, had served since 1783 as the first Attorney General of the Kentucky District Supreme Court, which on March 14, 1785 moved to the site he had surveyed for a town. Danville became a part of the Commonwealth when Kentucky became a state in 1792. Danville was the capital of Kentucky when it was a district of Virginia. The city is called the "Birthplace of the Bluegrass" since the state's Constitutional Convention was held at what is now known as Constitution Square in 1792, when Kentucky's first Constitution was signed.
In 1842, Danville became the seat of Boyle County, which was formed primarily from southern Mercer County, Kentucky and northern Lincoln County, Kentucky. For much of the time since the creation of Mercer County in 1785, Danville had been in the compromised position of being the largest city in the county without having the distinction of being the county seat.
Danville is also called the "City of Firsts". Danville housed the first Courthouse in Kentucky, the first U.S. Post Office west of the Alleghenies, the first state-supported School for the Deaf. In 1809, Danville’s own Dr. Ephraim McDowell became the first physician in the world to successfully remove an ovarian tumor, and Danville is also home to the oldest college administration building and campus west of the Allegheny Mountains, Centre College.
[edit] Geography
[edit] Location
Danville is located at (37.645527, -84.774992)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.8 square miles (40.9 km²), of which, 15.8 square miles (40.9 km²) of it is land and 0.06% is water.
[edit] Transportation
Danville is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 127 and U.S. Route 150. It lies 6 miles from U.S. Route 27.
It is served by three major airports: Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky (35 miles), Louisville International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky (82 miles), and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport near Cincinnati, Ohio (127 miles), and Stuart Powell Field a general aviation airport 3 miles from downtown.
Norfolk Southern Railway operates a rail yard in Danville. Its Louisville-Chattanooga line meets its Cincinnati-Chattanooga line in Danville.
[edit] Climate
| Danville Temperatures and Precipitation | |||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record High °F | 79 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 107 | 103 | 105 | 104 | 95 | 83 | 75 | 107 |
| Average High °F | 40 | 45 | 55 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 86 | 85 | 79 | 68 | 56 | 45 | 65 |
| Average Low °F | 23 | 26 | 34 | 43 | 53 | 62 | 66 | 64 | 57 | 45 | 36 | 28 | 45 |
| Record Low °F | -20 | -9 | -1 | 17 | 27 | 41 | 47 | 42 | 32 | 21 | -3 | -18 | -20 |
| Precipitation (in) | 3.66 | 3.86 | 4.96 | 3.98 | 4.94 | 4.77 | 4.83 | 3.40 | 3.29 | 3.15 | 3.68 | 4.34 | 48.86 |
| Source: The Weather Channel | |||||||||||||
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, Danville had 15,477 people with a density of 980/sq mi (378/km²), 6,734 housing units with a density of 427/sq mi (165/km²), and 4,013 families.
Racial makeup: 84% White, 13% African American, 1% Asian, 1% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. 1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Households: 6,223 of which 29% had children younger than 18, 47% were married couples living together, 14% had a female householder with no husband present, 36% were non-families, 32% were made up of individuals, and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82.
Age distribution: 22% under 18, 13% between 18 and 24, 26% between 25 and 44, 22% between 45 and 64, and 16% 65 or older. The median age was 37. For every 100 females there were 87 males. For every 100 females 18 and older, there were 81 males.
Median income: was $18,906 per person, $32,938 per household, $40,528 per family, $35,327 per male, and $24,542 per female.
Below the poverty line: 12% of people, 9% of families, 18% of those younger than 18, and 11% of those 65 and older.
[edit] Education
[edit] Public Schools
Danville is served by two school districts:
Danville Independent Schools serves the city of Danville.[1]
- Mary G. Hogsett Elementary (290 students)
- Jennie Rogers Elementary (300 students)
- Edna L. Toliver Elementary (325 students)
- Bate Middle School (400 students)
- Danville High School (450 students)
Boyle County Public School District serves areas of Danville and the remainder of Boyle County.[1]
- Junction City Elementary (425 students)
- Perryville Elementary (325 students)
- Woodlawn Elementary (560 students)
- Boyle County Middle School (600 students)
- Boyle County High School (800 students)
[edit] Private Schools
[edit] Colleges and Universities
- Bluegrass Community and Technical College
- Centre College
- Eastern Kentucky University Danville campus
- Midway College Danville campus
- National College Danville campus
[edit] Culture
[edit] Places of Interest
- Centre College, a top liberal arts college and host to the 2000 Vice Presidential debates.
- Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge
- Chateau du Vieux Corbeau Winery
- Community Arts Center, an historic Beaux Arts building and a hub for local artist activity
- Constitution Square, where the first Kentucky constitution was written and signed
- Jones Visual Arts Center, a gallery and primary studio for internationally known glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell
- Ephraim McDowell House Museum, where the groundbreaking ovariotomy took place
- Norton Center for the Arts, host of numerous performing and visual arts events throughout the year
- Perryville Battlefield, where a significant Civil War battle took place
- Pioneer Playhouse, the oldest outdoor theater in Kentucky.
- Shelby Cemetery, where Kentucky's first (and fifth) governor is buried
- West T. Hill Theatre Community Theatre
- Wilderness Trace Art League Gallery, that features paintings and crafts by local artists
[edit] Annual Events
- Danville Heritage Festival - March
- Great American Balloon Race - June
- Great American Brass Band Festival - June
- Boyle County Fair - July
- Constitution Square Festival - September
- Forkland Heritage Festival - October
- Perryville Battle Reenactment - October
[edit] Media
- The Advocate-Messenger, a daily (except Saturday) newspaper serving Danville and surrounding counties.
- WDFB (1170 AM and 88.1 FM)
- WHBN (1420 AM)
- WHIR (1230 AM and 107.1 FM)
- WRNZ (105.1 FM)
[edit] Films Shot in Danville
- Raintree County (1957)
- Operation Raintree (1957) - Promotional short film for Raintree County
- Treasure Of Matecumbe (1976)
- Child of Glass (1978) (TV)
[edit] Notable Residents
- William Clayton Anderson (Politician)
- Joshua Fry Bell (Politician)
- James G. Birney (Presidential Candidate, Abolitionist), who drew enough votes in New York to cost Henry Clay the Presidency in 1844
- John C. Breckinridge (U.S. Vice President, Presidential Candidate, Confederate general and Secretary of War) attended college in Danville.
- Rev. Samuel D. Burchard (Clergyman), whose "Rum, Romanism and rebellion" speech may have cost James G. Blaine the 1884 presidential election attended college in Danville.
- Todd Duncan (Opera Singer and Actor)
- John Marshall Harlan (U.S. Supreme Court Justice) "The Great Dissenter"
- Larnelle Harris (Gospel Singer)
- Harvey Helm (Politician)
- John Kincaid (Politician)
- Ephraim McDowell (Surgeon) - Practiced in Danville and performed the world's first ovariotomy.
- Eddie Montgomery (Musician; one half of the country music duo Montgomery Gentry)
- John Michael Montgomery (Musician)
- John Norvell (Newspaper editor and U.S. Senator)
- Theodore O'Hara (Poet)
- William Owsley (Politician, Jurist)
- Albert G. Talbott (Politician)
[edit] Major Employers
Major employers in Danville include[2]
- Ephraim McDowell Health
- R.R. Donnelley
- American Greetings
- Dana Corporation
- FKI Logistex
- Pliant Corporation
- Philips Lighting Co.
- Red Wing Shoe Co.
- Panasonic Home Appliances Co.
- Timberland Co.
- Flexcel Unit of Kimball International
- Denyo Manufacturing Corp.
- AdMart International
- Hobart Corporation
- Sellers Engineering Co.
- The Advocate-Messenger
- Caterpillar Inc.
- The Allen Co.
- Burkmann Feeds
- Pioneer Vocational Industrial Services
[edit] Trivia
In 2001, a woman bought a sundae at a Danville, KY Dairy Queen with a $200 bill featuring George W. Bush and received $197.88 in change. [3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Boyle County, Danville Community Profile".
- ^ Boyle County, Danville Economic Profile.
- ^ Funny money in Kentucky. BBC. Accessed March 18, 2007.
[edit] External links
- City of Danville, KY
- Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Danville, Boyle County Chamber of Commerce
Municipalities and communities of Boyle County, Kentucky | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Danville | ||
| Cities | Danville | Junction City | Perryville | |
| Community | ||
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