Danville, Kentucky

Danville, Kentucky
City

Downtown Danville
Nickname(s): "The City of Firsts"; "Birthplace of the Bluegrass"
Coordinates: 37°38′44″N 84°46′11″W / 37.64556°N 84.76972°W / 37.64556; -84.76972Coordinates: 37°38′44″N 84°46′11″W / 37.64556°N 84.76972°W / 37.64556; -84.76972
Country United States
State Kentucky
County Boyle
Settled 1783
Incorporated 1787
Government
 • Type Council–manager
 • Mayor Mike Perros
 • City Manager Ron Scott
 • Commissioners James Atkins
Kevin Caudill
Rick Serres
Denise Terry[1]
Area
 • Total 15.9 sq mi (41.2 km2)
 • Land 15.8 sq mi (41.0 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation 984 ft (300 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 16,218
 • Density 1,025/sq mi (395.7/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 www.danvilleky.org

Danville is a home rule-class city[2] in Boyle County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county.[3] The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.[4] Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties.

In 2001, Danville received a Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.[5] In 2011, Money magazine placed Danville as the fourth-best place to retire in the United States.[6] Danville has recently been twice chosen to host U.S. Vice-Presidential debates, in 2000 and in 2012.[7]

History

Within Kentucky, Danville is called the "City of Firsts":

Boyle County Courthouse in Danville

Danville was part of the Great Settlement Area around Harrod's Fort (present-day Harrodsburg), which was first settled in 1774. The site was originally known as Crow's Station for settler John Crow, but the town was surveyed and platted by Walker Daniel, Kentucky's first district attorney, who bought 76 acres (31 ha) near the Wilderness Road from Crow in 1783. The city was named for Daniel.[10] The Virginia legislature officially established Danville on December 4, 1787.[9]

Between 1784 and 1792, ten conventions were held in Danville to petition for better governance and ultimately to secure independence from Virginia. In 1786 the Danville Political Club was organized. It met each Saturday night at Grayson's Tavern to discuss the political, economic, and social concerns of the day. After a state constitution was adopted and separation was confirmed in 1792, the town ceased to be of statewide importance, and its leading citizens moved elsewhere.[11]

Transylvania University was founded in Danville in 1783. It moved to Lexington in 1789. Centre College was founded in 1819. Danville Theological Seminary was founded in 1853; in 1901 it became part of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The Caldwell Institute for Young Ladies was founded in 1860. It became Caldwell Female College in 1876, Caldwell College in 1904, Kentucky College for Women in 1913, and merged into Centre College in 1926.[9]

In November 1806, Meriwether Lewis, co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, visited Danville while traveling the Wilderness Road to Washington, D.C., to report on the expedition. In December 1806, William Clark visited his nephews in school in Danville before following Lewis to Washington.[12]

The first school in Danville for African-American children was founded around 1840 by Willis Russell, an emancipated slave of Revolutionary War veteran Robert Craddock. Craddock deeded a log house in Danville to Russell, who moved to the town after Craddock's death and started a school for children. The house still stands on Walnut Street.[13]

In 1842, Boyle County was formed from southern Mercer County and northern Lincoln County. Danville became its county seat.[9]

In 1850, Danville and Boyle County backed construction of the Lexington and Danville Railroad. Money ran out when the railroad reached Nicholasville, and John A. Roebling had built towers for a suspension bridge over the Kentucky River. (Roebling lived in Danville during the construction.) Despite the lack of a railroad to Danville, the county still owed $150,000; it completed payment on time in 1884.[11][14]

In 1860, a fire devastated the city, destroying 64 buildings and causing over $300,000 in damages. Boyle County's courthouse was among the destroyed buildings; its replacement was completed in 1862.[9] After the Battle of Perryville in the Civil War on October 8, 1862, many Danville buildings, including the courthouse, were appropriated by Union forces for use as hospitals. On October 11, a Union force drove Confederate forces from the county fairgrounds through Danville.[12]

In 1775, Archibald McNeill planted Kentucky's first recorded hemp crop at Clark's Run Creek near Danville. Boyle County became one of ten Kentucky counties which together produced over 90% of the US yield in 1889. It was the state's largest cash crop until 1915 when it lost its market to imported jute.[12]

From the turn of the 20th century through the 1960s, Danville was home to a thriving African-American business sector located on and around 2nd Street on the western edge of what is now Constitution Square Historic Site. The business sector was demolished by Urban Renewal in the 1970s to allow for the expansion of Constitution Square Park.[15]

On October 5, 2000, Dick Cheney and Senator Joe Lieberman, candidates for Vice President of the United States, debated at Centre College during the 2000 presidential election.[16] On October 11, 2012, Centre College again hosted the Vice-Presidential debate, this time between Vice President Joe Biden and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan.[7]

Geography

Danville is located in eastern Boyle County at 37°38′44″N 84°46′11″W / 37.6456°N 84.7698°W / 37.6456; -84.7698.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.2 km2), of which 15.8 square miles (41.0 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.58%, is water.[4]

Danville, Kentucky Water Tower viewed from the north. Features the motto "Quite Simply the Nicest Town"

Transportation

Bus

Blue Grass Community Action Partnership provides DanTran bus service inside Danville.[17][18] BGCAP also connects Danville with Lexington, Stanford, Junction City, and Lancaster.[19]

Road
Air

Stuart Powell Field (DVK), 3 miles (5 km) from downtown, serves as Danville's general aviation airport. Blue Grass Airport (LEX) in Lexington, 35 miles (56 km) away, provides the closest commercial service. More extensive commercial service is available from Louisville International Airport (SDF), 82 miles (132 km) away, and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), 127 miles (204 km) away.

Rail

Norfolk Southern Railway operates a freight rail yard in Danville. Its Louisville-Chattanooga line intersects with its Cincinnati-Chattanooga line just north of Danville.

Climate

Climate data for Danville, Kentucky
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
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
Average precipitation inches 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
Average high °C 4 7 13 18 23 28 30 29 26 20 13 7 18
Average low °C −5 −3 1 6 12 17 19 18 14 7 2 −2 7
Average precipitation mm 93 98 126 101.1 125.5 121.2 122.7 86.4 83.6 80 93.5 110.2 1,241
Source: The Weather Channel[20]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1800270—
181043260.0%
1830849—
18401,22344.1%
18502,15075.8%
18604,962130.8%
18702,542−48.8%
18803,07420.9%
18903,76622.5%
19004,28513.8%
19105,42026.5%
19205,6995.1%
19306,72918.1%
19406,7340.1%
19508,68629.0%
19609,0103.7%
197011,54228.1%
198012,94212.1%
199012,420−4.0%
200015,47724.6%
201016,2184.8%
Est. 201416,620[21]2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[22]

As of the census[23] of 2010, there were 16,218 people, 6,405 households, and 3,903 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,020.0/sq mi (393.8/km2). There were 7,180 housing units at an average density of 451.6/sq mi (174.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.2% White, 10.9% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 1.8% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.9% of the population.

Of the 6,405 households, 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.83.

20.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 61.8% from 18 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. Females made up 54.4% and males made up 45.6% of the population aged 18 or older.

As of 2000, the median income for a household was US $32,938, and the median income for a family was $40,528. Males had a median income of $35,327 versus $24,542 for females. The per capita income was $18,906. About 9.4% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

FBI crime statistics for 2009 list the crime rate (per 100,000 population) for Danville as follows:[24]

Crime Danville Kentucky United States
Violent crime 258 260 429
Murder 0 4 5
Forcible rape 32 35 29
Robbery 84 84 133
Aggravated assault 142 135 269
Property crime 3,587 2,513 3,061
Burglary 876 689 716
Larceny-theft 2,627 1,683 2,061
Motor vehicle theft 84 141 259

Education

Centre College
Public schools

Danville Schools operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and Danville High School for the city of Danville. Boyle County Schools operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and Boyle County High School for portions of Danville and the remainder of Boyle County. Kentucky School for the Deaf provides education to Kentucky's deaf and hard-of-hearing children from elementary through high school.

Private schools

Two private schools operate in Danville:

Colleges and universities

Centre College, a nationally-recognized liberal arts college, is located in Danville.

Four other colleges and universities have campuses in Danville:

Culture

On March 2, 2010, Danville voted to go "wet" (to permit sale of packaged alcohol and sale of alcohol by the drink without restriction by size of premises).[27]

Places of interest

Theater

Four venues for theatrical productions live in Danville.

Annual events

Media

The Advocate-Messenger, a daily (except Saturday) newspaper, serves Danville and surrounding counties.

Local radio stations include three AM stations: WDFB-AM (1170) WHBN (1420) WHIR (1230) and three FM stations: WDFB-FM (88.1) WLAI (107.1) WRNZ (105.1).

WDKY-TV was licensed to Danville but its facilities are located in Lexington.

Films shot in Danville

Sister cities

Danville has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

Notable people

The following are highly noted people from Danville. For a more complete list see List of people from Danville, Kentucky.

Major employers

Major employers include:[42]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Brock, David (2014-11-05). "Perros wins tight race for Danville mayor". The Advocate Messenger. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
  2. ↑ "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. 1 2 "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Danville city, Kentucky". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Past Great American Main Street Award Winners". National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  6. ↑ "Best Places to Retire". CNNMoney. September 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  7. 1 2 Gerth, Joseph (2011-10-31). "Centre College in Danville chosen for 2012 vice presidential debate". Courier Journal. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Danville Kentucky: History". City of Danville. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Kleber, John E. (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington KY: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
  10. ↑ "Danville Kentucky". Land Office, Kentucky Secretary of State. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  11. 1 2 Griffin, Richard W. (1965). Newspaper Story of a Town: A History of Danville Kentucky. Danville, Kentucky: The Advocate Messenger.
  12. 1 2 3 "Kentucky Historical Marker Database". Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  13. ↑ "Boyle Landmark Trust, Willis Russell House"
  14. ↑ Fackler, Calvin M., Early Days in Danville, Standard Printing Co., Louisville, 1941.
  15. ↑ "index". ancestry.com.
  16. ↑ McCaleb, Ian Christopher (2000-10-06). "Even-keeled Cheney-Lieberman debate takes global view". CNN. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  17. ↑ Cox, Charlie (2008-12-11). "Danville bus service revved for take-off". The Advocate Messenger. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  18. ↑ "BGCAP - DAN-TRAN". Blue Grass Community Action Partnership. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  19. ↑ Cox, Charlie (2009-02-19). "Bus service offered to Lexington". The Advocate Messenger. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  20. ↑ "Monthly Averages for Danville KY". The Weather Channel.
  21. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  23. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-04.
  24. ↑ "Crime in the United States: Offenses Known to Law Enforcement". U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. September 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  25. ↑ "Danville Christian Academy". Retrieved 2015-06-28.
  26. ↑ "Danville Montessori School". Retrieved 2015-06-28.
  27. ↑ Brock, David (2010-03-02). "Danville goes wet". The Advocate Messenger. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
  28. ↑ "Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge". Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  29. ↑ Kocher, Greg (2011-11-19). "The beauty of Central Ky. Wildlife Refuge through the seasons". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  30. 1 2 "Old Crow Inn and Chateau du Vieux Corbeau Winery". Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  31. ↑ "Community Arts Center". Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  32. ↑ "The Great American Dollhouse Museum". Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  33. ↑ "West T. Hill Community Theatre". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  34. ↑ "Danville High School: Gravely Hall". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  35. ↑ "The Great American Balloon Race". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  36. ↑ "Boyle Co. Fair". Boyle County Fair LLC. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  37. ↑ "Kentucky State BBQ Festival". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  38. ↑ "Oktoberfest on Main". Danville/Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  39. ↑ "Forkland Heritage Festival and Revue". Forkland Community Center. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  40. ↑ "Perryville Battlefield". Perryville Historic Battlefield. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  41. ↑ "Danville, Carrickfergus seal bond as 'twin' cities". The Advocate Messenger. 2009-08-01. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
  42. ↑ "Danville Boyle County Community Profile: Business and Industry". Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  43. ↑ "Admart Custom Signage". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  44. ↑ "The Allen Company". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  45. ↑ Wersich, Carol (2009-12-04). "Berry completes Pliant buy". Evansville Courier & Press. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
  46. ↑ "Burkmann Nutrition". Burkmann Industries, Inc. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  47. ↑ "Denyo". Denyo Co., Ltd. Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  48. ↑ "Ephraim McDowell Health". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  49. ↑ "Farmers National Bank: Your Lifetime Bank". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  50. ↑ Brock, David (2011-05-22). "It's official: Gov. announces second Meggitt plant for Danville". The Advocate Messenger. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  51. ↑ "Pioneer Vocational Industrial Services". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  52. ↑ "Pitman Creek Wholesale". Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  53. ↑ "self refined: Premier Treatment for Substance Use Disorder". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  54. ↑ "Sellers Manufacturing Co.". Retrieved 2015-07-05.
  55. ↑ "TransNav - A Global Trading and Manufacturing Company". Retrieved 2015-07-05.

Further reading

External links

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