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":

• It housed the first courthouse in Kentucky.^[8]
• The first Kentucky constitution was written and signed here.^[8]
• It was the first capital of Kentucky.^[8]
• It had the first U.S. post office west of the Allegheny Mountains.^[8]
• It hosts the first state-supported school for the deaf.^[9]
• Ephraim McDowell completed the first known successful laparotomy here in 1809, removing an ovarian tumor from a woman patient without anesthesia.^[8]
• It is the home of Centre College, housing the oldest college administration building and campus west of the Allegheny Mountains.^[8]

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. 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, which had returned from the Pacific Coast. 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 Robert Craddock, a Revolutionary War veteran. Craddock deeded a log house in Danville to Russell. He 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. John A. Roebling had already built towers for a railroad suspension bridge over the Kentucky River. (Roebling lived in Danville during the construction.) Despite the railroad not being completed to Danville, the county still owed the company $150,000. It completed payment on time in 1884.^[11][14]

In 1860, a fire devastated the city, destroying 64 buildings and causing more than $300,000 in damages. Boyle County's courthouse was destroyed; its replacement was completed in 1862.^[9] After the Union won the Battle of Perryville in the Civil War on October 8, 1862, it appropriated many Danville buildings, including the courthouse, 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. By 1889 Boyle County was one of the ten Kentucky counties which together produced more than 90% of the US yield. 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 city demolished this business sector under urban renewal in the 1970s to provide 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]

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

• U.S. Route 127 bisects Danville northwest (Harrodsburg) to south (Liberty).
• U.S. Route 150 bisects Danville west (Perryville, Springfield) to southeast (Stanford).
• U.S. Route 127 and U.S. Route 150 also bypass Danville on the west and south.
• Kentucky Route 33 enters Danville from north (Burgin, Versailles).
• Kentucky Route 34 connects Danville northeast to U.S. Route 27 and on to Lexington.
• Kentucky Route 52 connects Danville east to Lancaster.

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.		%±
1800	270		—
1810	432		60.0%
1830	849		—
1840	1,223		44.1%
1850	2,150		75.8%
1860	4,962		130.8%
1870	2,542		−48.8%
1880	3,074		20.9%
1890	3,766		22.5%
1900	4,285		13.8%
1910	5,420		26.5%
1920	5,699		5.1%
1930	6,729		18.1%
1940	6,734		0.1%
1950	8,686		29.0%
1960	9,010		3.7%
1970	11,542		28.1%
1980	12,942		12.1%
1990	12,420		−4.0%
2000	15,477		24.6%
2010	16,218		4.8%
Est. 2015	16,690	[21]	2.9%
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

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:

• Danville Christian Academy^[25]
• Danville Montessori School^[26]

Colleges and universities

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

Four other colleges and universities have campuses in Danville:

• Bluegrass Community and Technical College
• Eastern Kentucky University
• Midway University
• American National University

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

• Centre College is a top liberal arts college; it hosted the 2000 and 2012 Vice Presidential debates.
• Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge is a 500-acre (200 ha) nature preserve.^[28][29]
• Chateau du Vieux Corbeau Winery produces wine from local grapes and fruit.^[30]
• Community Arts Center is an historic Beaux Arts building, formerly the Federal Building, that is a hub for local artist activity.^[31]
• Confederate Monument is an early 20th-century statue dedicated to Kentucky's Civil War veterans.
• Constitution Square is a park containing restored and recreated frontier buildings; the first Kentucky constitution was written and signed here.
• Crow-Barbee House is the oldest stone structure west of the Allegheny Mountains.^[30]
• Danville National Cemetery contains Union soldiers who died during the Battle of Perryville.
• Ephraim McDowell House Museum is the house where Ephraim McDowell performed his groundbreaking ovariotomy.
• Great American Dollhouse Museum is a 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) social history museum in miniature.^[32]
• Jones Visual Arts Center is a gallery and primary studio for internationally known glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell.
• Perryville Battlefield is a park that preserves a significant Civil War battlefield.
• Wilderness Trail Distillery produces bourbon, "Kentucky whiskey," rum, and vodka from locally grown grains.

Theater

Four venues for theatrical productions live in Danville.

• The Norton Center for the Arts is a state-of-the-art host for performing and visual arts events throughout the year.
• Pioneer Playhouse is the oldest outdoor theater in Kentucky, and the first theater officially designated as Kentucky's state theater. It features summer-stock productions using local and nationally-known artists.
• West T. Hill Community Theatre is a community theater with an acclaimed company of actors.^[33]
• Gravely Hall Performing Arts Center is located in Danville High School and is home to the performing arts in the Danville Schools system.^[34]

Annual events

• The Great American Brass Band Festival (June) is a free, three-day outdoor festival that features performances from brass bands from throughout the country. Other events have joined the festival like picnics, wine festivals, bourbon tastings, and the Great American Balloon Race.^[35]
• The Boyle County Fair (June) is a fun-filled county fair.^[36]
• Kentucky's Governor's School for the Arts (July) at Center College provides an educational springboard for young artists from around the state.^[37]
• The Kentucky State BBQ Festival (September) provides good music and good food from some of the country's best BBQ pitmasters.^[38]
• Oktoberfest (September) closes Main Street for a celebration.^[39]
• The Forkland Heritage Festival (October) celebrates the culture of an historic community.^[40]
• Perryville Battle Reenactment (October) is an authentic reliving of one of Kentucky's most significant Civil War battles.^[41]
• Bourbon Chase (October) is a 200-mile relay footrace through central Kentucky. Danville is a major exchange point.^[42][43]

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

• Raintree County (1957) is a big-budget, epic film set during the Civil War. A short film, Operation Raintree, was shot to promote Raintree County.
• Treasure of Matecumbe (1976) is a Walt Disney Productions family adventure film.
• Child of Glass (1978) is a made-for-TV movie distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
• Lawn Dogs (1997) is a drama film released by Rank Organisation
• Summerstock (2002), by Robby Henson, chronicled a year in the busy, eccentric life of Pioneer Playhouse.

Sister cities

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

• Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom^[44]

Notable people

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

• John Boyle (1774–1834), U.S. federal judge and U.S. Representative; Boyle County, Kentucky, was named after him
• John C. Breckinridge (1821–1875), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Vice President of the United States, U.S. presidential candidate, Confederate States Secretary of War
• Jordan Gay, NFL player
• John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911), U.S. Supreme Court Justice; "The Great Dissenter"
• Larnelle Harris (1947-), Grammy and Dove Award-winning gospel singer and songwriter
• Ephraim McDowell (1771–1830), physician, first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor
• Theodore O'Hara (1820–1867), poet and soldier
• Hugh L. Scott (1853–1934), Superintendent of West Point, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in World War I
• Isaac Shelby (1750–1826), first and fifth governor of Kentucky, soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the American Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812
• Jacob Tamme, NFL player
• Frank X Walker (1961-), Kentucky's first African-American Poet Laureate

Major employers

Major employers include:^[45]

See also

• Junction City, Kentucky, a nearby city originally known as Danville Junction and South Danville

References

Further reading

• Fackler, Calvin Morgan (July 1939). "Walker Daniel, the Founder of Danville". Filson Club History Quarterly. 13 (3). Retrieved 2011-11-30. 
• Price, William Jennings (October 1940). "Danville Was the First Post Office Established in Kentucky and in the Territory Beyond the Alleghenies". Filson Club History Quarterly. 14 (4). Retrieved 2011-11-30. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Danville, Kentucky.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Danville, Kentucky.

• City of Danville official website
• Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Danville, Boyle County Chamber of Commerce
• Danville/Boyle County Economic Development Partnership
• Downtown Danville: The Heart of Danville Main Street Program