Prestonsburg, Kentucky

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Prestonsburg, the county seat ^GR6 of Floyd County is located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky on the banks of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. It was founded in 1797 by Col. John Preston--for whom it was named--along with Solomon Stratton, Matthias Harman and Andrew Hood. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,612.

1 Education
2 Culture
3 Recreation
4 Films
5 External links

[edit] Education

Prestonsburg's public schools are part of the Floyd County school system. The city is also home to Big Sandy Community and Technical College.

[edit] Culture

The Country Music Highway runs through Prestonsburg and celebrates the regions rich heritage of music. Country music stars including Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Naomi Judd, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T. Hall, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, and Patty Loveless are all from the Big Sandy Valley.

Prestonsburg is the location of the Mountain Arts Center, which hosts music concerts and is home to the Kentucky Opry.

Middle Creek National Battlefield is the site of one of the largest and most significant Civil War battles (January 10, 1862) in Eastern Kentucky.

Prestonsburg is home to the Samuel May House Living History Museum. It is the oldest known brick home remaining in the Big Sandy Valley. Built by Samuel May in 1817, the house was utilized by the Confederate forces as a recruiting station during the American Civil War. The 5th Kentucky Infantry CSA and 10th Kentucky Calvary was organized at this location. The house was being used as a residence until 1981 and was donated to the City of Prestonsburg in 1992. The Samuel May House has since been restored and maintained as a living history museum.

The Jenny Wiley Theatre is also located in Prestonsburg. It offers theatrical productions all year long at both the outdoor Jenny Wiley Amphitheatre, located within the Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, and the nearby Mountain Arts Center. The Theatre's presentations of classic Broadway musicals, comedies, historical dramas and holiday productions have kept theatre-goers entertained for the past 40 years.