Winchester, Tennessee

Winchester, Tennessee
—  City  —
Franklin County Courthouse in Winchester
Location of Winchester, Tennessee
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Tennessee
County Franklin
Area
 • Total 10.7 sq mi (27.6 km2)
 • Land 10.0 sq mi (25.8 km2)
 • Water 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2)
Elevation 978 ft (298 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 7,329
 • Density 734.6/sq mi (283.6/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 37398
Area code(s) 931
FIPS code 47-81080[1]
GNIS feature ID 1274848[2]

Winchester is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Tennessee, United States.[3] It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

History

Winchester was created as the seat of justice for Franklin County by act of the Tennessee Legislature on November 22, 1809. The town is named for James Winchester, a soldier in the American Revolution, first Speaker of the Tennessee Legislature, and a Brigadier General in the War of 1812. The Mary Sharp College (originally the Tennessee and Alabama Female Institute) was founded in 1851 by Dr. Z. C. Graves and the Baptist Church. Though a women's college, it offered a classical curriculum based upon what was being offered at the time by Amherst College, Brown University, and the University of Virginia. It closed in 1896. [1]

The city was occupied first by Confederate and then by Union troops during the Civil War. It lay on the line of retreat to Chattanooga followed by the Confederate Army of Tennessee during the campaign of 1863.

Recreation in Winchester received a significant boost when the Tennessee Valley Authority started construction of the Tims Ford Dam along the Elk River in 1966. The project was complete in 1972 and Tims Ford Lake is now known for excellent boating and bass fishing opportunities.

The city hosts an annual Dogwood Festival each April.

Geography

Winchester is located at (35.188390, -86.112525)[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (28 km2), of which, 10.0 square miles (26 km2) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of it (6.47%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 7,329 people, 2,992 households, and 2,013 families residing in the city. The population density was 734.6 people per square mile (283.5/km²). There were 3,318 housing units at an average density of 332.6 per square mile (128.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.51% White, 12.35% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population.

There were 2,992 households out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $41,183. Males had a median income of $31,959 versus $21,629 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,533. About 13.3% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under age 18 and 19.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

Notable citizens of Winchester have included four governors of Tennessee:[5]

Three natives of the city have been formally honored by the British Crown:[5]

Winchester was also the birthplace of:[5]

In addition, President Andrew Jackson once owned considerable property in the town.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  5. ^ a b c d Winchester at a Glance, City of Winchester website, accessed December 1, 2008
  6. ^ Fandrich, Julia W. "Ida Beasley Elliott: Distinguished Missionary from Franklin County." Franklin County Historical Review 18 (1987): 71-76

External links