Richmond, Kentucky

Richmond, Kentucky
City

Madison County courthouse, Richmond, with flags at half-staff in honor of Veterans Day (2007).
Nickname(s): Home Of Kentucky's Finest
Motto: "The City That Works"

Location of Richmond, Kentucky
Coordinates: 37°44′41″N 84°17′37″W / 37.74472°N 84.29361°WCoordinates: 37°44′41″N 84°17′37″W / 37.74472°N 84.29361°W
Country United States
State Kentucky
County Madison
Government
 • Type City Mayor/Manager
 • Mayor Gregg Allman
 • Manager Jimmy Howard
Area
 • Total 19.3 sq mi (49.9 km2)
 • Land 19.1 sq mi (49.5 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation 948 ft (289 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 31,364
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 40475-40476
Area code(s) 859
FIPS code 21-65226
GNIS feature ID 0501827
Website richmond.ky.us

Richmond is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Kentucky, United States.[1] It is named after Richmond, Virginia, and is the home of Eastern Kentucky University. The population was 31,364 at the 2010 census.[2] Richmond is the third-largest city in the Bluegrass region (after Louisville and Lexington), the state's seventh-largest city (after Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Covington, and Hopkinsville), and the largest city between Lexington and Knoxville located along Interstate 75. Richmond serves as the center for work and shopping for south-central Kentucky. Richmond is the principal city of the Richmond–Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Madison and Rockcastle counties.

History

The City of Richmond was founded in 1798 by Colonel John Miller from Virginia, a British American who had served with the rebels in the Revolutionary War. According to tradition, Miller was attracted to the area by the good spring water and friendly Native Americans. That year, the Kentucky legislature approved moving the county seat from Milford to land owned by Colonel Miller. The residents of Milford adamantly opposed the move, which led to a fist fight between Dave Kennedy (representing Milford) and William Kearly (representing Richmond). The county approved the move in March 1798. On July 4, 1798, the new town was named Richmond in honor of Miller's Virginia birthplace.[3] Richmond was incorporated in 1809.[4]

Kentucky was a border state during the Civil War and stayed in the Union. On August 30, 1862, during the Civil War, the Union and Confederate Armies clashed in the Battle of Richmond. Troops under Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith routed the soldiers of Union General William Nelson. Out of Nelson's 6,500 men, only 1,200 escaped; the rest were all captured.[5] One historian called this battle "the nearest thing to a Cannae ever scored by any general, North or South, in the course of the whole war." [6]

In 1906, Eastern Kentucky State Normal School was founded in Richmond to train teachers. There were eleven members of the first graduating class in 1909. By 1922 it had expanded its curriculum to a four-year program and was established as a college. It added graduate-degree programs in 1935. In recognition of its academic departments and research, in 1965 the institution was renamed as Eastern Kentucky University.[7]

In the late 1990s and through the first decade of the 21st century, Richmond had a commercial and residential boom related to other development in the Bluegrass Region. As of 2009, Richmond was Kentucky's seventh-largest city, moving up four places from ranking in the 2000 census as Kentucky's eleventh-largest city.[8]

Transportation

Public transportation

The City of Richmond does not have a public transportation service and have no intentions of providing the public with one.

Interstate highways

US Highways

Kentucky State Highways

Railroad

Richmond lies on the old Louisville and Nashville mainline, which originally in 1880 linked Cincinnati, Lexington, Knoxville and Chattanooga, and, as of 2014, is part of the CSX Transportation system.[9]

Geography

Richmond is located at 37°44′41″N 84°17′37″W / 37.74472°N 84.29361°W (37.744720, -84.293562).[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (50 km2), of which 19.1 square miles (49 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2)(0.73%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Richmond has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[11]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1800110—
1810366232.7%
1830947—
1840822−13.2%
1850411−50.0%
1860845105.6%
18701,62992.8%
18802,90978.6%
18905,07374.4%
19004,653−8.3%
19105,34014.8%
19205,6225.3%
19306,49515.5%
19407,33512.9%
195010,26840.0%
196012,16818.5%
197016,86138.6%
198021,70528.7%
199021,183−2.4%
200027,25728.7%
201031,36415.1%
U.S. Census[12]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 27,152 people, 10,795 households, and 5,548 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,420.4 people per square mile (548.3/km²). There were 11,857 housing units at an average density of 620.3/sq mi (239.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.30% White, 8.27% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.

There were 10,795 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.2% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.5% under the age of 18, 31.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,533, and the median income for a family was $36,222. Males had a median income of $30,817 versus $22,053 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,815. About 16.6% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 19.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Richmond is served by the Madison County School System.[14] Schools located in Richmond include:

Elementary schools

Middle schools

High schools

Private schools

Post-secondary education

Law and government

Richmond operates under a council–manager government. The citizens elect a mayor and four city commissioners who form the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners is the legislative body of the city government and represents the interests of the citizens when applicable. The Board of Commissioners appoints a city manager, who administers the day-to-day operations of the city.

The mayor is elected for a term of four years. Each city commissioner is elected for a term of two years. The term of the city manager is indefinite.

Cityscape

The city has numerous parks, the most prominent being Lake Reba Recreational Complex. Paradise Cove, the city's aquatic center, is located in the complex, along with a putt-putt golf course, separate regulation sports fields for football, soccer, baseball and softball; a horse shoe pit, and a playground.

view of Lake Reba in Richmond, Kentucky from the fishing dock.

The downtown business district includes many Victorian-style structures, including the Glyndon Hotel, giving it historic interest and character. The only high rise in the downtown area is Madison Towers.

The majority of the city's high rises are located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), which include the 20-story Commonwealth Hall, the 16-story Keene Hall, the 13-story Telford Hall, and two 12-story buildings, Todd and Dupree halls.

The 2,000-seat EKU Center for the Arts was completed in 2011 on Lancaster Avenue. The center houses the only theater in central Kentucky with a "fly system," which allows the quick changing of sets suitable for Broadway-type performances. The performing arts center has already hosted several notable events, including Mannheim Steamroller, Garrison Keillor, Wynton Marsalis, "Riverdance," Monty Python's "Spamalot," the Munich Symphony Orchestra, The Temptations, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, and the popular NPR radio program, "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!"[15]

Economy

The Richmond economy is supported by many diverse entities:[16]

Media

Newspaper

The Eastern Progress - weekly (Student publication of Eastern Kentucky University)[17]

The Richmond Register - daily (owned by Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.)[18]

Radio stations

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  2. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  3. ↑ Chamber of Commerce website, "City History", retrieved August 28, 2009.
  4. ↑ Collins, Lewis (1877). History of Kentucky. p. 493.
  5. ↑ The History Channel website. "This Day in History: August 30, 1862- The Battle of Richmond, Kentucky," retrieved August 28, 2009.
  6. ↑ Foote, Shelby, The Civil War, A Narrative: Fort Sumter to Perryville, Random House, 1958, ISBN 0-394-49517-9
  7. ↑ Eastern Kentucky University website, "About Eastern Kentucky University", retrieved August 28, 2009
  8. ↑ US Census, "Kentucky by Place", retrieved July 28, 2010
  9. ↑ Cincinnati Southern Railway historical note
  10. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. ↑ Climate Summary for Richmond, Kentucky
  12. ↑ url=http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2009-04-21.csv Retrieved on 2010-12-4
  13. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  14. ↑ Madison County Schools website, retrieved August 28,2 009.
  15. ↑ EKU Center for the Arts, Eastern Kentucky University
  16. ↑ Richmond-Madison County Community Profile
  17. ↑ "Eastern Kentucky University". The Eastern Progress. 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  18. ↑ Community Newspaper Holdings website

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richmond, Kentucky.