Guthrie, KY

Guthrie, Kentucky
Location of Guthrie, Kentucky
Coordinates: 36°38′51″N 87°10′15″W / 36.6475, -87.17083
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Todd
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2000)
- City
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	42234
Area code(s)	270
FIPS code	21-33562
GNIS feature ID	0493506

Guthrie is a city in Todd County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,469 at the 2000 census. The city is named for James Guthrie, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad when the city was incorporated in 1867.^[1]

Geography

Guthrie is located at 36°38′51″N, 87°10′15″W (36.647396, -87.170725)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.5 km² (1.4 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 1,469 people, 593 households, and 377 families residing in the city. The population density was 417.0/km² (1,079.5/mi²). There were 657 housing units at an average density of 186.5/km² (482.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.60% White, 29.20% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.59% of the population.

There were 593 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,682, and the median income for a family was $31,083. Males had a median income of $27,868 versus $20,240 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,283. About 23.6% of families and 25.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.5% of those under age 18 and 25.6% of those age 65 or over.

GMAHC Project

Guthrie's Mayor Scott Marshall, along with Matthew Colin Bailey, city engineer Mike McGhee, and Ex:officio mayor of Elkton, Kentucky John Walton, and Senator Joey Pendleton partnered with the University of Kentucky's College of Design to reform the urban plan for the city of Guthrie. The city had been a problem area for the state of Kentucky since its decline in the 70s and later in the 1990's for a racial shooting that made headlines in national newspapers, television networks, and magazines. They began with plans for the restoration of a key building in the community,the GMAHC or Guthrie Multi-Cultural Arts and Heritage Center which is considered the "hub" for the urban renewal project. In December of 2007, Matthew Bailey and the College of Design created schematic plans to revive the two story Eastlake Style building. In May of 2007, the city received a grant from the State of Kentucky in the amount of $300,000 to begin the restoration of the GMAHC building into a a museum showcasing the farming industry of southern Kentucky.

District regionalism

Guthrie, Kentucky is considered to be the birthplace of "District Regionalism" The term was used by the University of Kentucky's College of Design to describe sectors or "villages" throughout the city, in the same way that major cities have boroughs. District Regionalism is inspired by the ancient organization of tribe-like villages. District Regionalism is the practice of organizing cities into types, or small village communities, by creating distinctive regional and cultural references and having all necessities met within walking distance inside those villages. Trouble neighborhoods are repaired not through destroying and rebuilding, and displacing residents, but by locating self help opportunities within these neighborhoods. District Regionalism opposes the socialist Jeffersonian or Roman grid. "Networks," or paths between landmarks, are created throughout cities to support walking, which places the city on the human scale rather than that of the automobile. The theory is based on the belief that life cannot be simply about getting from point A to point B, but must be about the journey in between those places. The District Regionalist city is created using a variety of methods. District Regionalism allows residents to transform creatively the places (public property) where they live. Diagonals and organic paths consisting of sidewalks are created through ruined and unused properties, creating permanent green spaces. Traffic is diverted away from areas that potentially will have heavy foot traffic. Public projects are allowed to take place on vacant public property. Landmarks are placed at the termination of every focal point within the city. This allows a destination at the end of every path. Each village is defined by a symbol of its own choosing and brands its symbol throughout the neighborhood.

Notable natives

• Robert Penn Warren - Pulitzer prize-winning novelist and poet
• Matthew Colin Bailey - Author, Columnist, and Designer
• Jamison Covington - Singer/Guitarist formerly of band JamisonParker

References

External links

Coordinates: 36.647396° N 87.170725° W

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