Harrodsburg

Harrodsburg, Kentucky
—  City  —
Downtown Harrodsburg
Location of Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Coordinates: 37°45′50″N 84°50′46″W / 37.76389°N 84.84611°W / 37.76389; -84.84611
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Mercer
Founded	1774-06-16
Area
- Total	5.3 sq mi (13.7 km2)
- Land	5.3 sq mi (13.7 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	850 ft (259 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	8,014
- Density	1,510.5/sq mi (583.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	40330
Area code(s)	859
FIPS code	21-34966
GNIS feature ID	0493831

Harrodsburg is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States.^[1] The population was 8,014 at the 2000 census. It is the oldest city in Kentucky.

History

Harrodsburg was founded in 1774 by James Harrod, the first city in Kentucky. It was initially known as Harrod's Town or Harrodstown. The settlement was abandoned as a result of attacks by Native Americans in Dunmore's War the same year, but was resettled in 1775. It was the scene of much fighting with Native Americans during the American Revolutionary War. Harrodsburg was the first seat of Kentucky County.^[2]

Harrodsburg was officially established by the Virginia legislature in 1785 and incorporated in 1836.^[2]

Company D of the 192nd Tank Battalion in the Battle of Bataan was from Harrodsburg.^[3]

Geography

Harrodsburg is located at 37°45′50″N 84°50′46″W / 37.76389°N 84.84611°W / 37.76389; -84.84611 (37.764019, -84.845974)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 sq mi (13.7 km²), all of it land.

Climate

Demographics

Mercer County Courthouse in Harrodsburg

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 8,014 people, 3,449 households, and 2,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,510.5 /sq mi (583.2 /km²). There were 3,709 housing units at an average density of 699.1 /sq mi (269.9 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.92% White, 7.52% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.15% of the population.

There were 3,449 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.

The age distribution was 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was US $27,500, and the median income for a family was $34,503. Males had a median income of $31,214 versus $21,216 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,327. About 14.2% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

See also

• Low Dutch Station

Notable natives

• Frances Wisebart Jacobs, philanthropist
• William Logan, politician
• Beriah Magoffin, Governor of Kentucky (1859 – 1862) and namesake of Magoffin County, Kentucky
• John Burton Thompson, politician

References

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Kleber, John E. (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington KY: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. 
3. ^ Life Magazine 1942
4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
5. ^ "Monthly Averages for Harrodsburg KY". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/outlook/events/sports/wxclimatology/monthly/USKY0983. 
6. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Harrodsburg, Kentucky

• Harrodsburg/Mercer County Tourist Commission
• Mercer County Chamber of Commerce
• Harrodsburg First, Inc.
• Kentucky Webcam

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Mercer County, Kentucky County seat: Harrodsburg Cities Burgin | Harrodsburg Unincorporated communities Duncan | Mayo | Pleasant Hill | Salvisa | Talmage