Georgetown is a home rule-class city in Scott County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, United States. The population was 37,086 at the 2020 census. It is the 6th-largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair ...

of its county. It was originally called Lebanon when founded by Rev. Elijah Craig and was renamed in 1790 in honor of President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

. It is the home of Georgetown College, a private

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual ca ...

. Georgetown is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. At one time the city served as the training camp home for the NFL's

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...

. The city's growth began in the mid-1980s, when Toyota built Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, its first wholly owned United States plant, in Georgetown. The plant opened in 1988; it builds the Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Lexus ES, and RAV4 Hybrid automobiles.

History

Native peoples have lived along the banks of Elkhorn Creek in what is now Scott County for at least 15,000 years. At the time of European encounter, the historic Shawnee people occupied this area. Anglo-American exploration can be dated to the late colonial period and a June 1774 surveying expedition from Fincastle County, Virginia, led by Colonel John Floyd. For his military service, he was granted a claim of in the area by the state of Virginia. He named it Royal Spring but did not settle it.''Kentucky Encyclopedia''
p. 371
"Georgetown". University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1992. Accessed July 26, 2013. John McClellan was the first English colonist to settle the area and established McClellan's Station there in 1775, but the compound was abandoned following an Indian attack on December 29, 1776. In 1782, the

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...

preacher Elijah Craig led his congregation to the site from Orange County, Virginia, and established a new settlement which he called Lebanon. This was incorporated by the Virginia legislature in 1784. At the time, Virginia claimed this territory under its colonial charter. Craig established some of the first mills west of the

Appalachian Mountain The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

s along the Royal Spring Branch, where he also manufactured cloth and paper. He also founded a distillery in 1789, as well as a school called the Rittenhouse Academy. This eventually developed as Georgetown College. The city's name was changed to George Town in honor of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

in 1790. When

became the 15th U.S. state in 1792 and formed Scott County, George Town became the county seat. Its name was formally changed to Georgetown in 1846. The county developed an agricultural economy, as it was part of the fertile Bluegrass Region. Planters cultivated tobacco and hemp, and raised blooded livestock, including Thoroughbred racehorses, and cattle and sheep. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, Kentucky stayed in the Union. Georgetown was raided by Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan twice, once on July 15, 1862, and the second time on July 10, 1864. Following the war, the town became a railroad hub, connected to the

Cincinnati Southern The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (abbreviated: CNO&TP; ) is a railroad that leases the Cincinnati Southern Railway from Cincinnati, Ohio, south to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and sub leases it to the Norfolk Southern Railway sys ...

, the Louisville Southern, and the Frankfort & Cincinnati. The last was considered the "whiskey route" and carried much of the region's bourbon to markets along the Ohio River. In 1896 a girl's academy was founded by the Catholic Sisters of Visitation. The school closed in 1987, and was adapted as the Cardome Centre. It previously served as a community center for the city of Georgetown, but was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Lexington in 2019.

20th century to present

Throughout the 20th century, Georgetown has been in transition from an economy based primarily on agriculture, to one mixing manufacturing, small business, and the family farm. During the 1960s, the construction of Interstate 75 placed the city on one of the nation's busiest highways. The selection of Georgetown as the site of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in 1985 has resulted in the greatest period of growth in the city's history. The historic

Ward Hall Ward Hall may refer to: *Ward Hall (Georgetown, Kentucky) Ward Hall is a Greek Revival antebellum plantation mansion located in Georgetown, Kentucky. The main house covers , with high Corinthian fluted columns. History The mansion was built ...

, now home to The Ward Hall Preservation Foundation, is located just outside Georgetown. Ward Hall was the summer home of Junius Ward. The home represents the height of the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

period of architecture in Kentucky and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

(NRHP). The Georgetown business section has a historic district known as the Oxford Historic District. It is also listed on the NRHP.

Geography

Georgetown is located north of

Lexington Lexington may refer to: Places England * Laxton, Nottinghamshire, formerly Lexington Canada * Lexington, a district in Waterloo, Ontario United States * Lexington, Kentucky, the largest city with this name * Lexington, Massachusetts, the oldes ...

in the Bluegrass region of the state. Major highways that run through the city include Interstate 75 and US Routes 25, 62, and

460 __NOTOC__ Year 460 ( CDLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magnus and Apollonius (or, less frequently, year 1213 ''Ab u ...

. Numerous state highways run through the city. I-75 runs to the east of downtown, with access from exits 125, 126, 127, and 129. Via I-75, downtown Lexington is 16 mi (26 km) south, and

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

is 69 mi (111 km) north. US 25 runs through the center of town, leading south to Lexington and north 22 mi (35 km) to

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part ...

. US 62 runs along the southern and eastern part of the city as a bypass, leading northeast 21 mi (34 km) to Cynthiana and southwest 11 mi (18 km) to Midway. US 460 runs east−west through the town, leading east 17 mi (27 km) to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

and west 18 mi (29 km) to Frankfort, the state capital. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Georgetown has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen ''Cfa''), with warm summers and moderately cold winters. Precipitation is relatively well spread (although the late spring and summer months are typically wetter), with an average of .

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 29,098 people 10,733 households, and 7,452 families in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 11,957 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 87.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 7.0%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.9% from other races, and 2.1% from

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.3% of the population. There were 10,733 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09. The age distribution was 27.9% under 18 and 8.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.7 years. The median income for a household in the city was $51,692. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $24,376. About 13.9% of the population was below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

Economy

Top employers

According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

Georgetown has a lending library, the Scott County Public Library.

Education

Georgetown College is a private liberal arts college located in the downtown area of Georgetown. Baptist Seminary of Kentucky is a seminary in Georgetown. Public education in Georgetown and Scott County consists of a preschool center serving special needs and economically at-risk students aged 3–5, nine

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

s (grades K–5), three

middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

s (grades 6–8) and two

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

s (grades 9–12). These schools are all part of the Scott County Schools system. Plans had been in progress for an additional high school and middle school within the city limits during the 2010s due to the expanding population. The district chose not to build a new middle school, opting instead to expand one of its three existing middle schools, but opened a new high school and a new elementary school in 2019. Scott County High School also houses a separate (though still attached) wing for students in the

ninth grade Ninth grade, freshman year, or grade 9 is the ninth year of school education in some school systems. Ninth grade is often the first school year of high school in the United States, or the last year of middle/junior high school. In some countrie ...

, called the Ninth Grade Center, which was developed to ease the transition for students between middle school and high school. Elkhorn Crossing School, which had been a detached campus of Scott County High before the 2019 opening of Great Crossing High School, provides some sophomores and juniors at both high schools with a curriculum that integrates academic and career-based disciplines. Another unique feature, the Alternative School, is also part of the Scott County High School educational complex. The Alternative School strives to educate students who may have difficulties in a normal classroom setting (for example, those with disciplinary or other concerns). Public schools located within Georgetown and Scott County include: * Creekside Elementary School * Garth Elementary * Northern Elementary * Southern Elementary * Eastern Elementary * Western Elementary * Anne Mason Elementary * Stamping Ground Elementary * Lemons Mill Elementary * Royal Spring Middle School * Georgetown Middle School * Scott County Middle School *

Great Crossing High School Great Crossing High School is a public high school in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States that opened in August 2019. It is operated by Scott County Schools (SCS), which oversees all public K–12 education in Scott County, Kentucky Scott Cou ...

* Scott County High School * Phoenix Horizon Academy Private education in Georgetown and Scott County includes St. John elementary and middle school, Providence Christian Academy elementary and middle school, and Keystone Montessori elementary school.

Media

Georgetown's newspaper, the ''Georgetown News-Graphic'', prints on Tuesday and Friday. Residents of the area commonly subscribe to this locally geared newspaper in addition to the larger

daily newspaper, the '' Lexington Herald-Leader''.Georgetown News-Graphic
Accessed May 13, 2013.

Infrastructure

Healthcare

Georgetown has one hospital, Georgetown Community Hospital, operated by

LifePoint Health LifePoint Health is an American company that provides healthcare services in growing regions, rural communities and small towns. It was established in 1999 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. As of November 16, 2018, it operated 89 hospi ...

UK HealthCare UK HealthCare is the health care system that is based on the campus of the University of Kentucky (UK) in Lexington, Kentucky. It consists of the university's hospitals, clinics, outreach locations, and patient care services along with UKs he ...

and Baptist Health Lexington have regional campuses in Georgetown. Georgetown also has many nursing facilities, including Signature HealthCARE of Georgetown, Windsor Gardens Retirement Community, and Dover Manor Nursing Home.

Notable people

* William E. Applegate (1851–1928) – thoroughbred bookmaker, breeder, racer and track owner. Born in Georgetown. *

Mike Ayers Mike Ayers (born May 26, 1948) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at East Tennessee State University from 1985 to 1987 and Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina from 1988 to 2017, compiling caree ...

(1948– ) – former football coach for East Tennessee State University and Wofford College *

Benjamin Franklin Bradley Benjamin Franklin Bradley (October 5, 1825 – January 22, 1897) was a politician in the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Biography Bradley was born in Georgetown in Scott County, Kentucky. He served in the ...

(1825−1897) – politician, representative to the Confederate States Congress from Kentucky. Born in Georgetown. * Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge (1826–1907) – wife of Vice-President John C. Breckinridge. Born in Georgetown. *

Stephen G. Burbridge Stephen Gano Burbridge (August 19, 1831 – December 2, 1894), also known as "Butcher" Burbridge or the "Butcher of Kentucky", was a controversial Union general during the American Civil War. In June 1864 he was given command over the Commonwealt ...

(1831–1894) – U.S. Army

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

during the

. Born in Georgetown. * Benjamin T. Cable (1853–1923) – politician, US Representative from Illinois. Born in Georgetown. *

J. Campbell Cantrill James Campbell Cantrill (July 9, 1870 – September 2, 1923) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Background Born in Georgetown, Kentucky to Jennie Moore and James Edward Campbell, Cantrill attended the common schools, Georgetown (Kentuc ...

(1870–1923) – politician, US Representative from Kentucky. Born in Georgetown. * James E. Cantrill (1839–1908) – politician, Lt. Governor of Kentucky, judge * Jean Murrell Capers (1913−2017) - Ohio state judge and Cleveland City Council member. Born in Georgetown. * Patricia Cooksey (1958– ) – jockey and horse racing commentator * Camille Cooper (1979– ) – WNBA player and attorney * Joe Cowley (baseball) (1958– ) – former Major League Baseball pitcher, who threw a no-hitter * Elijah Craig (1738−1808) – early Baptist preacher, educator and entrepreneur; worked on protecting religious freedom with

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for h ...

of Virginia *

Basil W. Duke Basil Wilson Duke (May 28, 1838 – September 16, 1916) was a Confederate general officer during the American Civil War. His most noted service in the war was as second-in-command for his brother-in-law John Hunt Morgan; Duke later wrote ...

(1838−1916) – lawyer and Confederate

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

during the Civil War. Born in Georgetown. *

Sandford C. Faulkner Sandford C. Faulkner (March 3, 1803August 4, 1874), better known as Sandy Faulkner, was an American planter, Humorist, raconteur and fiddler who personified the mid-19th century Folk music, folk song "The Arkansas Traveler (song), Arkansas Trav ...

(1803–1874) – composer of the song " The Arkansas Traveler". Born in Georgetown. *

Ukari Figgs Ukari Okien Figgs (born March 31, 1977) is an American former collegiate and professional women's basketball player. High School and College years Born in Georgetown, Kentucky, Figgs led the Scott County girls' basketball team to a state title i ...

(1977– ) – WNBA player and engineer * Eleanor Flexner (1908–1995) – feminist scholar and author. Born in Georgetown. * James Marion Frost (1848–1916) – pastor and author. Born in Georgetown. * A. W. Hamilton (1980− ) – head men's basketball coach at Eastern Kentucky University *

William H. Hatch William Henry Hatch (September 11, 1833 – December 23, 1896) was a U.S. Representative from Missouri. He was the namesake of the Hatch Act of 1887, which established state agricultural experiment stations for the land-grant colleges. Hatch i ...

(1833−1896) – politician, US Representative from Missouri. Born in Georgetown. * John Hunter Herndon (1813–1878) – Texas lawyer, judge and railroad president. Born in Georgetown. * Harrison E. Howe (1881–1942) – chemical engineer, editor and author. Born in Georgetown. *

Tom L. Johnson Tom Loftin Johnson (July 18, 1854 – April 10, 1911) was an American industrialist, Georgist politician, and important figure of the Progressive Era and a pioneer in urban political and social reform. He was a U.S. Representative from 1891 to ...

(1854−1911) – US Representative from Ohio 1891–95, Mayor of Cleveland 1901–1909. Born in Georgetown. * James McHall Jones (1823–1851) – US District Judge. Born in Georgetown. *

Larry D Lawrence Jones (born January 25, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is best known for his time with Impact Wrestling, where he performed under the ring name Larry D. Professional wrestling career Impact Wrestling (2019� ...

(1984– ) – professional wrestler and promoter * Amy McGrath (1975– ) − US Marine aviator and politician * Broadus Mitchell (1892–1988) – historian, author and professor. Born in Georgetown. * Fountain E. Pitts (1808–1874) – influential Methodist minister. Born in Georgetown. * Charles Edward Pogue (1950– ) – screenwriter, playwright and actor * Dale Polley (1965– ) – former Major League Baseball pitcher * Phillip Pratt (1955– ) – politician in the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 62nd district * Ryan Quarles (1983– ) – politician, Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky * Dallas Robinson (1982– ) − 2014 Olympian-soldier; sole Olympian from Kentucky in the Sochi Russia Games * James Fisher Robinson (1800−1882) – politician, 22nd Governor of Kentucky. Federal Governor during the Civil War. Cardome in Georgetown was his family home. * John McCracken Robinson (1794−1893) – politician, US Senator from Illinois. Born in Georgetown. * Nancy Schoonmaker (1873–1965) – author, politician and suffragist. Born in Georgetown. * Jackson Showalter (1859–1935) – five-time U.S. chess champion *

Nellie Showalter Nellie Love Marshall Showalter (August 19, 1870 – March 25, 1946) was an American women's chess champion, and wife of the U.S. chess champion Jackson Showalter. Early life Nellie Love Marshall was born in Brookfield, Missouri and raised in Done ...

(1870–1946) – American women's chess champion * Gustavus Woodson Smith (1821−1896) – General in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; Confederate Secretary of War in 1862 *

Hayden Stevenson Hayden Stevenson (July 2, 1877 – January 31, 1952) was an American film actor. He appeared in 108 films between 1915 and 1942. He was born in Georgetown, Kentucky and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography * '' The Great ...

(1877–1952) – film actor. Born in Georgetown. *

Barton W. Stone Barton Warren Stone (December 24, 1772 – November 9, 1844) was an American evangelist during the early 19th-century Second Great Awakening in the United States. First ordained a Presbyterian minister, he and four other ministers of the Washingt ...

(1772−1844) –

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

and Restorationist preacher of the

Second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The Second Great Awakening, which spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, sparked a number of reform movements. R ...

; founded the Restoration Movement with Alexander Campbell * Steve Zahn (1967− ) – actor; lives on a horse farm near Georgetown

Photo gallery

Sister city

Georgetown has one

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

, as designated by

Sister Cities International Sister Cities International (SCI) is a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between communities in the United States and those in other countries, particularly through the establishment of " sister citie ...

: * Tahara, Aichi, Japan

References

External links

Official city government site

Official tourism site

Georgetown/Scott County Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control 1784 establishments in Virginia Cities in Kentucky County seats in Kentucky Cities in Scott County, Kentucky Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area