Loretto is a city in
Lawrence County,
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2010 census, and 1,739 at the 2020 census.
History
Loretto began as a stagecoach station known as "Glen Rock" in the early 19th century. In 1870, a number of German Catholic immigrants settled in the Loretto area, and a new city was established shortly afterward. Some sources suggest the name "Loretto" was inspired by the
Loreto region in Italy, while others say the city was named for a sainted nun.
The congregation the immigrants formed, the
Sacred Heart Church of Jesus, still exists, and their church (built in 1912) 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 v ...
. With the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s, Loretto thrived as a lumber town.
[Larry Miller, ]
Tennessee Place Names
' (Indiana University Press, 2001), p. 126.[Welcome to Loretto, Tennessee]
" Loretto official website. Accessed 2 November 2016.
Other historic buildings include the Bank of Loretto building, which was built in the 1920s. The Bank of Loretto building was renovated in 2013 and housed Nana's Pizzeria, which closed in late 2020. The building now houses The Noble Fox restaurant. Next door to the old Loretto bank building was Weathers Store and Myers Store. They sold general merchandise to generations of families. Steps down the street lies the Loretto Milling Company, established in 1895 and still open for business, making it one of the oldest family-run businesses in the city. Other businesses located in this district included a doctor's office, cobbler's shop, cafes, hotels, and a funeral home. There was also a stage coach stop, and then later on a bus depot. The historic downtown area began to decline following the construction of
U.S. Route 43
U.S. Route 43 (US 43) is a north–south United States Highway in the Southern United States, Southern states of Alabama and Tennessee. It travels from Prichard, Alabama, to Columbia, Tennessee. The highway's southern terminus is in Pr ...
to the east of the district in the 1940s, when its commercial activity shifted to the new highway. Like many Southern towns, Loretto is applying for grants to help revive the older historic district.
Loretto is the home of the Loretto High School Mustangs.
Geography
Loretto is located at (35.078401, -87.439023).
The city is situated on a relatively broad ridgetop between the
Shoal Creek Valley to the west and Bluewater Creek to the east.
U.S. Route 43
U.S. Route 43 (US 43) is a north–south United States Highway in the Southern United States, Southern states of Alabama and Tennessee. It travels from Prichard, Alabama, to Columbia, Tennessee. The highway's southern terminus is in Pr ...
connects Loretto with
Lawrenceburg to the northeast and the
Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the populati ...
area in Alabama to the southwest.
Tennessee State Route 227
State Route 227 (SR 227) is a east–west state highway in extreme southern Middle Tennessee. It is the only state highway in Tennessee that both begins and ends at the Alabama state line, with one end at Cypress Inn and the other just across th ...
connects Loretto with rural Lawrence County and
Lexington, Alabama, to the southeast (the road becomes
Alabama State Route 101
State Route 101 (SR 101) is a north–south state highway in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. The southern terminus of the highway is at an intersection with County Route 460 (CR 460), the former route o ...
at the state line).
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 the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and 0.27% is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 1,739 people, 703 households, and 455 families residing in the city.
2000 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 incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,665 people, 681 households, and 486 families residing 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 RosenberPopul ...
was 442.3 people per square mile (171.0/km
2). There were 735 housing units at an average density of 195.3 per square mile (75.5/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.14%
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 on ...
, 0.60%
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 ...
, 0.30%
Native American, 0.18%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.24% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.54% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.02% of the population.
![Loretto-Mustang-Cafe-tn1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Loretto-Mustang-Cafe-tn1.jpg)
There were 681 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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 t ...
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,528, and the median income for a family was $35,952. Males had a median income of $29,940 versus $21,250 for females. 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 $18,195. About 9.5% of families and 13.6% of the population were 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 t ...
, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
Grace & Tony, country music artists
*
Robert Hitchcock Spain
Robert Hitchcock Spain (October 26, 1925 – September 9, 2022) was an American bishop of the United Methodist Church who was elected in 1988.
Birth and family
Spain was born in Loretto, Tennessee, on October 26, 1925, the son of James Thomas an ...
, Methodist bishop
*
David Weathers
John David Weathers (born September 25, 1969) is an American former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 ...
,
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher
*
Ryan Weathers
Ryan Weathers (born December 17, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2020 with the San Diego Padres.
Amateur career
Weathers attended Loretto High Scho ...
,
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher, son of David Weathers
*
John Paul White
John Paul White (born August 4, 1972) is an American singer-songwriter, and was a member of the Grammy Award-winning duo The Civil Wars. He restarted his solo career with his 2016 release, ''Beulah''.
Early life
White was born in Muscle Shoals ...
, member of
The Civil Wars
The Civil Wars were an American musical duo composed of Joy Williams (singer), Joy Williams and John Paul White. Formed in 2008, The Civil Wars won four Grammy Awards prior to their 2014 breakup.
History
2008–2010
Both Williams and White h ...
Americana (music)
Americana (also known as American roots music) is an amalgam of Music of the United States, American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States, specifically those sounds ...
duo
References
External links
*
*
Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Loretto— information on local government, elections, and link to charter
{{authority control
Cities in Tennessee
Cities in Lawrence County, Tennessee