Washington is a city in
Daviess County,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. The population was 11,509 at the time of the 2010 census. The city is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Daviess County.
It is also the principal city of the
Washington, Indiana Micropolitan Statistical Area, which comprises all of Daviess County and had an estimated 2017 population of 31,648.
History
Washington was
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...
ted in 1815. It was named from Washington Township.
The railroad was built through Washington in 1857. By 1889, it was a major depot and repair yard for the
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad
The Ohio and Mississippi Railway (earlier the Ohio and Mississippi Rail Road), abbreviated O&M, was a railroad operating between Cincinnati, Ohio, and East St. Louis, Illinois, from 1857 to 1893.
The railroad started in 1854 and paralleled the ...
. The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...
took over the line in 1893. During this time, the railroad employed over 1,000 workers.
On November 17, 2013, an EF2 tornado tore through the western edge of the city destroying 20 homes and severely damaging 20 others.
The
Magnus J. Carnahan House
Magnus J. Carnahan House is a historic home located at Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. It was built between 1896 and 1902, and is a -story, Queen Anne style brick dwelling on a raised basement. It features a round corner tower with a coni ...
,
Daviess County Courthouse,
Thomas Faith House
Thomas Faith House is a historic home located at Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. It was built in 1821, and is a -story, log, I-house. It has a -story, timber frame rear addition dating to the 19th century and attached two-car garage. It ...
,
Robert C. Graham House
Robert C. Graham House, also known as Mimi's House and the Kelly-Graham House, is a historic home located at Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. It was built in 1912, and is a large two-story, Prairie School style glazed red brick dwelling. ...
,
Dr. John A. Scudder House
Dr. John A. Scudder House is a historic home located at Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. It was built about 1861, and is a one-story, Second Empire style frame dwelling with a slate mansard roof. It is sheathed in weatherboard and rests ...
,
Washington Commercial Historic District, and
Dr. Nelson Wilson House
The Dr. Nelson Wilson House is a place on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, Indiana. It was placed on the Register on June 26, 2008, due to its unique architecture (a mix of Queen Anne and Eastlake), and for being the work ...
are 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 ...
.
Geography
Washington is located at (38.658207, -87.175111).
According to the 2010 census, Washington has a total area of , of which (or 99.22%) is land and (or 0.78%) is water.
Climate
Washington 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 Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
classification ''Cfa''), with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool to chilly with moderate snowfall, while summers are warm and humid.
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 incl ...
of 2010, there were 11,509 people, 4,558 households, and 2,849 families living 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 . There were 5,067 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.2%
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 ...
, 1.1%
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, 1.1%
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 ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 6.4% 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 1.9% 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 9.6% of the population.
There were 4,558 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% 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, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the city was 37.3 years. 25.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.
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 11,380 people, 4,658 households, and 2,897 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,077 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.30%
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 ...
, 0.91%
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, 0.39%
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 ...
, 0.05%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 2.20% 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 0.85% 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 4.15% of the population.
There were 4,658 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,055, and the median income for a family was $37,713. Males had a median income of $30,570 versus $19,306 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 $16,721. About 9.8% of families and 14.3% 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 19.3% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Highways
* - Interstate 69 bypasses the city to the east.
* / - US 50 and US 150 Bypass the city to the south.
* - SR 57 runs through downtown and runs north to
Plainville, and south to
Petersburg
* - SR 257 begins southeast of the city at the US 50/150 Bypass, and runs south to
Otwell
Education
The town has a free lending library, the Washington Carnegie Public Library.
Washington Community Schools include:
*
Washington High School
*Washington Junior High School
*Helen Griffith Elementary
*Lena Dunn Elementary
*North Elementary School
*Veale Elementary School
Arts and culture
Washington still retains a number of architecturally historical buildings. The Helphenstine House, built in 1847, displays
Greek Revival architecture
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 ...
styles. The
Robert C. Graham House
Robert C. Graham House, also known as Mimi's House and the Kelly-Graham House, is a historic home located at Washington, Daviess County, Indiana. It was built in 1912, and is a large two-story, Prairie School style glazed red brick dwelling. ...
was owned by an Indiana car manufacturer and was built in 1912. It is an example of
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...
's
Prairie School of Architecture
Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...
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 v ...
. It has marble fireplaces, crystal-glass French windows, a billiards room and parquet floors. On Main Street of Washington is the
Daviess County Historical Society Museum,
[http://daviesscountyhistory.net/] a collection of history related to Daviess County and Indiana. The museum features a funeral practices exhibit, a military history room, an art gallery, a Civil War display with an 1855 slave collar and a Civil War era regimental flag, a school room, and an archives room for genealogists as well as a gift shop.
The
Washington Browns
The Washington Browns were a minor league baseball team from Washington, Indiana, that played in the Class C Central League in 1897.
Team history
On February 7, 1897, the Washington Browns were formed as a charter member of the Class C Centra ...
was a
minor league baseball team in Washington that played in the
Class C Central League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consist ...
in 1897 and were immediately preceded by the
Washington Giants, who were members of the Independent level 1896
Kentucky-Indiana League.
Notable people
*
Eric Bassler
Eric S. Bassler is an American politician and financial advisor serving as a member of the Indiana Senate from the 39th district. He assumed office on November 5, 2014.
Early life and education
Bassler was born and raised in Washington, Indian ...
, member of the
Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms ...
*
Charles "Bud" Dant
Charles "Bud" Dant (born Charles Gustave Dant; June 21, 1907, Washington, Indiana – October 31, 1999, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) was an American musician, arranger and composer. In the 1930s, he attended and graduated Indiana University's School of Mu ...
, musician
*
David "Big Dave" DeJernett
David "Big Dave" DeJernett (February 22, 1912 – August 4, 1964) was a pioneer of integration in early basketball in the United States. He is best known for leading the integrated Washington Hatchets to the Indiana state title as a high school ...
, basketball player
*
Don C. Faith, Jr.,
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
officer
*
Esther G. Frame
Esther G. Frame (, Gordon; July 10, 1840 – June 11, 1920) was an American minister and evangelist. She was a minister of the Quakers, Society of Friends church for over 40 years, often working closely with ministers of other denominations. ''Th ...
(1840-1920), Quaker minister and evangelist
*
Chuck Harmon
Charles Byron Harmon (April 23, 1924 – March 19, 2019) was an American professional baseball utility player in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the Cincinnati Redlegs (1954–1956), St. Louis Cardinals (1956–1957), and Philadelphia ...
, baseball player
*
Anthony R. Jones, United States Army lieutenant general
*
Leo Klier, basketball player
*
Patrick Summers
Patrick Summers (born August 14, 1963) is an American conductor best known for his work with Houston Grand Opera (HGO), where he has been the artistic and music director since 2011, and with San Francisco Opera, where he served as principal gue ...
, conductor
*
Charles Thorn, string theorist
*
Cody Zeller, basketball player
*
Luke Zeller, basketball player
*
Tyler Zeller
Tyler Paul Zeller (born January 17, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of North Carolina, where as a freshman he played on their 2009 national championship team and as a seni ...
, basketball player
References
External links
City of Washington, Indiana WebsiteWashington Times Herald Website*
*
{{authority control
Cities in Indiana
Communities of Southwestern Indiana
Cities in Daviess County, Indiana
Micropolitan areas of Indiana
County seats in Indiana
1815 establishments in Indiana Territory
Populated places established in 1815