Georgetown is a home rule-class city in Scott County, Kentucky, 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 (furniture), ...

of its county. It was originally called Lebanon when founded by Rev.

Elijah Craig Elijah Craig (November 15, 1738 – May 18, 1808) was an American Baptist Religious minister, preacher, who became an educator and capitalist entrepreneur in the area of Virginia that later became the state of Kentucky. He has sometimes, althou ...

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 th ...

. 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 capac ...

. 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 The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

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) AFC North, North division. The c ...

. 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 preacher

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

in 1790. When Kentucky 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, Kentucky stayed in the Union. Georgetown was raided by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

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 syst ...

, the Louisville Southern, and the Frankfort & Cincinnati. The last was considered the "whiskey route" and carried much of the region's

bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

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 Cardome Centre is a historic property located in Georgetown, Kentucky along the north fork of Elkhorn Creek (Kentucky), Elkhorn Creek. The is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Catholic Diocese of Lexington and currently houses S ...

. 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), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) * Ward Hall (Ward, South Dakota), listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Moody County * Ward Memorial Hall, Wood, ...

, 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 period of architecture in Kentucky and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (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 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, Ohio 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. 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 and west 18 mi (29 km) to Frankfort, the state capital. According to the United States Census Bureau, 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 of 2010, there were 29,098 people 10,733 households, and 7,452 families in the city. The population density was . There were 11,957 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 87.5% White, 7.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.2%

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 ...

, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 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 culture ...

. 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 t ...

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

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 schools (grades 6–8) and two high schools (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 secondary school, high school in the United States, or the last year of middle school#United States ...

, 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. The school ...

* Scott County High School *

Phoenix Horizon Academy Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

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 Lexington daily newspaper, the ''

Lexington Herald-Leader The ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' is a newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and based in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the ''1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook'', the paid circulation of the ''Herald-Leader'' is the second large ...

''.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 hea ...

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 William E. Applegate (December 18, 1851 – May 13, 1928) was an American turfman, involved in the horse racing industry for over fifty years. He was known as a bookmaker, breeder, racer and track owner. At one time, Applegate was owner of Churc ...

(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 career ...

(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, Kentucky, Georgetown in Scott County, Kentucky, S ...

(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 Commonwealth ...

(1831–1894) – U.S. Army major general during the Civil War. 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 United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Background Born in Georgetown, Kentucky to Jennie Moore and James E. Cantrill, James Edward Campbell ...

(1870–1923) – politician, US Representative from Kentucky. Born in Georgetown. *

James E. Cantrill James Edwards Cantrill (June 20, 1839 – April 5, 1908) was elected the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky serving from 1879 to 1883 under Governor Luke P. Blackburn. He also served as a circuit court judge starting in 1892, and in 1898 was ...

(1839–1908) – politician, Lt. Governor of Kentucky, judge *

Jean Murrell Capers Eugenia "Jean" Marie Murrell Strode Capers (January 11, 1913 – July 18, 2017) was an American judge, educator, and politician. Early life Born to Dolly Ferguson Murrell and Edward E. Murrell on January 11, 1913, Eugenia "Jean" Marie Murrell ...

(1913−2017) - Ohio state judge and Cleveland City Council member. Born in Georgetown. *

Patricia Cooksey Patricia Joen "Patti" or "P.J." Cooksey (born February 25, 1958 in Youngstown, Ohio, United States) is a retired jockey from American Thoroughbred racing. She won her first race with ''Turf Advisor'' at Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Park) in 19 ...

(1958– ) – jockey and horse racing commentator *

Camille Cooper Camille Kaye Cooper (born February 5, 1979) is a former professional basketball player. She played for the New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Lib ...

(1979– ) – WNBA player and attorney * Joe Cowley (baseball) (1958– ) – former Major League Baseball pitcher, who threw a no-hitter *

(1738−1808) – early Baptist preacher, educator and entrepreneur; worked on protecting religious freedom with James Madison of Virginia *

Basil W. Duke Basil Wilson Duke (May 28, 1838 – September 16, 1916) was a Confederate States Army, 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 Mo ...

(1838−1916) – lawyer and

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 O ...

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, raconteur and fiddler who personified the mid- 19th century folk song " Arkansas Traveler," for which he received writing credit. It ha ...

(1803–1874) – composer of the song "

The Arkansas Traveler Arkansas Traveler or Arkansas Traveller may refer to: * Arkansas Traveler (folklore), a figure of 19th-century American folklore said to have originated with Sandford C. Faulkner Music * ''Arkansas Traveler'' (Michelle Shocked album), album *' ...

". 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 ...

(1977– ) – WNBA player and engineer * Eleanor Flexner (1908–1995) – feminist scholar and author. Born in Georgetown. *

James Marion Frost James Marion Frost (February 10, 1848 - October 30, 1916) was an American Baptist preacher. He was the founder of the Baptist Sunday School Board, later known as LifeWay Christian Resources, and the author of several books. Early life Frost was ...

(1848–1916) – pastor and author. Born in Georgetown. *

A. W. Hamilton Archibald William Hamilton is an American basketball coach and former player. He is the head men's basketball coach at Eastern Kentucky University, a position he has held since 2018. Hamilton served as the head basketball coach at Hargrave Mi ...

(1980− ) – head men's basketball coach at Eastern Kentucky University *

William H. Hatch William Henry Hatch (September 11, 1833 – December 23, 1896) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Missouri. He was the namesake of the Hatch Act of 1887, which established state agricultural experiment statio ...

(1833−1896) – politician, US Representative from Missouri. Born in Georgetown. *

John Hunter Herndon John Hunter Herndon (1813–1878) was a planter, lawyer, and judge in Texas. Early life John Hunter Herndon was born July 8, 1813, near Georgetown, Kentucky. His father was Boswell Herndon and his mother, Barbara Herndon. He graduated from Transy ...

(1813–1878) – Texas lawyer, judge and railroad president. Born in Georgetown. *

Harrison E. Howe Harrison Estell Howe (1881 – December 10, 1942) was an American chemist and chemical engineer. From 1919 to 1921 he was head of the Division of Research Extension of the National Research Council, and was for 21 years the editor of the journal '' ...

(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 (1984– ) – professional wrestler and promoter * Amy McGrath (1975– ) − US Marine aviator and politician *

Broadus Mitchell Broadus Mitchell (December 27, 1892 – April 28, 1988) was an 20th-century American historian, writer, professor, and 1934 Socialist Party candidate for governor of Maryland. Background John Broadus Mitchell was born on December 27, 1892, in ...

(1892–1988) – historian, author and professor. Born in Georgetown. *

Fountain E. Pitts Fountain E. Pitts (July 4, 1808 – May 22, 1874) was an American Methodist minister and Confederate chaplain. He established Methodist missions in Brazil and Argentina in 1835–1836. During the American Civil War, he was a chaplain and colonel in ...

(1808–1874) – influential Methodist minister. Born in Georgetown. * Charles Edward Pogue (1950– ) – screenwriter, playwright and actor *

Dale Polley Ezra Dale Polley (born August 9, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees. He bats right-handed and throws left-handed. He was signed by the Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professi ...

(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 Dallas Robinson (born March 30, 1982) is an American soldier and bobsledder. Robinson graduated from Oldham County High School in Buckner Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University and Campbellsville University. He is known as a sprinter but was ...

(1982– ) − 2014 Olympian-soldier; sole Olympian from Kentucky in the Sochi Russia Games *

James Fisher Robinson James Fisher Robinson (October 4, 1800 – October 31, 1882) was the 22nd Governor of Kentucky, serving the remainder of the unfinished term of Governor Beriah Magoffin. Magoffin, a Confederate sympathizer, became increasingly ineffective after ...

(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 Gustavus Woodson Smith (November 30, 1821 – June 24, 1896), more commonly known as G.W. Smith, was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican–American War, a civil engineer, and a major general in the Confederate State ...

(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 D ...

(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 and Restorationist preacher of the Second Great Awakening; 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, as designated by Sister Cities International: * 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