Williamsburg, KY
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Williamsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Whitley County, on the southeastern border of Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census. Developed along the
Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...
, the city was founded in 1818 and named after William Whitley.


History

Williamsburg was first known by early European-American settlers as the Spring Ford, after a nearby ford crossing the
Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...
. On April 19, 1818 the first meeting of the Whitley County Court was held at Samuel Cox's dwelling. This first court appointed local officials as well as constables to work with the county militia. The town was known simply as Whitley Courthouse. In 1882 the city was renamed as Williamsburgh, and the spelling was changed in 1890 to the current Williamsburg. The town's initial growth was fueled by three freshwater springs in the area. Settlers were attracted to this water source. They later developed coal mining and lumber industries, based on natural resources of the area. Construction of the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of the ...
(L&N) to the town in 1883 stimulated new growth. It connected the town to far-flung markets and attracted new residents and trade. Shortly thereafter in 1886 the town elected W. H. Parker as its first mayor. This first city government enacted a number of new ordinances including: * Prohibiting "Bawdy Houses" (brothels) * Prohibiting Gambling * Prohibiting Fornication * Prohibiting Rolling Hoops on Sidewalks * Prohibiting Barbering on Sundays * Prohibiting Unattended Cattle on Main Street The Williamsburg school system was established in 1909; the town residents voted to consolidate the multiple single-room schools in the area into a unified school district. The first consolidated school building was destroyed by fire in 1926. It was rebuilt for the school administration. Later the structure was adapted as the Anderson Building, which is used in the early 21st century by the University of the Cumberlands. The school district moved to its current location in 1983. The county courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1931. It was rebuilt at the time. Forty years later, it underwent a major renovation to bring it up to standards of 1971. In 2011 the newly constructed Whitley County Judicial Center was completed adjacent to the old courthouse, and the courts moved to the new building.


Geography

Williamsburg is located at , within the Eastern Mountain Coal Fields and the
Appalachian Plateau The Appalachian Plateau is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are a mountain range that run down the Eastern United States. The Appalachian Plateau is the nort ...
regions. It rests along the I-75 corridor at exits 11 and 15. I-75 leads north 103 mi (166 km) to Lexington and south 70 mi (113 km) to Knoxville, Tennessee.
U.S. Route 25W U.S. Route 25W (US 25W) is the western branch of U.S. Route 25 from Newport, Tennessee, where US 25 splits into U.S. Route 25E, US 25E and US 25W, to North Corbin, Kentucky, where the two highways rejoin. US 25W has been included in the U.S. Hig ...
runs to the east of downtown from south to north, leading north 21 mi (34 km) to
Corbin Corbin may refer to: People * Corbin (given name) * Corbin (surname) * Corbin (musician), American singer Buildings * Corbin Building, a historic building located at 192 Broadway in New York, US * Corbin Cabin, a log structure in Shenandoah ...
and south 13 mi (21 km) to Jellico, Tennessee. Kentucky Route 92 runs through the city from west to east, leading east 35 mi (56 km) to Fourmile and west 20 mi (32 km) to Pine Knot. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.10%) is water. Percent of U.S. within of Williamsburg: * Population: 52% * Personal Income: 50% * Retail Sales: 49% * Manufacturing Employment: 57%


Points of interest

Williamsburg is home to the Kentucky Splash Waterpark (located within the
Hal Rogers Harold Dallas Rogers (born December 31, 1937) is an American lawyer and politician serving his 21st term as the U.S. representative for , having served since 1981. He is a member of the Republican Party. Upon Don Young's death in 2022, Rogers b ...
Family Entertainment Center). The $5 million facility also houses a go-cart course, a miniature golf course, and a five-station batting cage. The park opened on Memorial Day weekend 2001 and is the largest family entertainment center in Kentucky with a capacity of up to 3,000 guests. Williamsburg is located away
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is a park located just southwest of Corbin, Kentucky and is contained entirely within the Daniel Boone National Forest. The park encompasses and is named for its major feature, Cumberland Falls. The falls are ...
within the Daniel Boone National Forest. The park is the home of Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South or the Great Falls and is the only venue in the Western Hemisphere where a moonbow or
lunar rainbow A moonbow (also known as a moon rainbow or lunar rainbow) is a rainbow produced by moonlight rather than direct sunlight. Other than the difference in the light source, its formation is the same as for a solar rainbow: It is caused by the refract ...
is regularly visible on a clear night with a full moon. On average the falls, which flow over a resistant sandstone bed, are 68 feet (21 m) high and 125 feet (38 m) wide, with an average water flow of per second (100 m³/s).Trails winding downstream from the park on either side of the river lead to the smaller Angel Falls and Dog Slaughter Falls. Angel Falls is located from the park on the McCreary County side and Dog Slaughter Falls is located from the park on the Whitley County side. The Below the Falls section of the river includes a five-mile (8 km) long class 2–3 run that is ideal for families and beginner stage white water rafters and kayakers. Williamsburg is located 20 minutes away from the
Big South Fork of the Cumberland River The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Kentucky. It is a major drainage fea ...
, a major tributary of the Cumberland River system and a class 3–4 whitewater canoeing and kayaking stream. The Big South Fork is also home to
Yahoo Falls Historic Yahoo Falls, also known as Ywahoo Falls (possibly of Muscogee origin, from ''Yahola'', ''Yahoo'' Creek & ''Waho''o in northeast Georgia), is located in Whitley City, McCreary County, Kentucky. Description A Scenic overlook marks the tra ...
, which stand 113 feet (34.8 m) high. Further along, the trail leads to the
Yahoo Arch Yahoo Arch is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest, in McCreary County, Kentucky. A hiking trail leads (0.8 Miles) from Yahoo Falls Historic Yahoo Falls, also known as Ywahoo Falls (possibly of Muscogee origin, from ''Yahola'', ''Yahoo' ...
. Williamsburg is also home to one of the top bluegrass festivals in the state of Kentucky (the Sally Gap Bluegrass Festival). Other events are the Jeep Jamboree (an off-road sporting event), and the Border Bowl, an annual event for two teams of high school footballers representing Kentucky and Tennessee.


Religion

As of the 2000 census Whitley County, Kentucky of which Williamsburg is the county seat consisted of 22,645 Evangelical Christians, 1,741 Mainline Christians, 130 Catholics, and 11,394 individuals who are not members of the 188 groups included in the Churches & Church Membership Data. As of the same date 69.4% of individuals in Whitley County were members of the Southern Baptist Convention. Williamsburg boasts 21 religious institutions or one religious institution per 243 citizens, and as of the year 2000 the region that contains the town has been designated the second densest region of the bible belt. University of the Cumberlands, located in the town, is a private Christian college affiliated with the
Kentucky Baptist Convention The Kentucky Baptist Convention (KBC) is a state Baptist convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Headquartered in Louisville, it is made up of nearly 2,400 churches and 71 local associations.
, a member of the
Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...
.


Economy

Top Employers: # Firestone Industrial Products # Whitley County School System # Williamsburg Plastics # University of The Cumberlands # Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries (SEKRI) # Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) # Walmart # Kentucky Consular Center


Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,143 people, 1,928 households, and 1,127 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,102.5 people per square mile (426.1/km). There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of 454.0 per square mile (175.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 96.46% White, 1.73% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.35%
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 ...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 0.66% of the population. There were 1,928 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% 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, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.5% under the age of 18, 24.9% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $18,114, and the median income for a family was $25,996. Males had a median income of $31,905 versus $17,339 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,224. About 29.3% of the population and 35.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 49.0% of those under the age of 18 and 15.1% of those ages 65 and older.


Education


K-12

Two public school districts serve the city:
Whitley County Schools
**The county school district serves the county outside of the city of Williamsburg, however, its central campus is only a mile outside the city limits. *** Whitley County High School (Grades 9–12) *** Whitley County Middle School (Grades 7–8) *** Whitley Central Intermediate School (Grades 3–6) *** Whitley County Central Primary School (Grades Pre-K-2)
Williamsburg Independent Schools
**Serves the city of Williamsburg with a single K-12 school. ***Williamsburg Independent School District In addition, Corbin Education Center serves as an alternative school for students in the Corbin, Williamsburg, and Whitley County school districts.


Colleges and universities

The campus of the University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) is located on College Hill adjacent to the downtown area of Williamsburg. UC is a private liberal arts college, with an enrollment of approximately 2,200 students. Its sports teams participate in the NAIA. The school is affiliated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention (the Kentucky affiliate of the
Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...
).


Library

Williamsburg has a lending library, the Whitley County Public Library.


Media


Newspapers

*'' News Journal'' – Weekly *'' The Times-Tribune'' – Daily *''The Patriot'' – College newspaper (University of the Cumberlands)


Radio

*
WCCR-LP WCCR-LP (94.5 FM broadcasting, FM) was a LPFM, low power campus radio, college radio station last owned and operated by University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Founded in 2004, it was a 24-hours a day student-run radio station. I ...
94.5 FM (low power) – College radio (University of the Cumberlands) *
WEKX WEKX (102.7 FM, "We Rock 102.7") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. Licensed to Jellico, Tennessee, United States, the station is currently owned by Whitley Broadcasting Co., Inc. and features programming from Westwoo ...
102.7 FM – Classic Rock *WEZJ 104.3 FM – Country *WEKC 710 AM – Gospel *WEZJ 1440 AM – Country


Notable people

*
Bert T. Combs Bertram Thomas Combs (August 13, 1911 – December 4, 1991) was an American judge, jurist and politician from the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Kentucky. After serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, he was elected the List of Gov ...
, 50th Kentucky governor and University of the Cumberlands alumni * Patricia Neal, stage and screen actress, born in nearby Packard Coal Camp; lived in Williamsburg's Gatliff House at one point. *
Joe C. Paul Lance Corporal Joe Calvin Paul (April 23, 1946 – August 19, 1965) was a United States Marine killed in the Vietnam War who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for diverting an attack long enough to allow the evacuation of wounded Marines du ...
, United States Marine and Medal of Honor recipient *
Eugene Edward Siler, Jr. Eugene Edward Siler Jr. (born October 19, 1936) is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern Dist ...
, United States federal appellate judge * Nick Wilson, winner of '' Survivor: David vs. Goliath''


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Williamsburg 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° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


References


External links


Official website of Williamsburg, Kentucky

Williamsburg Independent Schools

University of the Cumberlands
{{authority control Cities in Kentucky Cities in Whitley County, Kentucky County seats in Kentucky 1819 establishments in Kentucky Populated places established in 1819