Berea ( ) is a home rule-class city in Madison County,

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, in the United States. The town is best known for its art festivals, historic restaurants and buildings, and as the home to

Berea College Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. It was integrated from as early as 1866 ...

, a private liberal arts college. The population was 15,539 at the 2020 census. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in Kentucky, having increased by 27.4% since 2000. Berea is a principal city of the

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

−Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Madison and Rockcastle counties. It was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1890.Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Berea, Kentucky". Accessed 15 July 2013.

History

The history of Berea is tied with the history of Berea College, which was founded in 1855. The Berea railway station was created in 1882 as part of the Kentucky Central Railroad, and later 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 ...

(L&N). Berea was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1890. In April 1996 a tornado went through the city, causing damage to about 800-1000 homes, with 20 percent of those being destroyed.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.32%) is water. The city is located along

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

, which runs to the west of downtown, with access from exits 76 and 77. Via I-75, Lexington is north, and

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

is south. U.S. Route 25 is the main highway through the center of town, leading north to

, the Madison County seat, and south to

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

. Kentucky Route 21 also runs through the city as well, leading east to Bighill and northwest to Paint Lick. Berea is located on the border of the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms " Al ...

. The area has a mountainous appearance, but most outcroppings in the area have a maximum elevation of .

Climate

Berea has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, with hot summers and relatively cold winters. Summers tend to be humid and sunny, with occasional storms, while winters are generally cold with many milder periods.

Demographics

At the 2010

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

,American FactFinder - Results
Retrieved on 2012-5-20 there were 13,561 people, 5,119 households and 3,382 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,633 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.7%

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

, 4.00%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 1.2 percent Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 5,119 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 47.1% were

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

living together, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.92. The age distribution was 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 21, 53.2% from 21 to 62, 2.8% from 62 to 65, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. The population was 53.4% female and 46.6% male (81 males per 100 females). The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $38,333 and the median family income was $45,541. Males had a median income of $28,304 compared $12,163 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,003. About 27.0% 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 ...

, including 39.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Berea has a

lending library A lending library is a library from which books and other media are lent out. The major classifications are endowed libraries, institutional libraries (the most diverse), public libraries, and subscription libraries. It may also refer to a librar ...

, a branch of the Madison County Public Library.

Arts and culture

Due to the high number of arts and crafts produced, Berea is a tourist attraction. It hosts several crafts festivals throughout the year. Berea also hosts a Spoonbread Festival in mid-September, which features a cornmeal bread traditionally served with a wooden spoon. The annual Berea College Celebration of Traditional Music, started in 1974, takes place in mid-October and features traditional music as passed down by people in the Appalachian region.

Transportation

Foothills Express, operated by the Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, provides the Berea Bus Service bus service within Berea, Madison County Connector service to Richmond, and local and intercity

demand-responsive transport Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...

Notable people

* Sue Draheim, fiddler, lived in Berea in her later years until her death in 2013. * John Gregg Fee (1816–1901), minister, abolitionist, founder of Berea College * John Fenn, recipient of 2002

Nobel Prize in Chemistry The Nobel Prize in Chemistry () is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outst ...

; grew up in Berea. *

Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...

, singer, musician, and radio and TV personality; raised in Berea and graduated from Berea High School. * Damien Harris, college football player at the University of Alabama; graduated from Madison Southern High School, now a running back for the Buffalo Bills. *

bell hooks Gloria Jean Watkins (September 25, 1952 – December 15, 2021), better known by her pen name bell hooks (stylized in lowercase), was an American author, theorist, educator, and social critic who was a Distinguished Professor in Residence at Be ...

, author, radical feminist, and social activist; lived in Berea until her death in 2021. *

Silas House Silas Dwane House (born August 7, 1971) is an American writer best known for his novels. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist, and columnist. His fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working-class characters, a ...

, writer and novelist lives in Berea. * Louise Gilman Hutchins (1911–1996), pediatrician and president of Berea's Mountain Maternal Health League. *

Ashley Judd Ashley Tyler Ciminella, known professionally as Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968), is an American actress and activist. She grew up in a family of performing artists, the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country ...

, actress, humanitarian and political activist; briefly lived and attended school in Berea * Naomi Judd, country music singer; briefly lived in Berea. *

Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd, known simply as Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964), is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country musicians in history. She has had 19 No. 1 s ...

, country music singer; briefly lived and attended school in Berea. * Lily May Ledford, banjo player, member of the Coon Creek Girls; lived in Berea and is buried in the Berea cemetery.The Kentucky Encyclopedia - John E. Kleber - Google Books
/ref> * J.P. Pennington, musician, son of Lily May Ledford; born in Berea. * Jean Ritchie, musician, "Mother of Folk"; resided in Berea until her death in 2015. * Anne Shelby, children's book writer; born in Berea *

Tony Snow Robert Anthony Snow (June 1, 1955 – July 12, 2008) was an American journalist, political commentator, anchor, columnist, musician, and the 25th White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush, from May 2006 until his resignation ...

, former White House press secretary; born in Berea. * Luke Stocker, NFL player, tight end, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings; graduated from Madison Southern High School.

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Kentucky Cities in Madison County, Kentucky Richmond–Berea micropolitan area