Lancaster, Kentucky

Lancaster, Kentucky
City
Garrard County courthouse in Lancaster
Location of Lancaster, Kentucky
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
County	Garrard
Established	1797
Incorporated	1837
Named for	Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Area
• Total	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
• Land	1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,027 ft (313 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	3,442
• Density	1,912.3/sq mi (784.3/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	40444, 40446
Area code(s)	859
FIPS code	21-43840
GNIS feature ID	0495946

Lancaster local /ˈlæŋkəstər/ is a home rule-class city in Garrard County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the year 2010 U.S. census, the city population was 3,442.

Located south of Lexington, Lancaster is the site of the Kennedy House, sometimes said to have been the setting for Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Civil War training base Camp Dick Robinson was located nearby. The Garrard County High School in town is the home of the "Golden Lions".

Geography

Lancaster is located at (37.618625, -84.579433). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all land.

History

In 1797, Capt. William Buford donated land for the establishment of a town around the site of Maj. Andrew Wallace's settlement at Wallace Crossroads. The surveying and platting was completed over the next year by Joseph Bledsoe Jr and the community was named Lancaster for the Pennsylvania town, either because one of its settlers came from there or because the town was designed on a similar plan. The post office was established in 1801 and operated under the name Lancaster Court House until 1811. The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1837.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1800	103		—
1810	260		152.4%
1830	570		—
1840	480		−15.8%
1860	721		—
1870	741		2.8%
1880	1,234		66.5%
1900	1,640		—
1910	1,507		−8.1%
1920	2,166		43.7%
1930	1,630		−24.7%
1940	1,999		22.6%
1950	2,402		20.2%
1960	3,021		25.8%
1970	3,230		6.9%
1980	3,365		4.2%
1990	3,421		1.7%
2000	3,734		9.1%
2010	3,442		−7.8%
Est. 2014	3,765		9.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,734 people, 1,585 households, and 1,020 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,100.4 people per square mile (809.9/km²). There were 1,758 housing units at an average density of 988.9 per square mile (381.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.14% White, 9.61% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.12% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population.

There were 1,585 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,175, and the median income for a family was $31,355. Males had a median income of $26,849 versus $21,108 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,793. About 16.9% of families and 21.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Simeon H. Anderson was a United States Representative from Kentucky.
• William J. Landram attorney and colonel of the 19th Kentucky Infantry; brevet brigadier general, March 13, 1865.
• Lonnie Napier is the current representative for House District 36 in the Kentucky House of Representatives.
• William Owsley was an American politician and jurist who became the sixteenth Governor of Kentucky.

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, Lancaster has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.