Brandenburg, Kentucky

Brandenburg, Kentucky
City
Meade County courthouse in Brandenburg

Location of Brandenburg in Meade County, Kentucky.
Coordinates: 37°59′34″N 86°10′29″W / 37.99278°N 86.17472°W / 37.99278; -86.17472Coordinates: 37°59′34″N 86°10′29″W / 37.99278°N 86.17472°W / 37.99278; -86.17472
Country United States
State Kentucky
County Meade
Area
 • Total 4.0 sq mi (10.3 km2)
 • Land 4.0 sq mi (10.2 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 568 ft (173 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,643
 • Estimate (2016)[1] 2,873
 • Density 518/sq mi (200.0/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code 40108
Area code(s) 270 & 364
FIPS code 21-09226
GNIS feature ID 0487822
Website www.brandenburgky.org
Downtown Brandenburg
Brandenburg United Methodist Church

Brandenburg is a home rule-class city[2] on the Ohio River in Meade County, Kentucky, in the United States. The city is 46 miles (74 km) southwest of Louisville. It is the seat of its county.[3] The population was 2,049 at the 2000 census. The city was not named after Brandenburg, Germany, but for a local barkeep and land owner.

History

Historical marker noting John Hunt Morgan's activities at Brandenburg

Brandenburg was built on a 3,000-acre (12 km2) tract of land called Falling Springs, purchased in 1804 by Solomon Brandenburg. He opened a tavern around which the community grew. In 1825, the community became the seat of Meade County, but it wasn't formally incorporated by the state assembly until March 28, 1872.[4]

During the Civil War, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan crossed at Brandenburg to start his raid into Indiana in July, 1863. During the Battle of Brandenburg Crossing, two men on the Indiana side of the river were killed by cannon fire from Brandenburg. A Union gunship was deployed to block the crossing, but it ran out of ammunition and Morgan and his men were able to pass into Indiana.

Brandenburg was devastated by an F5 tornado during the Super Outbreak of April 3, 1974. Thirty-one residents lost their lives in this city. There was no early warning from tornado sirens or NOAA Weather Wire Service about the storm. About an hour after the storm, the same supercell spawned an F4 tornado that formed in the southwest part of Louisville in Jefferson County near Kosmosdale. Three people lost their lives in this storm, but it also left two hundred and seven injuries. The Brandenburg tornado remains as the only F5/EF5 tornado in Kentucky state history since official record keeping began in 1950, although later that day another F5 that hit Cincinnati, Ohio crossed the Ohio River from Indiana into Kentucky then into Ohio.

Geography

Brandenburg is located at 37°59′34″N 86°10′29″W / 37.99278°N 86.17472°W / 37.99278; -86.17472 (37.992664, -86.174657).[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1830331—
1860618—
1870427−30.9%
188058737.5%
1890495−15.7%
1900218−56.0%
1910482121.1%
19205034.4%
1930484−3.8%
194056115.9%
195075534.6%
19601,542104.2%
19701,6376.2%
19801,83111.9%
19901,8571.4%
20002,04910.3%
20102,64329.0%
Est. 20162,873[1]8.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 2,049 people, 844 households, and 535 families residing in the city. The population density was 518.0 people per square mile (199.8/km²). There were 917 housing units at an average density of 231.8 per square mile (89.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.05% White, 3.90% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.24% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 844 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92.

The age distribution was 26.2% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,351, and the median income for a family was $42,950. Males had a median income of $30,565 versus $21,143 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,863. About 14.4% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.

Library

The Meade County Public Library is a tax-supported institution, begun in 1955 and relocated to a new facility in 2011.[8] The library held the Brandenburg stone from the 1960s until 1996, and has again held the stone since 2012.[9]

Attractions

Attractions near Brandenburg include:

  • Otter Creek Park, with campgrounds and river frontage
  • Buttermilk Falls
  • Tioga Falls, near West Point, KY
  • Fort Knox Gold Vault

Notable person

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "Brandenburg, Kentucky". Accessed 22 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  8. ↑ "History of the Library". Meade County Public Library. Retrieved 2016-12-29. Construction on the new library facility began in September of 2010 and was completed August 2011.
  9. ↑ "Secretive Stone Gets New Home in Indiana". Bowling Green, Kentucky. Daily News. July 23, 1999. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
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