Williamsburg, Kentucky

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Williamsburg, Kentucky
settlement_type = City
nickname = The 'Burg; Gateway to the Cumberlands
website = http://www.williamsburgky.com/

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imagesize =
image_caption =


mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in the Commonwealth of Kentucky


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = Kentucky
subdivision_name2 = Whitley
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Roddy Harrison
established_date =
area_magnitude = 1 E7
area_total_sq_mi = 4.8
area_land_sq_mi = 4.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
area_water_percent =
area_urban_km2 =
area_total_km2 = 12.4
area_land_km2 = 12.1
area_water_km2 = 0.3
population_as_of = 2000
population_total = 5143
population_density_km2 = 426.1
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_m = 283
elevation_ft = 928
latd = 36 |latm = 44 |lats = 12 |latNS = N
longd = 84 |longm = 9 |longs = 53 |longEW = W
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 40769
area_code = 606
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 21-83334
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0516385
footnotes =

Williamsburg is a city in and the county seat of Whitley County, Kentucky, United States.GR|6 The population was 5,143 at the 2000 census. The city was founded in 1818 and named after William Whitley. The Cumberland River flows through the city.

History

Williamsburg was first known as the Spring Ford after a nearby ford crossing the Cumberland River. The city was officially formed when Samuel Cox donated the land for the courthouse in 1818. The town's initial growth was fueled by three fresh water springs in the area and later by coal and lumber industries. At it's peak the city of Williamsburg boasted more millionares per capita than any other city in the nation. [ [http://www.williamsburgky.com/history/ The Other Historical Williamsburg ] ]

Points of Interest

Williamsburg is home to the Kentucky Splash water park (located within the Hal Rogers 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. [ [http://www.kentuckysplash.com/pages.php?goto=Park%20History Kentcky Splash Waterpark - Hal Rogers Entertainment Center ] ]

The University of the Cumberlands with an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students has been one of the center pieces of the town since it's founding in January 7th 1889. The UC campus nestled atop four hills in the center of the community spans approximately 70 acres including 34 buildings and two sports field complexes. [ [http://www.ucumberlands.edu/about/index.html University of the Cumberlands | About UC ] ]

Williamsburg is located 18 miles away Cumberland Falls State Resort Park within the Daniel Boone National Forest. The park is the home of Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Little Niagra, the Niagra of the South or the Great Falls and is the only venue in the Western Hemisphere where a moonbow or lunar rainbow is regularly visible on a clear night with a full moon. [ [http://www.kentuckysplash.com/pages.php?goto=Area%20Attractions Kentcky Splash Waterpark - Hal Rogers Entertainment Center ] ] 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 3,600 cubic feet per second (100 m³/s).Trails winding down stream from the park on either side of the river lead to the smaller Angel Falls and Dog Slaughter Falls. Angel Falls is located 1.5 miles from the park on the McCreary County side and Dog Slaughter Falls is located 3.5 miles from the park on the Whitley County side. The Below the Falls section of the river includes a five mile 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, 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 which stand 113 feet (34.8 metres), making it arguably the tallest in Kentucky. A similar waterfall in the Red River Gorge is said to exceed Yahoo Falls in height by a few inches. Further along, the trail leads to the Yahoo Arch.

Religion

As of the 2000 census Whitley County, Kentucky of which Williamsburg is the county seat consisted of 22,645 Evangelical Christians, 1,741 Mainstream Christians, 130 Catholics, and 11,394 individuals who are not members of the 188 groups included in the Church & Church Membership Data. As of the same date 69.4% of individuals in Whitley County were members of the Southern Baptist Convention. [ [http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/21235_2000.asp The Association of Religion Data Archives | Maps & Reports ] ] 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. [ [http://www.williamsburgky.com/religion/ Williamsburg, KY - Religious History ] ] The University of the Cumberlands, located in the town is a private Christian college.

Industry

Top Employers: [http://www.williamsburgky.com/quickfacts/ Williamsburg, KY Quick Facts ] ]
# Firestone Industrial Products
# Whitley County School System
# Williamsburg Plastics
# Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries (SEKRI)
# Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
# University of the Cumberlands

Geography

Williamsburg is located at coor dms|36|44|12|N|84|9|53|W|city (36.736576, -84.164713).GR|1 The town is located along the I-75 corridor at exits 11 and 15.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.4 km² (4.8 mi²). 12.1 km² (4.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.10%) is water.

Percent of U.S. within 600 miles of Williamsburg, Kentucky:
*Population: 52%
*Personal Income: 50%
*Retail Sales: 49%
*Manufacturing Employment: 57%

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 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/km²). There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of 454.0/sq mi (175.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.46% White, 1.73% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.williamsburgky.com/ Official website of Williamsburg, Kentucky]
* [http://www.kentuckysplash.com/ Kentucky Splash water park]
* [http://www.wburg.k12.ky.us/ Williamsburg Independent Schools]
* [http://www.ucumberlands.edu/ University of the Cumberlands]
* [http://www.williamsburgkycityguide.com/ Williamsburg Kentucky City Guide]