David, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
David is an unincorporated community
in Floyd County
, Kentucky
, United States
along County Route 404. Located in the Appalachian Mountains
, it lies approximately 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Lexington
. The town was named for David L. Francis, President of Princess Elkhorn Coal Company which originally built and owned the town. It bears the postal ZIP code
41616. The U.S. Census of 2000 recorded a population of 435.
Although it was formerly a company town
, it was in many ways a model coal community with many amenities not typical of the region at the time including a swimming pool, central water and sewer, and cable TV service. The company also supported a children's choir which toured nationally. When Princess-Elkhorn sold the community in the late 1960s, many of these amenities fell into disrepair and the housing stock deteriorated from over 100 units to a little more than 30. The town rallied around a hepatitis outbreak and ended up purchasing the entire town from the investor who owned it. The mechanism for this purchase was the creation of the David Community Development Corporation, which went on to secure funding for a new water and sewer system, a fire station, a new park and several dozen new homes.
The David School
is featured in the 6-hour documentary film
Country Boys
which was broadcast in Frontline
on PBS
, about two residents, Chris and Cody, and their life in a poor, rural mountain town.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Floyd County
Floyd County, Kentucky
Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1800. As of 2000, the population was 42,441. Its county seat is Prestonsburg. The county is named for Colonel John Floyd .-History:...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
along County Route 404. Located in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, it lies approximately 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. The town was named for David L. Francis, President of Princess Elkhorn Coal Company which originally built and owned the town. It bears the postal ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
41616. The U.S. Census of 2000 recorded a population of 435.
Although it was formerly a company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
, it was in many ways a model coal community with many amenities not typical of the region at the time including a swimming pool, central water and sewer, and cable TV service. The company also supported a children's choir which toured nationally. When Princess-Elkhorn sold the community in the late 1960s, many of these amenities fell into disrepair and the housing stock deteriorated from over 100 units to a little more than 30. The town rallied around a hepatitis outbreak and ended up purchasing the entire town from the investor who owned it. The mechanism for this purchase was the creation of the David Community Development Corporation, which went on to secure funding for a new water and sewer system, a fire station, a new park and several dozen new homes.
The David School
David School
The David School is located in David, Kentucky, a rural village in the Appalachian Mountains. The school is a non-denominational private high school with a mission to serve underprivileged and struggling students....
is featured in the 6-hour documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Country Boys
Country Boys
Country Boys is a 6-hour documentary film centered on Cody Perkins and Chris Johnson, two teenage boys from David, Floyd County, Kentucky. They attended the , a non-denominational private high school with a mission to serve underprivileged and struggling students.The film covers the 3-year period...
which was broadcast in Frontline
Frontline (TV series)
FRONTLINE is a public affairs television program that produces and broadcasts in-depth documentaries about various subjects. Produced at WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts and distributed through the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States, the program has been critically acclaimed and...
on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, about two residents, Chris and Cody, and their life in a poor, rural mountain town.