Munfordville is a city in and the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of
Hart CountyHart County is a county located in the U.S. state — or, more correctly, "Commonwealth" — of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. , the population was 17,445. Its county seat is Munfordville. The county is named for Captain Nathaniel G. S. Hart, a Kentucky militia officer in the War of 1812...
,
KentuckyThe 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 StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,563 at the 2000 census.
History
The city was once known as Big Buffalo Crossing. The current name came from Richard Jones Munford, who donated the land for development in 1816. The Hardy family, better known later through descendant Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
James Greene HardyJames Greene Hardy was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky who belonged to the American or Know-Nothing Party. Prior to being elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, he was a prominent surveyor and teacher for many years.-Early life and family:Hardy was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia...
who died in office in 1856, and for whom nearby
HardyvilleHardyville is a small unincorporated community in Hart County, Kentucky, United States, located east of Munfordville on U.S. Route 31E. It was named in honor of a series of popular stump speeches given at the crossroads during the 1850s by local politician James Greene Hardy, Lieutenant Governor of...
was named, played an important role in establishing the city, especially over 1816 through 1818, and continuing well into the 1840s. In 1862 the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
battle,
Battle of MunfordvilleThe Battle of Munfordville was an engagement in Kentucky during the American Civil War. Victory there allowed the Confederates to temporarily strengthen their hold on the region and impair Union supply lines....
, took place.
Geography
Munfordville is located at 37°16′36"N 85°53′52"W (37.276608, -85.897822).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,563 people, 698 households, and 418 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 619.0 people per square mile (238.5/km²). There were 776 housing units at an average density of 307.3 per square mile (118.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.33% White, 11.45% Black or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.13% Asian, 0.13% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population.
There were 698 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $18,015, and the median income for a family was $26,333. Males had a median income of $25,417 versus $20,417 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $11,447. About 23.7% of families and 26.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
External links
A large Bamboo Research Station is 5 miles North of Munfordville.It is said to contain the largest collection of bamboos in the state of
KentuckyThe 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...
.