Woodford County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,871. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

. The area was home to Pisgah Academy. Woodford County is part of the

Lexington-Fayette Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-larges ...

, KY

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. It is located in the heart of the Bluegrass region of Kentucky.

History

The county was formed from a part of

Fayette County, Virginia Fayette County, Virginia has existed twice in the U.S. state of Virginia's history. Formed in 1780, and 1831, respectively, both County (United States), counties were named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, who had played a key role assisting th ...

in 1788. It was named for William Woodford, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

general from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

who died while a prisoner of war in 1780. It was the last of the original nine counties established that formed the Commonwealth of

in 1792. Scott County was formed from part of the county in 1792. Franklin County took another part of the county in 1794. Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

stayed in Woodford County at Lane's End Farm in May 2007. She also attended the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

in Louisville.

Pisgah Academy

Pisgah Academy was a school in Woodford County. It was established by Col. Alexander Dunlap. The

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

has photographs of the church and academy. The Kentucky Historical Society has a photograph of the school building.

Notable residents

* John J. Crittenden, governor of Kentucky * John Cabell Breckinridge, vice-president of the United States * William Campbell Preston Breckinridge, Representative from Kentucky * George B. Kinkead, who served as Kentucky secretary of state * William Taylor Barry *Dr. Lyman Beecher, for one year * James Clark * Alexander Campbell

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.7%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Franklin County (northwest) * Scott County (northeast) * Fayette County (east) * Jessamine County (southeast) * Mercer County (southwest) * Anderson County (west)

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 23,208 people, 8,893 households, and 6,643 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 9,374 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.08%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 5.41%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.13% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.13% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 8,893 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 21.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.99. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.40% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $49,491, and the median income for a family was $58,218. Males had a median income of $39,284 versus $27,972 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $22,839. About 5.20% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 8.00% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Tourism

Woodford County is home to one of Kentucky's oldest bourbon whiskey distilleries, Labrot & Graham (established 1812, now owned by Brown–Forman, which produces the

Woodford Reserve Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced in Woodford County, Kentucky, by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is made from a mixture of copper pot still spirits produced at the company's Woodford ...

brand); and to the Life Adventure Center, the Weisenberger flour mill and the Kentucky Castle.

Education

* Huntertown Elementary * Northside Elementary * Southside Elementary * St. Leo's (Serves K-8/Private) * Simmons Elementary * Woodford County High School * Woodford County Middle School * Woodford Christian School K-5 (Private) * Midway University

Politics

Since 1956, Woodford County has generally voted Republican at the federal level. However, it sometimes votes for Democrats statewide, which it did for Andy Beshear in the 2019 gubernatorial election.

Notable residents

* Chris Hogan, New York Times best-selling author, motivational speaker, financial guru * John Buford, Union cavalry officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, was born in Woodford County but grew up in Illinois. * Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr., Governor of Kentucky, baseball commissioner *

Ben Chandler Albert Benjamin Chandler III (born September 12, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States representative for from 2004 to 2013. A Democrat, Chandler was first elected to Congress in a 2004 special election. H ...

, U.S. Representative *

John Conlee John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, country music singer *

Charles W. Field Charles William Field (April 6, 1828 – April 9, 1892) was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army and then, during the American Civil War, in the Confederate States Army. His division was considered one of the finest in ...

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

officer and Doorkeeper of the United States House of Representatives * Thomas Marshall (1730–1802), colonel of the 3rd Virginia Regiment in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

; father of the future Chief Justice

John Marshall John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...

* Chad Pennington, former NFL quarterback * Charles Scott, Brig. General during the

and fourth Governor of Kentucky 1808-12 *

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpris ...

, actor * William T. Sterling, Wisconsin legislator and pioneer * William A. Trimble, United States Senator

Communities

Cities

* Midway *

(county seat)

Unincorporated communities

* Millville *

Nonesuch __NOTOC__ Nonesuch may refer to: Plants * '' Lychnis chalcedonica'', a wildflower * ''Medicago lupulina'', a wildflower Places and structures *Nonesuch, Kentucky *Nonesuch Island, Bermuda *Nonesuch Mine, Michigan *Nonesuch Palace, mis-spelling of ...

* Mortonsville * Milner * Pinckard * Huntertown * Mundy's Landing * Pisgah * Wallace *

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...

*Keene *Jackson Town *Clover Bottom

References

External links

Government web site

Community web site

Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control Kentucky counties Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area 1788 establishments in Virginia Populated places established in 1788 Former counties of Virginia

History

Pisgah Academy

Notable residents

Geography

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Arts and culture

Tourism

Education

Politics

Notable residents

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

External links