Bloomfield, Kentucky Facts for Kids

Bloomfield is a small city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. It is known as a "home rule–class city," which means it has the power to govern itself in many ways. In 2020, about 961 people lived there. Before it was called Bloomfield, it had other names like Middlesburg and Gandertown.

History of Bloomfield
Geography of Bloomfield
Population of Bloomfield
Education in Bloomfield
- Library Features
Notable Residents
Images for kids
See also

History of Bloomfield

The area where Bloomfield is located started as a community along the East Fork of Simpson Creek. This land was part of a large grant given to Leven Powell in 1779.

Early Names and Settlement

The community on the east side of the creek was first called Middlesburg. It got its first post office in 1803. The west side of the creek was known as Gandertown. This name came from a sport called "ganderpulling" that was popular there.

In 1799, Dr. John Bemiss moved to the area from Rochester, New York. He helped plan the town in 1817. He then renamed it Bloomfield. People say he chose this name from his wife's maiden name (Bloomer) and his daughter's married name (Merrifield). The post office started using the new name the next year. However, the town was officially made a city under the name Middlesburg in 1819.

Growth and Economy

Bloomfield's economy has always been based on farming. In the 1800s, there was also a flour mill and a place where tobacco was sold. The Newell B. McClaskey House was built in 1835. This historic house and its land are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The McClaskey family once owned over 700 acres of land in the area.

Community Services

The local Woman's Club started the public library in Bloomfield in 1916. This shows how much the community valued learning and reading.

Geography of Bloomfield

Bloomfield is located near the East Fork of Simpson Creek. This creek is part of the Salt River system. The city is mainly found where three important roads meet: US 62, KY 55, and KY 48.

It is about 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast of Bardstown. It is also about 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Louisville. The city covers an area of about 1.3 square miles (3.4 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Population of Bloomfield

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	68	—
1830	301	—
1870	435	—
1900	385	—
1910	352	−8.6%
1920	471	33.8%
1930	455	−3.4%
1940	535	17.6%
1950	666	24.5%
1960	916	37.5%
1970	1,072	17.0%
1980	954	−11.0%
1990	845	−11.4%
2000	855	1.2%
2010	838	−2.0%
2020	961	14.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, there were 961 people living in Bloomfield. There were 460 households, which are groups of people living together. The city had about 257 people per square kilometer.

Most of the people living in Bloomfield were White. About 8.6% were African American. A small number of people were Asian or from other backgrounds. About 2% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Bloomfield was about 38.5 years old. About 27% of the population was under 18 years old.

Education in Bloomfield

Bloomfield has two public schools for younger students. These are Bloomfield Elementary School and Bloomfield Middle School. There were once two other schools, Bloomfield High School and Eli H Brown Elementary School. These schools are now closed and are privately owned. Eli H Brown Elementary was a school only for African American students during a time when schools were separated by race.

Bloomfield also has a lending library. It is a part of the Nelson County Public Library system.

Library Features

The library offers many things for the community. It has public computers for everyone to use. There are special programs and activities for teens and children. The library is also filled with books, comfortable furniture, and decorations. They even have computers and tablets with games for toddlers.

Notable Residents

Many interesting people have lived in Bloomfield:

Jereboam Beauchamp was a person whose story inspired a play called Politian by the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe.
Jerry Bruckheimer and Linda Bruckheimer are famous for producing movies and TV shows. They own several historic buildings in downtown Bloomfield.
James Guthrie was an important politician. He served as a state representative, the Secretary of the Treasury, and a senator. He was also the president of the L&N Railroad.
Stith Thompson was an American scholar who studied folklore, which are traditional stories and beliefs.

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Bloomfield, Kentucky facts for kids

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