Campbellsville is a city in central Kentucky. It was started in 1817 by Andrew Campbell. The city is known for Campbellsville University and Taylor Regional Hospital. It also has a historic downtown area.

Campbellsville is close to Green River Lake State Park. It is the main city, or county seat, of Taylor County. Taylor County is shaped like a heart on a map! Campbellsville celebrated its 200th birthday on July 4, 2017.

History of Campbellsville

How Campbellsville Started

The city of Campbellsville was founded in 1817. Andrew Campbell, who moved from Virginia, started selling land lots here in 1814. He owned a gristmill (a mill for grinding grain) and a tavern.

In 1848, Campbellsville became the county seat for Taylor County. This happened after Taylor County was separated from Green County. The city sold its public square to the county for just one dollar. This was so a courthouse could be built there.

Historic Places to See

Campbellsville has several historic spots. These are listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Kentucky.

The Campbellsville Historic Commercial District includes many old buildings on Main Street. There's even a historic brewery on First Street. It was closed during the Prohibition era (when alcohol was illegal). It was planned to reopen in 2021.

Justice Center, 2017

The city's first courthouse was burned down in 1864. Confederate soldiers did this because the Union Army was using it. After the war, a new courthouse was built in the same spot. A third courthouse was built in 1965. The newest courthouse, called the Justice Center, was built in 2008. It also has a new county jail next to it.

Geography and Climate

Where Campbellsville Is Located

Campbellsville covers about 7.67 square miles (19.86 km²). Most of this area is land. Only a small part, about 0.13 square miles (0.34 km²), is water.

Several main roads pass through the city. These include US 68, KY 55, KY 210, and KY 70.

Some people in Taylor County believe Campbellsville is the exact center of Kentucky. The city's motto means "city in the middle of the commonwealth." There's a special marker from 1916 on the Campbellsville University campus. Many citizens see this as the center marker of Kentucky.

Weather in Campbellsville

Campbellsville has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers. The winters are usually mild to cool.

City Parks

Miller Park is the main park for fun activities. It has softball fields, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. There are also playgrounds, a walking track, and gardens. Pitman Creek flows right through the park.

About a mile west is Osborne Park. This park has open spaces and soccer fields. Both Miller Park and Osborne Park are connected by the Pitman Creek Trail. This trail is part of a "Trail Town" project.

People of Campbellsville

In 2020, the population of Campbellsville was 11,426 people.

Here's how the population has grown over the years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	446	—
1870	512	14.8%
1880	775	51.4%
1890	1,018	31.4%
1900	1,341	31.7%
1910	1,206	−10.1%
1920	1,535	27.3%
1930	1,923	25.3%
1940	2,488	29.4%
1950	3,477	39.8%
1960	6,966	100.3%
1970	7,598	9.1%
1980	8,715	14.7%
1990	9,577	9.9%
2000	10,498	9.6%
2010	9,108	−13.2%
2020	11,426	25.5%
2022 (est.)	11,599	27.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 9,018 people living in the city. Most people (89.11%) were White. About 8.74% were African American. A small number of people were from other racial backgrounds.

About 27.5% of households had children under 18. The average age of people in Campbellsville was 38 years old.

Economy and Jobs

Today's Economy

The biggest employers in Campbellsville are Campbellsville University, Taylor Regional Hospital, and the Amazon fulfillment center.

Campbellsville University (CU) helps the local economy a lot. In 2016-2017, it had a big impact, with over $42.9 million affecting the local area. The university supports more than 13% of all jobs in Taylor County.
Taylor Regional Hospital (TRH) is a growing healthcare system. It serves about 110,000 people in the region. TRH is one of the largest employers in the area. In 2016, it helped 98,900 patients.
Amazon's fulfillment center, known as SDF1, is located near the technology park.

Campbellsville is also home to the Heartland Commerce and Technology Park (HCTP). This park has a company called INFAC Corporation, which makes car parts. The park is "Build-Ready," which means it's prepared to attract new businesses.

Tourism is also important for the local economy. Many visitors come to see nearby Green River Lake and Green River Lake State Park.

Past Industries

In the 1900s, Campbellsville was a center for many industries. These included farming, lumber, and making clothes. There were also businesses for car parts, distribution, and light manufacturing. Education, healthcare, and tourism were also important.

For many years, a large textile factory called Fruit of the Loom was a major employer. It closed in 1998. Another company, Batesville Casket Company, also closed around that time.

Long-lasting Businesses

Campbellsville still has wood-milling companies. They make products like interior trim for homes.

Campbellsville Industries (CI) is known as "The Steeple People (tm)." It's the oldest and largest company in the U.S. that makes steeples and towers. They have installed over 15,000 steeples across the U.S. and Canada. CI even claims to have built the world's largest prefabricated church steeple. It's 229 feet tall and is at the First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Campbellsville is also home to the very last Druther's restaurant. It used to be called Burger Queen.

Local Media

Here are some local news and entertainment sources:

The Central Kentucky News-Journal is a weekly newspaper. It has been published since 1910.
WVLC 99.9 FM plays country music.
WCKQ 104.1 FM plays adult contemporary music.
WGRK 103.1 FM plays country music.
WTCO 1450 AM plays rock music.
WLCU TV is a TV station from Campbellsville University.

Education in Campbellsville

Campbellsville University is located here. It was started in 1906 as an academy.

There are two main school districts in Campbellsville:

Campbellsville Independent School District
Taylor County School District

Campbellsville has two public high schools: Campbellsville High School and Taylor County High School. There is also a private school called Kentucky Christian Academy. It teaches students from age 3 through high school.

The city also has a lending library, called the Taylor County Public Library.

Getting Around Campbellsville

Public transportation is limited. RTEC offers public transit services in a 13-county area in southeast Kentucky.

Airports

Campbellsville has a local airport. It's called the Taylor County Airport (FAA Identifier: AAS). It is about 2.5 miles from downtown Campbellsville.

Roads

You can reach Campbellsville using two-lane roads. The closest four-lane highway is the Bluegrass Parkway.

Famous People from Campbellsville

Many notable people have connections to Campbellsville:

Sandra Blanton – a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives. She grew up in Campbellsville.
Nancy Cox – a TV news reporter. She was Miss Kentucky in 1990 and was born and raised here.
Zack Cox – a professional baseball player.
Clem Haskins – a former college and professional basketball player and coach.
J. B. Holmes – a professional golfer.
Russ Mobley – served as a state representative.
Max Wise – a former FBI agent who is now a member of the Kentucky Senate.

Sister City

Campbellsville has a "sister city" relationship with Buncrana. Buncrana is located in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland.

Campbellsville, Kentucky facts for kids

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