Charlestown, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlestown, Indiana
City
City of Charlestown
Flag Logo
Location of Charlestown in Clark County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Clark
Township	Charlestown
Area
• Total	11.49 sq mi (29.75 km2)
• Land	11.45 sq mi (29.65 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation	600 ft (200 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,775
• Density	679.16/sq mi (262.24/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47111
Area codes	812 & 930
FIPS code	18-12124
GNIS feature ID	2393805
Website	http://www.cityofcharlestown.com

Charlestown is a city in Clark County, Indiana, in the United States. In 2020, about 7,775 people lived there. It is part of Charlestown Township.

History of Charlestown

Marker showing where the first Grand Lodge in Indiana met

Charlestown was started in 1808. It was named after Charles Beggs, one of the people who helped plan the town. About 300 acres (1.2 square kilometers) were set aside for the city, with 3 acres (12,000 square meters) for a town square. Charlestown was built near an older town called Springville, which eventually disappeared.

Milling was very important here. The first mill in the area was built in 1804 on Fourteen Mile Creek. Later, in 1814, John Work built a new mill using a special tunnel. Today, this mill is part of the Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation.

From 1811 to 1878, Charlestown was the main government center, or "county seat," for Clark County. But as Jeffersonville grew bigger and richer, the county seat moved back to Jeffersonville in 1878.

In 1818, the first big meeting of Free & Accepted Masons in Indiana happened in Charlestown. This was because Jonathan Jennings, who later became Indiana's first governor, had a lot of influence there.

In 1940, Charlestown had about 900 people. But its population quickly grew to 13,400 when the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP) was built and started operating. This huge growth meant there weren't enough homes for everyone. People had to live in all kinds of buildings. This rapid growth also brought new challenges, like making sure restaurants were clean and that the city's sewer system could handle more people.

In 2014, the city wanted to get a grant to improve an area called Pleasant Ridge Subdivision. Some residents of this area formed a group to try and stop their homes from being torn down. The city council did not vote on the grant, so it didn't happen. Starting in 2016, some people said the city was using many fines against homeowners in the subdivision. This was to encourage them to sell their homes to a private company.

Geography of Charlestown

Charlestown town square

Charlestown covers about 11.49 square miles (29.75 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 11.45 square miles (29.65 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.10 square kilometers), is water.

People in Charlestown

2020 Census Information

In 2020, there were 7,775 people living in Charlestown. There were also 3,193 households. The city had about 679 people per square mile (262 people per square kilometer).

Most people (89.1%) were White. About 1.8% were African American, and 1.0% were Native American. About 0.5% were Asian, and 2.1% were from two or more racial backgrounds. People who identified as Hispanic or Latino made up 4.2% of the population.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, Charlestown had 7,585 people living there. There were 2,884 households and 2,034 families. The city had about 662 people per square mile (256 people per square kilometer).

• About 39.7% of households had children under 18.
• 46.7% were married couples living together.
• 17.9% had a female head of household with no husband.
• 5.9% had a male head of household with no wife.
• 29.5% were not families.
• About 24.3% of all households had only one person living there.
• 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

The average household had 2.63 people, and the average family had 3.09 people.

The average age in the city was 35.2 years.

• 28.4% of residents were under 18.
• 8.8% were between 18 and 24.
• 27.5% were between 25 and 44.
• 24.2% were between 45 and 64.
• 11.2% were 65 or older.

The city's population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.

Charlestown City Council

The Charlestown City Council is like the local government team for the city. They meet on the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. The Council's job is to create and approve rules and plans that affect everyone living in Charlestown.

Council Members

• Councilperson At Large - Chuck Deaton
• District 1 Councilperson - Bo Bertram
• District 2 Councilperson - Ronald Blevins
• District 3 Councilperson - Shannon Elder
• District 4 Councilperson - Brian Hester

Education in Charlestown

Charlestown has many public schools that are part of the Greater Clark County Schools district. Some of these schools include:

• Pleasant Ridge Elementary School
• Jonathan Jennings Elementary School
• Charlestown Middle School
• Charlestown High School

Charlestown also has a public library, which is a part of the Charlestown-Clark County Public Library system.

Famous People from Charlestown

• Michael Cleveland, an award-winning bluegrass fiddle player.
• Mary Garrett Hay, a leader who worked for women's right to vote.
• Steve Hamilton, a former player in both the NBA (basketball) and MLB (baseball).
• George Howk, a judge on the Indiana Supreme Court.
• Jonathan Jennings, the first governor of Indiana.
• Travis Meeks, the lead singer of the band Days of the New.
• Nina Payne, an American dancer who was famous in Paris in the 1920s.
• Zach Payne, a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.
• James Scott, a judge on the Indiana Supreme Court.
• Jesse Vest, a bass player for the bands Days of the New and Tantric.
• Days of the New, a rock band.

See also

In Spanish: Charlestown (Indiana) para niños