Knottsville, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Knottsville, Kentucky
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 Knottsville, Kentucky
Location in Kentucky
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Daviess |
| Established | 1836 |
| Founded by | Leonard Knott |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.70 sq mi (1.81 km2) |
| • Land | 0.69 sq mi (1.79 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 568 ft (173 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 183 |
| • Density | 264.45/sq mi (102.06/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
42366
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| Area code(s) | 270 |
| GNIS feature ID | 497423 |
Knottsville is a small community in eastern Daviess County, Kentucky. It's called a "census-designated place" (CDP), which means it's a special area defined for gathering census information. In 2020, about 183 people lived there.
The town got its name from Leonard Knott, who built the first house there in 1827. The town's layout was officially planned in 1836 by William R. Griffith and James Millay.
Contents
The Founding of Knottsville
Early Settlers and First Homes
Leonard Knott was born in Nelson County, Kentucky. He later moved to Daviess County. In 1827, he built the very first house in what would become Knottsville. This house was the start of the community.
Leonard Knott married Mary M. Drury. They had four children together. Knott was a lifelong Catholic and passed away in 1854. His family continued to live in the area for many generations.
How the Town Was Planned
The first store in Knottsville was opened by James Millay. The town was officially named 'Knottsville' by William R. Griffith, who was a member of the state legislature at the time. The town's layout was formally established in 1836. By 1847, Knottsville had two doctors, with Dr. Richard Lockhart being the first one to live there.
Schools and Businesses in Early Knottsville
First Schools and Buildings
The first schoolhouse in Knottsville was built in 1854. It was a simple log cabin. However, it was soon replaced by a nicer wooden building in 1857. Powhattan Ellis, whose family came from Virginia, was the first teacher.
Growing Businesses in the 1800s
By the late 1800s, Knottsville had grown quite a bit. The town had many different businesses, including:
- Two general stores
- One drug store
- One shoe shop
- A blacksmith and wagon shop
- Two undertakers
- One flour mill
- One saw and grist mill
- Three tobacco factories
Interestingly, St. William Catholic Church in Knottsville had the first public library in Daviess County where people could borrow books.
The Story of St. William Catholic Church
Early Church History
Catholic missionaries like Fathers Charles Nerinx, Elisha J. Durbin, and Robert Abel were among the first to serve the Knottsville area. The first priest to live there was Father John Wathen in 1833. Many people from Knottsville attended St. Lawrence Church until 1887.
By 1887, the Knottsville area had grown to over 1,000 people. St. Lawrence Church became very crowded. Because of this, church leaders decided to divide the parish. The new St. William congregation was officially started on May 2, 1887.
Building the New Church
Father James P. Cronin was the first pastor of St. William. He held the first mass in a rented old bar room. This spot is now where the brick church office stands.
Land was bought, and the foundation for the current brick church was laid in the fall of 1887. On May 27, 1888, the corner stone was placed by Bishop McCloskey. As the church grew, groups like the Women's Altar Society and Women's Guild were formed. The church was officially dedicated on May 30, 1898, by Bishop George Montgomery.
Education in Knottsville
St. William's Elementary School
St. William's Elementary School opened its doors in 1912. The first teachers were the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph. They lived in the old parsonage until 1915, when that building was destroyed by fire.
After the fire, the Sisters lived in a different home that was rented for them. An addition was later built onto the school and library to create a comfortable home for the Sisters.
In April 1926, another fire destroyed the school, the attached library, and the Sisters' residence. Many valuable books and papers were lost. A new brick building for the grade school was built in 1927. Over the years, the school was staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the Ursuline Sisters.
High School Education and Changes
St. William High School was established in 1937. In the fall of 1967, this high school joined with St. Mary of the Woods High School. Together, they formed the current Trinity High School. Students from St. Lawrence, St. William, and St. Mary of the Woods now attend Trinity High School.
The Mary Carrico Memorial School was dedicated on May 5, 1963. This building was paid for by Governor Robert Hayes Gore of the Virgin Islands. He did this in memory of his mother, Mary Carrico, who used to be a teacher at St. William elementary school.
Housing for the Sisters
A brick convent was built in 1958 to house the Sisters who taught at the schools. Sisters of Charity, Ursuline Sisters, and Sisters of the Lamb of God lived there. In 2004, this building was torn down because it didn't meet new safety rules, and it was too expensive to fix. The Ursuline Sisters had already left the area by then, and the Sisters of the Lamb of God moved to Owensboro.
Current School and Parish Information
Today, Mary Carrico Memorial School serves both St. William and St. Lawrence parishes. It has 84 registered students, with 55 from St. William and 29 from St. Lawrence. The school has a principal, six full-time teachers, a technology teacher, a part-time music teacher, a janitor, a full-time secretary, and two aides.
As of 2007, St. William's Parish had 395 registered families, which included 1,098 men, women, and children.
