New Castle, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
City of New Castle
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New Castle from the air, looking east.
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Location of New Castle in Henry County, Indiana.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Henry |
| Settled | 1822 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.34 sq mi (19.02 km2) |
| • Land | 7.32 sq mi (18.97 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) 0.27% |
| Elevation | 1,063 ft (324 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 17,396 |
| • Density | 2,375.20/sq mi (917.03/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
47362
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| Area code(s) | 765 |
| FIPS code | 18-52740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395191 |
| Website | www.cityofnewcastle.net/ |
New Castle is a city in Henry County, Indiana, United States. It is about 44 miles (71 km) east-northeast of Indianapolis. The city sits on the Big Blue River. New Castle is also the main city, or county seat, of Henry County.
One of the most famous things about New Castle is the New Castle Fieldhouse. This is the largest high school gym in the world! The area around the city is mostly farmland. In the past, New Castle was a busy place for making things. Factories here made steel, cars, coffins, clothes, and even pianos. In the early 1900s, it was known as the "Rose City" because it had many florists and flower growers.
In 2020, about 17,396 people lived in New Castle. Just north of the city is the New Castle Correctional Facility, which is a large prison.
Contents
History of New Castle
New Castle was officially planned out in 1823. It was named after another city called New Castle, Kentucky. A post office opened in New Castle in the same year.
A very important factory here was the Maxwell automobile factory. It was built in 1907. At that time, it was the biggest car manufacturing plant in the whole country! Later, Chrysler Motor Corp. owned and ran this factory.
Several historic places in New Castle are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important buildings that are kept safe because of their history. These include the Chrysler Enclosure, the Gen. William Grose House, the Henry County Courthouse, and the New Castle Commercial Historic District.
Geography and Climate
New Castle covers about 7.3 square miles (19 square kilometers) of land. Only a very small part, about 0.02 square miles (0.05 square kilometers), is water.
Climate in New Castle
New Castle has a "Humid continental climate." This means the area has big changes in temperature throughout the year. Summers are usually warm to hot and often humid. Winters are cold, and sometimes very cold.
People of New Castle
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 666 | — | |
| 1860 | 417 | −37.4% | |
| 1870 | 1,556 | 273.1% | |
| 1880 | 2,299 | 47.8% | |
| 1890 | 2,697 | 17.3% | |
| 1900 | 3,406 | 26.3% | |
| 1910 | 9,446 | 177.3% | |
| 1920 | 14,458 | 53.1% | |
| 1930 | 14,027 | −3.0% | |
| 1940 | 16,620 | 18.5% | |
| 1950 | 18,271 | 9.9% | |
| 1960 | 20,349 | 11.4% | |
| 1970 | 21,215 | 4.3% | |
| 1980 | 20,056 | −5.5% | |
| 1990 | 17,753 | −11.5% | |
| 2000 | 17,780 | 0.2% | |
| 2010 | 18,114 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 17,396 | −4.0% | |
| Source: US Census Bureau | |||
2020 Census Information
In 2020, there were 17,396 people living in New Castle. There were about 6,951 households. A "household" means all the people living in one home.
Most people living in New Castle were White (92.1%). About 1.8% were African American, and smaller numbers of people were Asian, Native American, or from other backgrounds. About 0.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average age of people in the city was about 39 years old. About 24% of residents were under 18 years old. About 18% were 65 years or older. Most people (98.8%) spoke English at home.
Education
New Castle has several places for learning:
- New Castle Community School Corporation
- New Castle Career Center
- Ivy Tech Community College
The city also has a public library, called the New Castle-Henry County Public Library.
Things to See and Do
- New Castle Fieldhouse: This is the largest high school gym in the United States! It can hold 9,325 people. A famous story about the fieldhouse happened in 1961. Fans at a basketball game got snowed in. The next morning, food was brought in, and a church service was played over the speakers! The gym has also hosted championship games for basketball and volleyball.
- Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame: This museum is located near New Castle High School. It celebrates the history of basketball in Indiana, which is a very popular sport in the state.
- Native American Mound: Near New Castle High School, there is an ancient mound built by Native Americans. It is about 2,000 years old. This mound has special dips that line up with the sunrise and sunset during the equinoxes (when day and night are equal length). Other similar mounds are found many miles away.
- Thornhaven Manor: This old house was built in 1845. It has been featured on TV shows like Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures and Destination America's Ghost Brothers because of its interesting history. It was built in the Italianate style and was once thought to be a stop on the Underground Railroad.
International Connections
New Castle, Indiana, is part of a special group of towns around the world. These towns are all named "Newcastle" or something similar. In 2006, New Castle attended a "World Summit" in Newcastle-under-Lyme in England.
Here are some of the other "Newcastles" from around the world:
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Famous People from New Castle
Many notable people have come from New Castle, including:
- Steve Alford, a famous college basketball player and coach.
- Tom Allen, a college football coach.
- Trey Ball, a baseball player.
- Kent Benson, an NBA basketball player.
- Major General Omar Bundy, a military officer who fought in several wars, including World War I.
- Trevor Chowning, a pop artist.
- Richard Crane, an actor.
- William Grose, a general in the American Civil War.
- Tracy Hines, a race car driver.
- Vern Huffman, a basketball and football player for Indiana University.
- Robert Indiana, a well-known artist.
- Fred Luddy, a businessman.
- Peter Malnati, a golfer.
- David Lee Roth, a singer.
See also
In Spanish: New Castle (Indiana) para niños
