St. Matthews, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
St. Matthews, Kentucky
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Downtown St. Matthews
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Location of St. Matthews in Jefferson County, Kentucky
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 St. Matthews, Kentucky
Location in Kentucky
St. Matthews, Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Jefferson |
| Incorporated | 1950 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.40 sq mi (11.39 km2) |
| • Land | 4.38 sq mi (11.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 535 ft (163 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 17,534 |
| • Density | 4,003.20/sq mi (1,545.52/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
40207
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| FIPS code | 21-67944 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2405399 |
St. Matthews is a city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Louisville Metro government. However, it is also its own city with its own rules.
In 2010, about 17,472 people lived there. This number grew to 17,534 by 2020. St. Matthews is the 23rd largest city in Kentucky. It is also a very important shopping area. It is home to Mall St. Matthews, which is one of the biggest malls in the state. Many other shopping centers are also found along Shelbyville Road.
Contents
History of St. Matthews
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Early Inhabitants and European Settlement
People have lived in what is now Kentucky for a very long time. Some experts think it could be as far back as 40,000 years ago. The area around the Ohio River was a special place. It was a meeting point for different Native American groups. These groups included the Hopewell culture and the Crab Orchard culture. Later, it was a border between the Mississippian culture and Fort Ancient cultures. In the 1700s, tribes like the Shawnee and Iroquois used this land for hunting.
The first European Americans arrived in 1779. This was during the American Revolutionary War. A man named James John Floyd from Virginia led this group. He had explored the area in 1774. He bought a large piece of land, about 2,000 acres. He bought it from soldiers who had fought in the French and Indian War. Floyd and his family arrived in November 1779. They built cabins and a fort. This fort became known as "Floyd's Station".
Farming and Growth in the 1800s
In the early 1800s, St. Matthews was known as the "garden of the state." It had many large farms. People from Virginia settled here and used enslaved people to work the land. The main crops were tobacco and hemp. Raising animals, especially horses, was also important. Over time, farmers started growing different crops. This was because the soil became tired from growing too much tobacco.
The community of St. Matthews grew around a busy crossroads. These roads are now Breckenridge Lane, Shelbyville Road, and Westport Road. By 1840, the area was called "Gilman's Point." This name came from a local tavern owner, Daniel Gilman.
The name "St. Matthews" was chosen in 1850. This happened after St. Matthew's Episcopal Church was built. It was the first church in the area. The name became official in 1851 when a new U.S. post office opened. Later, many other churches were built. These included Protestant churches and Catholic churches. Holy Trinity, the oldest Catholic church, was finished in 1882. It was built for Catholic families from Switzerland and Germany. Trinity High School was also built nearby.
St. Matthews was connected to the Louisville, Cincinnati and Lexington Railroad. Another railroad later linked Louisville to Anchorage and Middletown. But these railroads did not change the economy much. St. Matthews remained mostly a farming area for a long time.
Changes in the 1900s
In the early 1900s, St. Matthews was famous for its potatoes. It grew so many that it became a major potato shipping center. From 1910 to 1946, the St. Matthews Produce Exchange was here. It was once the second-largest potato shipper in the country.
The area started to change in the early 1900s. More people used cars and public transportation. Farms were slowly divided into smaller plots. These plots were then used to build homes. Many local streets are named after the original farming families. These names include Brown, Rudy, and Nanz. The town's first bank opened in 1905. A modern shopping area began to grow in the 1920s. This included the famous Vogue Theater, which opened in 1938.
The Ohio River flood of 1937 helped St. Matthews grow even faster. Many families moved from low-lying areas in Louisville to St. Matthews. The city officially became a city in 1950. This helped them fix problems with roads and build a sewer system. Around this time, Mall St. Matthews opened. It was Louisville's first indoor shopping mall.
In 2001, St. Matthews added several smaller cities to its area. These included Broad Fields and Cherrywood Village.
Geography of St. Matthews
St. Matthews is located in the northern part of Jefferson County, Kentucky. It is about 7 miles east of downtown Louisville. The city covers about 11.2 square kilometers (4.3 square miles). Only a small part of this area, about 0.04 square kilometers, is water.
The city's borders are roughly Cannons Lane to the west. I-264 is to the south and east. To the north are several neighborhoods near Brownsboro Road. These include Bellewood and Maryhill Estates. To the east, St. Matthews borders other cities like Woodlawn Park and Lyndon. Some smaller, separate cities are completely surrounded by St. Matthews. These include Richlawn and Beechwood Village.
People in St. Matthews
In 2000, there were 15,852 people living in St. Matthews. There were 7,978 homes. About 3,661 of these were families. The city had about 3,938 people per square mile.
Most people in St. Matthews are White (90.32%). About 4.95% are African American. About 2.62% are Asian. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.69% of the population.
About 17.0% of the people were under 18 years old. About 17.1% were 65 years or older. The average age in the city was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were about 86.6 males.
Education in St. Matthews
St. Matthews has a public library. It is a branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. The city is also home to Waggener High School and St. Matthews Elementary School.
Notable People from St. Matthews
- Bob Heleringer: A lawyer from Louisville. He was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1980 to 2002. He lived in St. Matthews.
- Jonathan Hay: A record producer from Louisville. He worked from his studio in St. Matthews for over ten years. Some of his music projects recorded here appeared on Billboard charts.
See also
In Spanish: St. Matthews (Kentucky) para niños
