Campbellsville

History

The city was founded in 1817 and laid out by Andrew Campbell, who had moved from Augusta County, Virginia, along with his wife Rebecca Campbell and four of his brothers, James, Adam, Michael, and David Campbell. Campbell owned a gristmill and a tavern and began selling lots in Campbellsville in 1814. Campbellsville was designated by the state legislature as the county seat in 1848 after Taylor County was separated from Green County. The city agreed to sell the public square to the county for one dollar so that a courthouse could be built. Campbellsville has several historic sites as listed under Taylor County in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Kentucky. The Campbellsville Historic Commercial District includes several blocks of Main Street. The historic First Street Brewery one street over dates back to the prohibition and is due to open in 2021 for the first time since the 1930s. The city's first courthouse was burned by Confederate cavalry in 1864 because the Union Army was using it for barracks. After the war, a second courthouse was built on the same site. The third courthouse was built in 1965 on a property adjoining the "old courthouse" (on the aptly named Court Street). A fourth courthouse referred to as the Justice Center building was built on Main Street (along with a new adjoining county jail) in 2008. The project removed several old commercial buildings from the 300 block of East Main Street.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.65%) is covered by water. US 68, KY 55, KY 210, and KY 70 pass through Campbellsville. Taylor County has also claimed to contain the geographic center of Kentucky, in Campbellsville. In addition to the City of Campbellsville motto meaning "city in the middle of the commonwealth", the city contains a station marker placed by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey circa 1916 which has since been regarded by citizens as the fabled center marker of Kentucky. It is located in front of the Montgomery Library on the campus of Campbellsville University. The climate is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Campbellsville has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. Miller Park is the main recreational park with softball fields, tennis courts, swimming pool (it is no longer there), playgrounds, walking track gardens, and open space. It surrounds the Pitman Creek that flows through the park. About one mile to the west, Osborne Park (named after former Mayor Paul E. Osborne) is mostly open space and soccer fields. These two recreation parks are joined by the nature trail, the Pitman Creek Trail (a Trail Town project).

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  393
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  338
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  310
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  302
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  283
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  274
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  256
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  226

Most recent

• M 3.09 — 2025-12-28
  11 km ENE of Lancaster, Kentucky
• M 2.75 — 2025-05-11
  11 km SE of High Bridge, Kentucky
• M 2.63 — 2023-08-04
  11 km ENE of Lancaster, Kentucky
• M 2.64 — 2023-01-12
  4 km E of Burgin, Kentucky
• M 2.67 — 2019-10-12
  21 km ENE of Somerset, Kentucky
• M 2.59 — 2018-01-21
  8 km SSE of High Bridge, Kentucky