Paintsville () is a home rule-class city in Johnson County, Kentucky, United States. Located along Paint Creek, it is the county seat of Johnson County. The population was 4,312 at the 2020 census.
History A Paint Lick Station was referred to in United States Army dispatches as early as 1780. The site was named for tribal art painted on the debarked trees near a local salt lick when the first white settlers arrived and was originally part of a tract belonging to George Lewis. The trading post was purchased by Henery Dixon from North Carolina in 1812 and laid out as the town of Paint Lick Station in 1826.Rennick, Robert. Kentucky Place Names, p. 225. University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Retrieved September 25, 2013. The town was formally established under that name in 1834, although the post office was probably named Paint Creek. It was incorporated as a city under its present name of Paintsville in 1843, the same year it became the county seat of Johnson County.
The Civil War found Johnson County Fiscal Court passing an ordinance barring both Union and Confederate flags from being flown in its jurisdiction. This was quickly repealed when then-Col. James A. Garfield marched his brigade into the city.
During the early twentieth century, Paintsville began to transform into a modern American city. In 1902, the city's first bank First National opened for business. In 1906, the city received telephone service and, two years later, all of its streets were paved. In 1912, Paintsville received electricity and natural gas services. In 1926, Paintsville residents received public water and the city's fire department was established.Johnson County, Kentucky, History. "". Retrieved November 13, 2009. Library services were originally provided through the Pack Horse Library Project.
Since the 1990s, Paintsville has seen a steady loss of population (4,345 in 1990 to 3,459 in 2010), in part due to a downturn in the economy, and the loss of coal jobs. Despite this, there have been some business developments in the past few years, as well as growing tourist interest. Paintsville has been in the process of revitalizing the downtown area to rejuvenate its original business district. On June 9, 2009, Paintsville became a "wet" city for the first time since March 14, 1945, permitting stores located within the city limits to sell alcoholic beverages.Commonwealth of Kentucky. "Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control". Retrieved June 11, 2009.
Geography
Paintsville is located at (37.811324, −82.806780) in the bottomland at the confluence of Paint Creek and the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River amid the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the Cumberland Plateau. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
Climate Paintsville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Summers are hot and humid with frequent severe storms. July is the warmest month, with an average high 86 °F (30 °C) and an average low of 66 °F (19 °C). Winters are cold with occasional mild periods. January is the coldest month with an average high of 44 °F (7 °C) and an average low of 24 °F (−4 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C) in 1988 and the lowest recorded temperature was −26 °F (−32 °C) in 1994. May has the highest average rainfall (4.54 inches) and October has the lowest average rainfall (2.97 inches).
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Paintsville had a population of 4,312. The median age was 41.9 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.4 males age 18 and over.
90.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 9.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,829 households in Paintsville, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.1% were married-couple households, 19.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,119 housing units, of which 13.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 4,086 94.8% Black or African American 23 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 5 0.1% Asian 61 1.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 3 0.1% Some other race 27 0.6% Two or more races 107 2.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 65 1.5%
2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 3,459 people, 1,604 households, and 856 families residing in the city. The population density was 1300.1 people per square mile. There were 1,844 housing units at an average density of 693.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 99.3% White, 0.3% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 0.2% from other races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.4% of the population.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.5% under 19, 6.1% from 20 to 24, 11.0% from 25 to 34, 11.9% from 35 to 44, 15.1% from 45 to 54, 14.4% from 55 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 or older. The median age is 41.9 years. There were 1,574 males and 1,885 females.
Income and poverty The median income for a household in the city was $25,259, and the median income for a family was $30,575. Males had a median income of $30,478 versus $25,640 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,876. About 21.0% of families and 29.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.9% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.
Crime In 2019, the following crime rate was reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the city police department: per 100,000 people, there were four violent crimes (including one forcible rape and three aggravated assaults), and 31 property crimes (including four burglaries, 18 larceny thefts and nine vehicle thefts). Five people died in a 2018 shooting spree. Arts and culture
Festivals The Kentucky Apple Festival has been held in Paintsville annually since 1962. Events include live music, carnival rides, a pageant, various competitions, a parade, and a car show. The festival occurs annually on the first full weekend in October.Kentucky Apple Festival Retrieved August 18, 2013
The Awaken Conference, an annual Christian concert event attracting thousands of people to the area, is held each July in the city.Awaken Conference. Retrieved April 1, 2016
Paintsville also holds a Spring Fling on Main Street in May.Event Information City of Paintsville. Retrieved August 18, 2013
Museums and historical sites
The U.S. 23 County Music Highway Museum gives information on the country music entertainers who grew up near U.S. 23 in Eastern Kentucky. Country music entertainers profiled in the museum include Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, and Hylo Brown.U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum Retrieved August 19, 2013.
The historic Mayo Mansion was built for John C. C. Mayo between 1905 and 1912. It now serves as Our Lady of the Mountains School.Our School's History Our Lady of the Mountains School. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
The Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church was designed by one hundred Italian masons hired by John C. C. Mayo. It has several stained glass windows and has a pipe organ donated by Andrew Carnegie. The first church service was in the fall of 1909.National Register of Historic Places Building Profile Retrieved August 19, 2013.
The Mountain Homeplace is a living history museum located within Paintsville Lake State Park, in Staffordsville, Kentucky. The museum is a re-creation of a mid-nineteenth-century farming community and includes a blacksmith shop, one-room schoolhouse, church, cabin, and barn with farm grounds. These structures were all moved from nearby locations in the early 1980s to prevent them from being submerged underneath the planned Paintsville Lake. The museum officially opened in July 1995.
Tour guides and park workers wearing traditional period attire demonstrate old skills and crafts such as forging horseshoes, quilting, and tending to farm animals. There is also a Welcome Center, consisting of the Museum of Appalachian History and a gift shop featuring regional arts and crafts.
The In the Pines Amphitheater was built in the early 2000s and was modeled after the amphitheaters of Ancient Greece. The 700-seat facility is open year-round and annually hosts the Red Bud Gospel Sing.
The museum is open from April 1 through December 31.
Parks and recreation
The Paintsville Country Club includes an 18-hole golf course established on September 27, 1929, making it one of the oldest golf courses in Eastern Kentucky. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 The country club was built in 1930 by the WPA and is on the National Register of Historic Places.Powell, Helen January 26, 1989. Retrieved February 26, 2010
The Paintsville Recreation Center contains a volleyball court, a basketball court, a walking track, and a playground. There is also a small community garden on site.Recreation Information City of Paintsville. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
Government Paintsville has a mayor–council form of government.
Former mayors:List of Mayors for the City of Paintsville Retrieved on August 10, 2010
Richard C. Thomas (1920–1922) Dr. J.C. Sparks (1924) James N. Meek (1924–1925) Dr. E.E. Archer (1926–1933) F.S. Vanhoose (1934–1939) J.B. Wells Jr. (1940–1945) Escom Chandler (1946–1949) J.B. Wells Jr. (1949–1955) Ralph B. "Tiny" Preston (1955–1965) J.B. Wells Jr. (1966–1969) John E. Chandler (1969–1975) Jim T. Newman (1975) Allen S. Perry (1975) James S. Trimble (1975–1985) Robert Wiley (1986–1988) John David Preston (1988–1993) Robin T. Cooper (1994–2002) Douglas W. Pugh (2003–2006) Bob Porter (2007–2016)
The representative body of the city of Paintsville is the city council. The council members include Roger "Bo" Belcher, Tim Hall, David Vanhoose, Michael Conley, Ashley McKenzie and Eva Holbrook.Kentucky Secretary of State-Land Office, Apps.sos.ky.gov, Retrieved on November 21, 2009
Departments The city mayor oversees the following departments:
Community Planning and Zoning Services Finance Human Resources Police Public Works Parks and Recreation Tourism Fire/EMS
Education
The Paintsville Independent School District includes Paintsville High School (7th–12th grades) and Paintsville Elementary School. Paintsville Independent has consistently had college attendance rates between 95% and 100% since 2008.Modern Curriculum-Traditional Approach Paintsville Independent Schools. Retrieved August 1, 2013 In 2012, the district had a composite ACT score of 22.7.Average ACT Scores by School District Kentucky Department of Education. Retrieved August 1, 2013 It was the 4th highest composite ACT score out of the 169 school districts in the state of Kentucky.Best High Schools in Kentucky U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved August 1, 2013
Johnson County Schools also operates three schools within the city of Paintsville: Johnson Central High School, Johnson County Middle School (Kentucky), and Central Elementary School. Johnson County is also well known for its academics. Johnson Central High School has won five international Future Problem Solving titles while the middle school has won 10 Governor's Cup state titles along with three international FPS titles.Johnson County Middle School Awards, Ourladyschool.cdlex.org, Retrieved August 1, 2013
Our Lady of the Mountains School is a private institution operated by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Lexington.Our Lady of the Mountains School Retrieved August 1, 2013