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Bardstown

Bardstown, Kentucky
City
Bardstown Historic District
Bardstown Historic District
Nickname(s): Bourbon Capital of the World
Location of Bardstown within Kentucky
Location of Bardstown within Kentucky
Coordinates: 37°48′56″N 85°27′47″W / 37.81556°N 85.46306°W / 37.81556; -85.46306Coordinates: 37°48′56″N 85°27′47″W / 37.81556°N 85.46306°W / 37.81556; -85.46306
Country United States
State Kentucky
County Nelson
Settled Salem, 1770s
Established Bard's Town, 1780
Incorporated Bardstown, 1790
Government
 • Mayor J. Richard Heaton
Area
 • Total 7.4 sq mi (19 km2)
 • Land 7.3 sq mi (19 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation 646 ft (197 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 11,700
 • Density 1,577.9/sq mi (609.2/km2)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP Code 40004
Area code(s) 502
FIPS code 21-03628
GNIS feature ID 0486333
Website cityofbardstown.org

Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was recorded as 11,700 by the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. It is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a 1,000 acres (400 ha) land grant in 1785 in what was then Jefferson County, Virginia from Governor Patrick Henry. William Bard surveyed and platted the town. It was originally chartered as Baird's Town.

First settled by European Americans in 1780, Bardstown is the second oldest city in Kentucky. Named county seat of the newly created Nelson County, Virginia (now Kentucky) in 1784, the town was formally established in 1788. It was incorporated by the state assembly in 1838.

Reflecting the westward migration of Americans over the "Blue Ridge" after the Revolutionary War, Bardstown was also the first center of Roman Catholicism west of the Appalachian Mountains in the original western frontier territories of the United States. The Diocese of Bardstown was established on February 8, 1808, by Pope Pius VII, (1742-1823, reigned 1800-1823), to serve all Catholics between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River. This divided the previous all-encompassing Diocese of Baltimore, established in 1789. This area is now served by 44 dioceses and archdioceses in 10 states, showing the development of communities with Catholics across the nation as immigration brought new populations.


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