Greenville, Indiana
| Greenville, Indiana | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
| Town of Greenville | |
 |
|
 Location in the state of Indiana |
|
| Coordinates: 38°22′22″N 85°59′19″W / 38.37278°N 85.98861°WCoordinates: 38°22′22″N 85°59′19″W / 38.37278°N 85.98861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Floyd |
| Township | Greenville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2) |
| • Land | 0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 827 ft (252 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 595 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 603 |
| • Density | 762.8/sq mi (294.5/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 47124 |
| Area code(s) | 812 & 930 |
| FIPS code | 18-29844 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0435458 |
Greenville is a town in Greenville Township, Floyd County, Indiana, United States. The population was 595 at the 2010 census.
Early in Floyd County's history, Greenville was initially to be the county seat. A New Albany resident offered to provide a bell for the courthouse, on the condition that the courthouse were built in New Albany; thus, it was built there instead.
Captain John Baptiste Ford found his way to Greenville as a 14-year-old runaway from Danville, Kentucky. Ford began as an apprentice with his future father-in-law in the local saddle shop which led him into his first business venture. Ford purchased the Old Mill and saddle shop from its owner, added a grocery and began making tin pie safes which he sold throughout the country. Later, Ford moved to New Albany and established several businesses, and became the first man to succeed in making plate glass in the United States. That success was the precursor to several glass companies, most notably the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company now known as PPG. Ford became the father of American plate glass.
That original building that housed the mill, saddle shop and grocery still stands today. Historically referred to as the Old Mill and Ford's Flour Mill, the Greenville Station is believed to be the oldest commercial building in Greenville. Construction on the original wooden structure began in 1810 and finished in 1812. In 1840, Ford helped to erect the present brick structure. Besides housing Ford's grocery and the saddle shop, the Old Mill was the Greenville Post Office from 1823 until the early 1940s when it was relocated to H. Miller's house at the corner of East First Street and Hwy 150. The Station was a stop for the 104-mile stagecoach route that ran from Falls Cities to the Wabash River. The building also served as a stop along the Pony Express route from 1861 to 1867. The Greenville Station served as lodge hall for two civil organizations: the fraternal order of the Free and Accepted Masons and the International Order of Oddfellows. Through a majority of the early 20th century, the Greenville Station was referred to by the townspeople as the "lodge building" or the "lodge."
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