Wilmore, Kentucky | |
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City | |
The East Main Street Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
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Motto: "...small town charm" | |
Location of Wilmore, Kentucky |
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Coordinates: 37°51′43″N 84°39′42″W / 37.86194°N 84.66167°WCoordinates: 37°51′43″N 84°39′42″W / 37.86194°N 84.66167°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Kentucky |
County | Jessamine |
Government | |
• Mayor | Harold Rainwater |
Area | |
• Total | 2.6 sq mi (7 km2) |
• Land | 2.6 sq mi (7 km2) |
• Water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km2) |
Elevation | 883 ft (269 m) |
Population (2000) | |
• Total | 5,905 |
• Density | 2,239.1/sq mi (864.5/km2) |
Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP code | 40390 |
Area code(s) | 859 |
FIPS code | 21-83550 |
GNIS feature ID | 506874 |
Website | http://www.wilmore.org/ |
Wilmore is a home rule-class city in Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,686 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2), all of it land.
A post office called "Wilmore" was established in 1877. It was named for John R. Wilmore, a local landowner and former slave owner.
In 1882, the Southern Railway established a line through the county and located a flag stop at Wilmore which was briefly called "Scott's Station". It was named for John D. Scott, the owner of the site. The station's name was soon changed to Wilmore.
By the 1890s, Wilmore was a prosperous settlement with a population of about 600. Wilmore was an important shipping point for cattle, hogs, grain and other produce, and the settlement had a blacksmith, carriage repair shops, two drug stores, three doctors, three large stores, a hardware store, two butcher shops, a livery stable, a school, several churches, a glass mill, and a grist mill. Asbury College was founded in 1890.
Wilmore was incorporated in 1918.
From 1970 to 2012, Wilmore was the original location of both the Ichthus Music Festival, a gathering of Christian musical artists and speakers, and the Highbridge Film Festival, a showcase for locally produced films.
Several locations in Wilmore are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Asbury College Administration Building (renamed the Hager Administration Building), the East Main Street Historic District, the Kenyon Avenue Historic District, the Lexington and Main Historic District, the Morrison-Kenyon Library, and the North Lexington Avenue Historic District.
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,905 people, 1,638 households, and 1,215 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,239.1 per square mile (864.5/km2). There were 1,740 housing units at an average density of 659.8 per square mile (254.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.53% White, 1.93% African American, 0.14% Native American, 2.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.