Danville Kentucky: City of Firsts

Treble Cycle by Mike Welch

Where Gumbo Was #470

This week Gumbo was visiting the town of Danville KY. Congratulations to George G, who recognized our mystery location this week!

Boyle County Courthouse

Trinity Episcopal Church

Weisigar Plaza

Danville is about halfway between Louisville and Lexington, and sits in the center of the state. It was the place where the founding convention of the Commonwealth of Kentucky took place. It is known as the City of Firsts because it was home to Kentucky’s first courthouse and it was its first capital. It hosted the first U.S. Post Office west of the Allegheny Mountains, and the first state-supported school for the deaf.

Meeting House

Courthouse

Jail

School House

Grayson’s Tavern

In Danville you will find the Art Center of Bluegrass. Their gallery and classes help to fulfill their mission of connecting people to art, culture and creativity.

Art Center Parking Lot

Danville is also the home to Centre College, which was founded in 1819. However, Centre was not the first college in Kentucky; that honor goes to Transylvania University in Lexington.

This was not Gumbo’s first visit to Danville, and you can read more about its history from Jonathan L.’s 2017 article here.