St. Matthews, Kentucky

St. Matthews is a city in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 15,852 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 17,374. When the government of Jefferson County merged with the city of Louisville, Kentucky in 2003, citizens of St. Matthews also became citizens of the new Louisville Metro, however, none of the incorporated places in Jefferson County were affected (retaining their city government and some city services, such as police and fire departments).

The area eventually known as St. Matthews was first settled in 1779 by Colonial John Floyd. Floyd, who had actually conducted an important survey of Jefferson County in 1774, bought 2,000 acres of land from soldiers who had been awarded the parcels for their service in the French and Indian War. He arrived over land on November 8, 1779, bringing several family members and a black slave, and built cabins and a stockade that came to be known as Floyd's Station.^[1]

The town developed at the same time as nearby Louisville, Kentucky, centered around the intersection of Breckenridge Lane, Shelbyville Road and Westport Road. By 1840 it was known as Gilman's Point, after local tavern owner Daniel Gilman. The name St. Matthews emerged in 1850, after the area's first church, St. Matthews Episcopal Church. It became official in 1851 when a newly opened post office adopted the name. The oldest remaining church is Holy Trinity, built in 1882 on the site of present day Trinity High School.

The community was connected by the Louisville, Lexington & Cincinnati Railroad, built in the mid-1800s, and a later railroad connecting Louisville to Anchorage and Middletown. St. Matthews was heavily agricultural well into the 20th century, from 1910 to 1946 home to the St. Matthews Produce Exchange, which was once the second-largest potato shipper in the country.

During the first half of the 20th century, the farms were gradually subdivided. The original landowners names, such as Brown, Rudy, Nanz, Monahan and Oeschner, have been leant to many of the local streets. The town's first bank was founded in 1905, and a modern shopping district began developing in the 1920s that would include the landmark Vogue Theatre, opened in 1938.

Growth of the area was sped up even faster by the 1937 flood, which lead many families to literally move to higher ground. St. Matthews incorporated as a city in 1950, partially to address infrastructure problems and build a sewer system. The Mall St. Matthews, Louisville's first true indoor shopping mall, opened around this time.

The boundaries of St. Matthews are roughly Cannons Lane to the west, I-264 and to the south and east, and several subdivisions off of Brownsboro Road to the north. These include Bellewood, Brownsboro Village, Maryhill Estates and Windy Hills. The cities of Richlawn and Norbourne Estates are located within St. Matthews.

St. Matthews is located at 38°14′60″N 85°38′33″W / 38.25000°N 85.64250°W / 38.25000; -85.64250 Coordinates: latitude seconds >= 60
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.4 km² (4.0 mi²), all land.

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 15,852 people, 7,978 households, and 3,661 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,518.7/km² (3,938.3/mi²). There were 8,537 housing units at an average density of 817.9/km² (2,121.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.32% White, 4.95% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population.

There were 7,978 households out of which 19.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.1% were non-families. 45.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.0% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,219, and the median income for a family was $56,473. Males had a median income of $37,306 versus $31,163 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,601. About 4.9% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

• City of St. Matthews Official site
• Places in time: St. Matthews

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