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St. Mary, Kentucky

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St. Mary, Kentucky
Unincorporated community
Location within Kentucky
Location within Kentucky
CountryUnited States
StateKentucky
CountyMarion
Settledc. 1785[1]
Incorporated1865[2]
Dissolved1986
Named fora local college
Area
[3]
 • Total
0.78 sq mi (2.03 km2)
 • Land0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2)
 • Water0.0077 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
762 ft (232 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total
138
 • Density177.3/sq mi (68.46/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
40063
Area codes270 & 364
FIPS code21-67890
GNIS feature ID02797230

St. Mary is an unincorporated community and former city[5] in Marion County, Kentucky, in the United States.[2] As of the 2020 census, the population of the community was 138.[4]

The formerly incorporated city was dissolved by the Marion Circuit Court in 1986, which was upheld by the Kentucky Court of Appeals later that year.[6] The city had lain dormant for several years without electing any government, but an attempt was made in 1985 to revive the city in order to prevent the former St. Mary's College from being repurposed as a prison. The court held that this was in violation of a Kentucky law which dissolved any city which failed to maintain a government for more than one year; the city therefore no longer existed.[7] The Kentucky Secretary of State maintains in its cities database the ordinances passed by the abortive city council in 1986.[8]

History

[edit]

The town was first known as Hardin's Creek when it was settled by the Hardin family c. 1785. Catholic settlers from "Saint" Charles Co.,[a] Maryland, arrived in 1790. Their community was originally known as Saint Charles after their former home and new church.[1]

The first Catholic settlers of the Hardin's Creek settlement were the brothers Edward Beaven and Charles Beaven from Maryland in 1786, followed by the brothers Mathew, Zachariah, Sylvester, and Jeremiah Cissell.[citation needed]

The community was the birthplace and hometown of George Elder, who – along with William Byrne – later returned from seminary in Maryland to found Saint Mary's College in 1821. The post office was established in 1858 as Saint Mary's for the school.[9] The city was incorporated as St. Mary[b] on May 26, 1865.[2] The college closed its doors in 1976.

The city includes historical markers honoring the Sisters of Loretto and St. Mary's College.[10]

Geography

[edit]

St. Mary is located on Kentucky Route 84 at 37°50′56.6″N 85°20′46.7″W / 37.849056°N 85.346306°W / 37.849056; -85.346306 (37.580711, -85.346291),[11] 5 miles (8 km) west of Lebanon.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of St. Mary has an area of 0.79 square miles (2.05 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.89%, are water.[4]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
2020138—
U.S. Decennial Census[12]

Economy

[edit]

Since 1980, St. Mary has been home to the 826-bed Marion Adjustment Center, a CCA-owned minimum- and medium-security facility.[13][14] In June 2013, the Kentucky Department of Corrections elected not to renew the contract.[15][16] At the time, the MAC employed 166 people.[17]

Notes

[edit]

^ a: This Charles County is now known within Maryland as "Old Charles County" to distinguish it from the present Charles County. The former was named after King Charles I ("Saint Charles"), the latter after Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore.
^ b: The abbreviation is the formal name, although it sometimes spelled out as "Saint Mary".[2]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Rennick, Robert. Kentucky Place Names, p. 261. University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987. Accessed October 4, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Commonwealth of Kentucky. Office of the Secretary of State. Land Office. "St. Mary, Kentucky". Accessed October 4, 2013.
  3. ↑ "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Kentucky". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "P1. Race – St. Mary city, Kentucky: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Summary and Reference Guide to House Bill 331 City Classification Reform" (PDF). Kentucky League of Cities. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Action to dissolve city ruled proper". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. The Associated Press. February 28, 1987 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Glasscock, Ninie (August 19, 1987). "The city of St. Mary does not exist". The Lebanon Enterprise – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Kentucky Cities Search: St. Mary". Kentucky Secretary of State. Retrieved October 21, 2026.
  9. ↑ University of Kentucky. Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer. "Saint Mary, Kentucky". Accessed October 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ Signs of History. "Marion County". Accessed October 4, 2013.
  11. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  13. ↑ Kentucky Department of Corrections. "About MAC". Accessed October 4, 2013.
  14. ↑ Corrections Corporation of America. Press Release: "Kentucky Elects Not to Renew Contract at Marion Adjustment Center". Op. cit. in Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2013. Accessed October 4, 2013.
  15. ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, July 2, 2013. "A welcome close to privately run prisons in Kentucky". Accessed October 4, 2013.
  16. ↑ Barrouquere, Brett. Bloomberg Businessweek, June 25, 2013. "Kentucky to walk away from last private prison". Accessed July 25, 2013.
  17. ↑ Lega, Stephen. Kentucky Standard, July 3, 2013. "Marion Adjustment Center's closing will impact community in many ways". Accessed October 4, 2013.
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