Greencastle, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township
, Putnam County
, Indiana
, United States
, and the county seat
of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American
Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania
. Greencastle was a village or town operating under authority of the Putnam County commissioners until March 9, 1849, when it became a town by special act of the local legislature. Greencastle, Indiana officially became a city after an election held on July 8, 1861. The first mayor of Greencastle was E. R. Kercheval, a member (during his lifetime) of the Freemason Temple Lodge #47. The city became the county seat
of Putnam County
. The population was 10,326 at the 2010 census. It is located near Interstate 70
between Terre Haute and Indianapolis
in the west-central portion of the state.
Greencastle's public schools are operated by the Greencastle Community School Corporation. The Greencastle School Corporation consists of one Central Office; one High School, Greencastle High School, which hosts grades 9th through 12th; one Middle School
, Greencastle Middle School, which hosts grades 6th through 8th; one Intermediate School, Tzouanakis Intermediate School, which hosts grades 3rd through 5th and two Primary Schools, Martha J. Ridpath Primary School (also known as Ridpath Primary) and Deer Meadow Primary School
which each host kindergarten
through 2nd grade.
Private Schools
Peace Lutheran School is a private school in Greencastle, Indiana, which according to their website is "an outreach of Peace Lutheran Church." It was founded in 1984 as a preschool. In 1995, kindergarten was added as a half-day program. The year 2002 marked the beginning of the Primary School with the addition of 5th grade. (In Indiana, Primary Schools are typically interpreted as 1st through 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grades.) As of 2011, the school hosts grades kindergarten through 6th grade.
Colleges and Universities
DePauw University
is a private national liberal arts college. It was originally founded as Indiana Asbury University in 1837 as an all men's school. In 1867, Laura Beswick, Mary Simmons, Alice Allen, and Bettie Locke Hamilton (then Bettie Locke), the chief founder of Kappa Alpha Theta
, America's first college sorority, became the University's first four female co-eds.
DePauw today has an enrollment of about 2400 students. Students hail from 42 states and 32 countries with a 20.4% multicultural enrollment. DePauw's liberal arts education gives students a chance to gain general knowledge outside of their direct area of study. DePauw consistently ranks among the top 50 liberal arts colleges in America in both U.S. News and World Report rankings and Kiplinger’s “best value” list. In a 2009 Center for College Affordability & Productivity ranking published in Forbes magazine, DePauw was ranked No. 42 under “America’s Best Colleges.”
Ivy Tech Community College (also Ivy Tech) is the nation's largest state-wide community college with single accreditation. A 33,300 square foot, $8.6 million Ivy Tech campus was completed in 2009 in Greencastle. The Ivy Tech branch in Greencastle is also assisted financially by The Putnam County Community Foundation.
Other Educational Facilities
Greencastle is the home of the Putnam County Public Library, a public library which serves patrons from Putnam County and surrounding counties. Services include books, books on CD and MP3, movies, music, newspapers, magazines, computer and Internet access, Wi-fi, inter-library loan, programming for all ages, author series, book discussion groups and multiple public meeting rooms.
Greencastle also once had a municipal Carnegie library
, which is now known as The William Weston Clarke Emison Museum of Art (otherwise known as The Emison Museum of Art or The Emison Art Center). The library became a museum in 1986, and was renamed to honor the financial contributions of James W. Emison, a longtime member of DePauw University's Board of Trustees and benefactor of the University, and other Emison family members. The building was constructed in 1908. The Emison Art Center was originally the Depauw University campus library.
The Putnam County Museum houses a "permanent collection of nearly 2,000 Putnam County related artifacts offers the county residents and visitors a historical overview of the county, including its significance during the Civil War and a glimpse into everyday life of Putnam residents in the past. The Museum also showcases the Putnam County contemporary artists in revolving exhibits, featuring at least one new artist every month."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.93%) is water.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 9,880 people, 3,353 households, and 2,038 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,864.6 people per square mile (719.8/km²). There were 3,532 housing units at an average density of 666.6/sq mi (257.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.91% White, 2.67% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races
, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.
There were 3,353 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 27.3% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,798, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $30,940 versus $20,889 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,351. About 7.6% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
In Greencastle:
* The Appleyard, farm of Alexander C. Stevenson
* The Boulders house
* Brick Chapel United Methodist Church
* Courthouse Square Historic District
* Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity house
* East College of DePauw University
* Richard M. Hazelett house (“Sunny Hill”)
* Alfred Hirt house
* McKim Observatory, DePauw University
* F.P. Nelson house (“The Towers”)
* Lycurgus Stoner house
* William C. Van Arsdel house (“The Elms”)
Surrounding Communities:
* Samuel Brown house (“The Brick”), Roachdale
* Melville F. McHaffie Farm (“Schuyler Arnold Seed Farm”), Stilesville
* James Edington Montgomery O’Hair house, Brick Chapel
* Putnam County Bridge No. 159 (“Reelsville Bridge”), Reelsville
* Putnamville Presbyterian Church (“Putnamville Methodist Church”), Putnamville
Greencastle also has three historic neighborhoods – Old Greencastle, the Eastern Enlargement and the Northwood Neighborhood – according to the State of Indiana, though they are awaiting placement on the National Registry.
Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana
Greencastle Township is one of thirteen townships in Putnam County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 12,491. This township contains the county seat of Greencastle and is home to DePauw University, a liberal arts college of 2,300 students....
, Putnam County
Putnam County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,019 people, 12,374 households, and 9,119 families residing in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile . There were 13,505 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American
Scots-Irish American
Scotch-Irish Americans are an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish province of Ulster who immigrated to North America primarily during the colonial era and their descendants. Some scholars also include the 150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to...
Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,722 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. Greencastle was a village or town operating under authority of the Putnam County commissioners until March 9, 1849, when it became a town by special act of the local legislature. Greencastle, Indiana officially became a city after an election held on July 8, 1861. The first mayor of Greencastle was E. R. Kercheval, a member (during his lifetime) of the Freemason Temple Lodge #47. The city became the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Putnam County
Putnam County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,019 people, 12,374 households, and 9,119 families residing in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile . There were 13,505 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
. The population was 10,326 at the 2010 census. It is located near Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
between Terre Haute and Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
in the west-central portion of the state.
Education
Public SchoolsGreencastle's public schools are operated by the Greencastle Community School Corporation. The Greencastle School Corporation consists of one Central Office; one High School, Greencastle High School, which hosts grades 9th through 12th; one Middle School
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, Greencastle Middle School, which hosts grades 6th through 8th; one Intermediate School, Tzouanakis Intermediate School, which hosts grades 3rd through 5th and two Primary Schools, Martha J. Ridpath Primary School (also known as Ridpath Primary) and Deer Meadow Primary School
which each host kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through 2nd grade.
Private Schools
Peace Lutheran School is a private school in Greencastle, Indiana, which according to their website is "an outreach of Peace Lutheran Church." It was founded in 1984 as a preschool. In 1995, kindergarten was added as a half-day program. The year 2002 marked the beginning of the Primary School with the addition of 5th grade. (In Indiana, Primary Schools are typically interpreted as 1st through 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grades.) As of 2011, the school hosts grades kindergarten through 6th grade.
Colleges and Universities
DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
is a private national liberal arts college. It was originally founded as Indiana Asbury University in 1837 as an all men's school. In 1867, Laura Beswick, Mary Simmons, Alice Allen, and Bettie Locke Hamilton (then Bettie Locke), the chief founder of Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
, America's first college sorority, became the University's first four female co-eds.
DePauw today has an enrollment of about 2400 students. Students hail from 42 states and 32 countries with a 20.4% multicultural enrollment. DePauw's liberal arts education gives students a chance to gain general knowledge outside of their direct area of study. DePauw consistently ranks among the top 50 liberal arts colleges in America in both U.S. News and World Report rankings and Kiplinger’s “best value” list. In a 2009 Center for College Affordability & Productivity ranking published in Forbes magazine, DePauw was ranked No. 42 under “America’s Best Colleges.”
Ivy Tech Community College (also Ivy Tech) is the nation's largest state-wide community college with single accreditation. A 33,300 square foot, $8.6 million Ivy Tech campus was completed in 2009 in Greencastle. The Ivy Tech branch in Greencastle is also assisted financially by The Putnam County Community Foundation.
Other Educational Facilities
Greencastle also once had a municipal Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
, which is now known as The William Weston Clarke Emison Museum of Art (otherwise known as The Emison Museum of Art or The Emison Art Center). The library became a museum in 1986, and was renamed to honor the financial contributions of James W. Emison, a longtime member of DePauw University's Board of Trustees and benefactor of the University, and other Emison family members. The building was constructed in 1908. The Emison Art Center was originally the Depauw University campus library.
The Putnam County Museum houses a "permanent collection of nearly 2,000 Putnam County related artifacts offers the county residents and visitors a historical overview of the county, including its significance during the Civil War and a glimpse into everyday life of Putnam residents in the past. The Museum also showcases the Putnam County contemporary artists in revolving exhibits, featuring at least one new artist every month."
Geography
Greencastle is located at 39°38′32"N 86°51′22"W (39.642297, −86.855988).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (13.7 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.93%) is water.
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,880 people, 3,353 households, and 2,038 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,864.6 people per square mile (719.8/km²). There were 3,532 housing units at an average density of 666.6/sq mi (257.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.91% White, 2.67% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.36% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.43% of the population.
There were 3,353 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 27.3% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,798, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $30,940 versus $20,889 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,351. About 7.6% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable natives and residents
- Amalia Küssner CoudertAmalia Küssner CoudertAmalia Küssner Coudert was an American miniaturist known for her portraits of prominent figures of the late 19th century including Caroline Astor, King Edward VII, Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Cecil Rhodes.-Early life:...
, miniaturist - William Michael CroseWilliam Michael CroseWilliam Michael Crose was a United States Navy Commander and the seventh Naval Governor of American Samoa, from November 10, 1910 to March 14, 1913. He was the first person designated "Governor of American Samoa", rather than the previous "Governor of Tutuila".-Early life:Crose was born in...
, Governor of American Samoa - Charles A. BeardCharles A. BeardCharles Austin Beard was, with Frederick Jackson Turner, one of the most influential American historians of the first half of the 20th century. He published hundreds of monographs, textbooks and interpretive studies in both history and political science...
and Mary Ritter BeardMary Ritter BeardMary Ritter Beard was an American historian and archivist, who played an important role in the women's suffrage movement and was a lifelong advocate of social justice through educational and activist roles in both the labor and woman's rights movements...
, American historians - Jesse W. WeikJesse W. WeikJesse William Weik , was a collaborator with William Herndon in writing the first authoritative biography of Abraham Lincoln, published in 1889....
, Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
biographer
Events
- John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster and bank-robber in the Depression-eraGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
United States. He was charged, but never convicted, with the murder of an East Chicago police officer whom he shot in the knee while fleeing the scene of his heist. John Dillinger's largest haul (i.e. bank robbery) was at the Central National Bank in Greencastle, Indiana, one of two banks he robbed in Indiana. In Our Past, Their Present: Historical Essays on Putnam County Indiana, John J. Baughman writes, "On Monday, October 23, 1933, four armed men entered the Central National Bank of Greencastle and escaped with $74,782.09. The Dillinger robbery became one of the major events of Greencastle history." - Since the Indiana Association of Communities and Towns (IACT) began awarding the "Green Communities of the Year" in 2008, only Greencastle has garnered the honor in back-to-back-to-back years.
- In March 2011, Greencastle was one of two Indiana cities selected as a “Stellar Community” by the state of Indiana. Stellar Communities is a major grant program began this year by Indiana to stimulate major changes and spark growth in smaller communities. The city will receive approximately $19 million over three years in state funding to support various repair, renovation and revitalization projects.
Places
Greencastle and the surrounding Putnam County communities are home to 17 historical sites according to the National Register of Historical Places.In Greencastle:
* The Appleyard, farm of Alexander C. Stevenson
* The Boulders house
* Brick Chapel United Methodist Church
* Courthouse Square Historic District
* Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity house
* East College of DePauw University
* Richard M. Hazelett house (“Sunny Hill”)
* Alfred Hirt house
* McKim Observatory, DePauw University
* F.P. Nelson house (“The Towers”)
* Lycurgus Stoner house
* William C. Van Arsdel house (“The Elms”)
Surrounding Communities:
* Samuel Brown house (“The Brick”), Roachdale
* Melville F. McHaffie Farm (“Schuyler Arnold Seed Farm”), Stilesville
* James Edington Montgomery O’Hair house, Brick Chapel
* Putnam County Bridge No. 159 (“Reelsville Bridge”), Reelsville
* Putnamville Presbyterian Church (“Putnamville Methodist Church”), Putnamville
Greencastle also has three historic neighborhoods – Old Greencastle, the Eastern Enlargement and the Northwood Neighborhood – according to the State of Indiana, though they are awaiting placement on the National Registry.