Greencastle was founded in 1821 by Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania.[4] 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.[5] The first mayor of Greencastle was E. R. Kercheval, a member of the Freemason Temple Lodge #47. The city became the county seat of Putnam County.[3]
1933 Bank Heist
John Herbert Dillinger, Jr. (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster and bank-robber in the Depression-era 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 was at the Central National Bank in Greencastle, Indiana, in 1933 one of six banks he robbed in Indiana.[6] 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."[7]
According to the 2010 census, Greencastle has a total area of 5.291 square miles (13.70 km2), of which 5.24 square miles (13.57 km2) (or 99.04%) is land and 0.051 square miles (0.13 km2) (or 0.96%) is water.[12]
Climate
Humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfa"(Hot Summer Continental Climate).[13]
As of the census[16] of 2020, there were 9,820 people, 3,446 households, and 1,989 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,884.11 inhabitants per square mile (727.5/km2). There were 3,908 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 88.9% White, 1.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population.
There were 3,446 households. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.93.
Age and sex: 4.3% of residents were under the age of 5 years; 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.
German V-1 mounted atop a limestone Victory Vee, located on the Putnam County Courthouse Square. The V-1, commonly known as a “buzz bomb,” was a flying bomb and precursor to the modern cruise missile.
2010 census
As of the census[16] of 2010, there were 10,326 people, 3,368 households, and 1,989 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,970.6 inhabitants per square mile (760.9/km2). There were 3,742 housing units at an average density of 714.1 per square mile (275.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.4% White, 2.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 3,368 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.93.
The median age in the city was 27.4 years. 19% of residents were under the age of 18; 28.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.7% were from 25 to 44; 18.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census[17] 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 inhabitants per square mile (719.9/km2). There were 3,532 housing units at an average density of 666.6 per square mile (257.4/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.
Greencastle hosts multiple festivals and cultural institutions. These include the Greencastle Music Fest, the Downtown Greencastle Farmers' Market, First Friday Greencastle, the Monon Bell Football Game, Music on the Square, the Putnam County 4-H Fair, and the Richard E. Peeler Art Center. The Putnam County Playhouse is also located in Greencastle.
There are multiple parks and public recreational areas in the city. These include Big Walnut Sports Park,[18] DePauw University Nature Park, Jaycee Park, and Robe Ann Park. Greencastle also maintains People Pathways, a network of trails and signed routes around Greencastle that also links to neighboring communities.
Education
Public schools
Greencastle's public schools are operated by the Greencastle Community School Corporation.[19] The Greencastle School Corporation consists of one Central Office; one High School, Greencastle High School,[20] which hosts grades 9th through 12th; one Middle School, Greencastle Middle School,[21] which hosts grades 6th through 8th; one Intermediate School, Tzouanakis Intermediate School,[22] 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[23]
which each host kindergarten through 2nd grade.
Private schools
Peace Lutheran School[24] 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.[25] It was 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 women's fraternity, became the University's first four female students.[26]
DePauw today has an enrollment of about 2400 students. Students hail from 42 states and 32 countries with a 20.4%[citation needed] 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 & 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.”[27]
Ivy Tech Community College (also Ivy Tech) is the nation's largest statewide 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.[28]
Other educational facilities
Putnam County Public Library in Greencastle; Formerly Carnegie Public Library
Greencastle is the home of the Putnam County Public Library, a public library which serves patrons from Putnam County and surrounding counties.[29] Services include books, books on CD, ebooks, 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. The PCPL Local History and Genealogy Department is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing public access to Putnam County's historical records.[30] As of 2017 the library began an adult literacy program, the Putnam Adult Literacy Services (PALS). In conjunction with the PALS program, the PALS Pups program allows children to read to the certified "good citizen" dogs. The Putnam County Public Library is a Carnegie Library and was built in 1903. In 1996, a large addition made the library what it is today.
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.[31] The building was constructed in 1908. The Emison Art Center was originally the Depauw University (then, Indiana Asbury 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."[32]
^"Arts, Culture, & Recreation". putnamcountyindianaeconomicdevelopment.com. Greencastler/Putnum County Development Center, Inc. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
