Benham Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Benham Historic District

Benham, Harlan County, Kentucky
Listed
July 20, 1983
Type
District
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83002785

About this property

The Benham Historic District is a historic district encompassing ten buildings and a public park in Benham, Kentucky. The buildings form the historic center of the coal town of Benham. Benham was founded by Wisconsin Steel, a subsidiary of International Harvester, in 1912; its major buildings were built between 1919 and 1928, replacing the original buildings as the town grew. Mining operations declined during the Great Depression, and as a result the district represents the main period of development in the town. The buildings in the district include Benham's city hall, post office, grade school, Methodist church, jail, theatre, hospital, firehouse, company store, and meat market. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 21, 1983. The company store is now home to the Kentucky Coal Museum.

Location

Benham, Harlan County, Kentucky
36.96336, -82.95030

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTINDUSTRYARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Benham Historic District

This page lists Benham Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Lynch Historic District
Listed
2 mi
Cumberland Central Business District
Civil War
2.4 mi
Caudill, C.B., Store
Industrial
12.3 mi
Whitesburg Historic District
Listed
12.8 mi
Pine Mountain Settlement School
Listed
12.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Benham Historic District listed on the National Register?

Benham Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 20, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Benham Historic District?

Benham Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Benham Historic District?

The period of significance for Benham Historic District is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1912.

Can I research the history near Benham Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Benham Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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