Letcher

Formed April 1, 1842 (94^th county)

Letcher County (21,551), Whitesburg (1,772), Jenkins (1,903)

A Modern red brick and masonry courthouse built in 1964 was remodeled in 1998.  It replaced an 1899 facility in Whitesburg, the only county seat.  The courthouse is on Main Street at Webb Avenue.  Kentucky State Highway 15 Business is Main Street.  William Banton Moore provided the courthouse designs.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Letcher County was formed on April 1, 1842 from parts of Perry and Harlan counties as the 94^th county.  Lieutenant Governor Robert P. Letcher inspired the name of the county.  The county seat is named for Kentucky State Legislator Daugherty White. 

Letcher County government consists of a County Judge Executive, a sheriff, a clerk, an attorney, a treasurer, a coroner, and an appraiser (executive).  It has 5 Magistrates (legislative.)  One Circuit Court Judge, One District Court Judge and a court clerk serve Letcher County (judicial.) The county is on the southeast border with Virginia.  Huntington, West Virginia is north and Lexington, Kentucky is northwest of the county.  The county center is 4.7 miles Northeast of Whitesburg nearer Ermine.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Knott and Pike counties and Virginia and Harlan and Perry counties. 

The area of the county is 339 square miles.  It is 53 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 53 out of 120 in population in the state.  It has a density of 63.6 persons per square mile making it 58 out of 120 in the state.  Letcher County has 20.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 enters from Pike County, east, and goes to Virginia, south.  United States Highway 119 is joined with United States Highway 23 from Pike County, splits and continues southwest into Harlan County.  The county is shaped like a caterpillar.  Whitesburg is slightly west of center in the county.  Jenkins is on the northeast border with Virginia.  Whitesburg is the county seat and Jenkins is the largest city.  Whitesburg is 8.2% of the county population while Jenkins is 8.8% of the county population.  The county is pronounced LET-CHUR.

Whitesburg