Bell

Formed February 5, 1867 (111^th county)

Bell County (24,102), Pineville (1,683), Middleborough (9,405)

The red/brown brick Beaux Arts building, on a square at Pine, Kentucky, Walnut, and Virginia streets, was built in 1919.  United States Highway 25 East is five blocks to the north.  John W. Gaddis is the architect.  The structure features columns and a working clock.  The grounds have veteran memorials.  A Judicial Center was added in 2003.  An earlier courthouse was built in 1888, after the county’s founding.  The county is named for Congressman Joshua Fry Bell.  Pineville is presumably named for Pine Mountain and the local forests. 

Bell County government consists of a sheriff, County Judge Executive, and 5 Magistrates.  One Circuit Court Judge and One District Court Judge serve Bell County.  The county is on the southeast border with both Virginia and Tennessee.  The county center is 5.2 miles South of Pineville nearer Ferndale.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clay, Leslie, and Harlan counties and Virginia and Tennessee and Whitley and Knox counties. 

The area of the county is 361 square miles.  It is 42 out of 120 in the state.  It ranks 48 out of 120 in population in the state.  It has a density of 66.8 persons per square mile making it 54 out of 120 in the state.  Bell County has 46.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 25 East crosses the county north to south from Knox County to Tennessee.  United States Highway 119 enters from the east, Harlan County, and terminates.  The county is shaped like a sled.  Pineville is located near the center of the county.  Middleborough is on the southern border where Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky meet.  Pineville is the county seat and Middleborough is the largest city.  Pineville is 7.0% of the county population while Middleborough is 39.0% of the county population.  This county is in the Middleborough Micropolitan Statistical Area.