Newburgh is an incorporated town in Ohio Township, Warrick County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. As of the 2020 census, Newburgh had a population of 3,344. The town is part of the larger Evansville metropolitan area, and Ohio Township, which Newburgh shares with nearby Chandler, includes the town. It is the easternmost suburb of Evansville.
The area has been inhabited by various cultures, dating back at least 10,000 years. Angel Mounds was a permanent settlement of the Mississippian culture from 1000 AD to around 1400 AD. By 1850, Newburgh was one of the larger riverports between Cincinnati and New Orleans, and was the first town north of the Mason–Dixon line to be captured by Confederate forces during the Newburgh Raid during the American Civil War. Shortly after the mid-nineteenth century, Newburgh's growth leveled off until the economic boom of the 1960s and 1970s, resulting in substantial growth as a bedroom community for families looking for new housing developments near Evansville.
Today, Newburgh is locally known for its historic downtown district that features a number of specialty stores, antique shops, and restaurants along its riverfront. The town remains a popular residential community for people working in or near Evansville.
History As a town situated on the fertile banks of the Ohio River, Newburgh has a long history of human activity. Western explorers first arrived in the area in the 17th century. For centuries prior to that, it had been inhabited by the Shawnee people and was near the center of prehistoric Mississippian culture as late as 1450 A.D. Evidence of this prehistoric society remains today at Angel Mounds, a National Historic Landmark, and Ellerbusch site, both approximately two miles west of Newburgh.
The principal founders of Newburgh are John Sprinkle and Abner Luce. Sprinkle, a businessman of German descent, landed in Newburgh in the spring of 1803, thirteen years before Indiana entered the Union as the 19th state. He secured land grants in 1812 and in 1818 platted what became known as Sprinklesburgh (sometimes called "Mount Pleasant"). It was the first town in Warrick County. The original plat of Sprinklesburgh consisted of about 12 blocks immediately west of today's downtown Newburgh.
Abner Luce founded Newburgh almost directly to the east of Sprinklesburgh in 1829. In 1841, Luce's plat was merged with Sprinkelsburgh and the name of the town was changed to Newburgh. However, it was Samuel Short's land, a strip on the block west of State Street, that now has some of the most visible and important land in modern downtown Newburgh.
By 1850, the town had grown to be one of the largest riverports on the Ohio-Mississippi River between Cincinnati and New Orleans. Much of its growth in this time period was due to coal mining and its beneficial location on the Ohio River. The first underground mine shaft in Indiana was sunk in Newburgh in 1850. However, when the national railway system came to southern Indiana, it bypassed Newburgh completely in favor of Evansville, beginning a permanent shift in regional economic dominance.
According to a number of historical sources, Newburgh was a prominent stop on the Underground Railroad between the mouth of the Little Pigeon River and Lake Michigan. On July 18, 1862, Newburgh was the first town north of the Mason–Dixon line to be captured by the Confederate forces during the American Civil War in what would come to be known as the Newburgh Raid. Colonel Adam "Stovepipe" Johnson, with a partisan band, crossed the Ohio River and confiscated supplies and ammunition without a shot being fired. The Confederates would have been unable to shell the city (as promised) had Newburgh put up a fight. The Confederates' cannons were an assemblage of a stove pipe, charred log, and wagon wheels. The raid convinced the federal government that it was necessary to supply Indiana with a permanent force of regular Union Army soldiers to counter future raids.David Eicher, The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War (2002) pp 310-311. Many of the structures used in this raid are still standing, including the Exchange Hotel.
Newburgh's economy benefited from the construction of the Lock and Dam 47 in the 1920s, and its replacement in 1974 with the Newburgh Lock and Dam. The town also benefited from the arrival, and later expansions, of the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), built in 1957. Many of Newburgh's residents are commuters to businesses and industries in Evansville and surrounding areas.
In 1994, Newburgh leaders planned to annex large areas that would have extended town limits to Frame Road (west) and SR 66 (north and east). This would have given Newburgh the ability to plan land use for large open, undeveloped areas. However, by 2001, the town's leadership shifted its focus away from annexation toward planning in the well-established current town limits.
On November 6, 2005, the Evansville Tornado of November 2005 caused 25 deaths in nearby Evansville. Newburgh suffered extensive property damage and some injuries but suffered no fatalities during the 2:06 AM tornadic event.
The Old Newburgh Presbyterian Church and Original Newburgh Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Geography Newburgh is located at . According to the 2010 census, Newburgh has a total area of , of land. Plans to expand town limits through annexation have been abandoned in favor of planning and development within the current town limits.
Newburgh faces the Ohio River along its southern boundary. Much of the town is protected from flood risk by locks and dams completed in the 1960s. Notable landmarks on the west side are the Angel Mounds Historic Site, a burial site said to have been abandoned centuries prior.
Architecture Many of Newburgh's prominent and notable buildings can be found in the Original Newburgh Historic District and developed between 1850 and 1930. Numerous buildings have been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places and satisfy the basic criteria of possessing outstanding significance on the national, state, or local level for history, architecture, environment, and/or integrity.Newburgh Ordinance 1997-27 The town's architecture includes representative examples of Italianate, Greek Revival, and Classical Revival style architecture.
Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool to mild winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Newburgh has a humid subtropical climate (abbrev. CFA) on climate maps.Climate Summary for Newburgh, Indiana
Law and government
Newburgh uses the council-manager form of government, led by a five-member town council and a clerk-treasurer. The town council holds both legislative and executive powers while the clerk-treasurer is responsible for financial matters. All are elected for four-year terms. The council employs and oversees a town manager who is responsible for municipal personnel, budget, and day-to-day operations of the town government.
District Council member First elected Term ends Political party Other titles 1 William F. Kavanaugh 2011 2019 Democratic Party President 2 Allyson E. Claybourn 2018 2022 Democratic Party 3 Stacie Krieger 2015 2019 Republican Party Second Vice President 4 Anne Rust Aurand 2011 2019 Republican Party At-large Carol Schaefer 2018 2022 Republican Party
Some of the governmental functions are handled through Warrick County officials. The county maintains a small claims court that is fit for small, civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.
Newburgh is represented by Holli Sullivan (District 78) in the Indiana State House of Representatives and Vaneta Becker (District 50) in the Indiana State Senate. The town is located in the 8th District of Indiana (map) and served by U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon, a resident of Newburgh.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Newburgh had a population of 3,344. The median age was 44.7 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.7 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,492 households in Newburgh, of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.3% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,623 housing units, of which 8.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.3%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 3,009 90.0% Black or African American 45 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native 12 0.4% Asian 80 2.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 35 1.0% Two or more races 163 4.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 93 2.8%
2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 3,325 people, 1,455 households, and 935 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,585 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.2% White, 1.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.0% of the population.
There were 1,455 households, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.7% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% 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 2.85.
The median age in the town was 42.1 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 31.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 3,088 people, 1,369 households, and 889 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,478 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.38% White, 1.17% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.58% of the population.
There were 1,369 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.