Ravenna, Kentucky

Ravenna is a home rule-class city in Estill County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 605 at the 2010 census.HistoryBefore it was incorporated, Ravenna was known only as "The Village".The Louisville & Nashville Railroad was responsible for the name of Ravenna, the building of the shops, yard, office building, passenger and freight station, and many other things that were built for the establishment of a railroad terminal in Estill County just east of the county seat, Irvine. After the completion of the terminal in 1915, the county decided it would call it "Ravenna", which stems from the word "ravine". It was reported by early railroad officials that an Italian foreman and interpreter, with a construction crew of approximately 60 Italian men building the railroad yards, requested that the railroad officials name the station in honor of his birthplace, Ravenna, Italy, and it was so granted by the railroad officials in charge of such matter.A thriving village sprang up in 1915, when the railroad started construction of its shops; and five years later in 1920, Ravenna was incorporated as a 6th-class City by the Estill County Circuit Court.In 1924 Ravenna was declared a 5th-class city by an act of the Kentucky State Legislature due to an increase in population. This also entitled them to have a mayor, six councilmen and city clerk, and fire and police departments. By this time in its history, Ravenna had become an almost entirely white city. In 1920, hundreds of "black railroad workers were forced to leave their jobs and their community(14)." {George C. Wright, A History of Blacks in Kentucky, Volume 2.} Ravenna is home of the local VFW Post #8019; a National Guard armory that is home to C Company, 1-149th Infantry (M), 149th BDE; and the Estill County Veterans Memorial in Ravenna's Veterans Memorial Park.