Middlesboro Downtown Commercial District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

From the record

“The Middlesboro Downtown Commercial District in Middlesboro, Kentucky is a 37 acres (15 ha) historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.”
Wikipedia article Middlesboro Downtown Commercial District, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 10 National Register listings published here for Bell County · listed in 1983 · category: District.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Address. Roughly Bounded by Cumberland Ave., 19th, 20th Sts., and Edgewood Rd., Middlesboro, 40965
When was it listed? January 1983
Category. district
Census division. Middlesborough
National Register reference number. 83002554 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

179 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 179 fires within 5 miles of Middlesboro Downtown Commercial District between 1992 and 2020, burning about 4,847 acres in total. 6 started naturally. 32 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	60
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	54
Arson/incendiarism	32
Recreation and ceremony	15
Natural	6
Equipment and vehicle use	4
Railroad operations and maintenance	3
Smoking	3
Power generation/transmission/distribution	2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
7 September 1995	Natural	1.0 acres	Cumberland Gap National Historic Park	STEEL TANK
5 September 2007	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
27 September 2007	Debris and open burning	1.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
24 September 2005	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
22 September 2007	Recreation and ceremony	2.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	not named
20 September 2019	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	LOWASH
13 September 2019	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	MONARCH CHURCH #2
13 September 2019	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	Kentucky Division of Forestry	MONARCH CHURCH #1

Every fire recorded in Bell County

Mines and quarries near this property

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Middlesboro Downtown Commercial District: 2 past producers, 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Limestone, Dimension. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Claiborne County Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
Limestone Quarry	Limestone, Dimension	Past Producer
Old Railroad Shale	Clay	Prospect

Every working recorded in Bell County

Storms near this property

56 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Middlesboro, the town this property stands in, in 56 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 28 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 7 flash flood, 7 heavy rain. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
April 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$100,000	Numerous trees and powerlines down throughout the county. Roof and siding damage to a few homes in the Dorton Branch area.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$50,000	The roof of a Big Lots store and various other business signs along Hwy 25E were damaged or blown away completely.
June 1998	Lightning	Middlesboro	$50,000	Lightning struck and burned up a transformer.
November 1996	Flash Flood	Middlesboro	$20,000	no account filed
March 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$15,000	Trees were blown down in Middlesboro.
March 1997	Flash Flood	Middlesboro	$10,000	no account filed
February 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$8,000	An 8 by 12 foot shed was moved about 40 feet by a thunderstorm wind gust. A few shingles and some siding was torn off one structure. An unsupported concrete block wall was also knocked over. The damage occurred at the corner of 23rd and Winchester Streets in Middlesboro.
February 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$8,000	Both trees and powerlines were blown down along Highway 2079.
April 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$6,000	Trees were blown down and onto power lines at the Bella Gardens Apt complex on Old Pineville Pike in Middlesboro.
April 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$5,000	There were trees blown down on the right fork of Polly Hollow Rd outside of Middlesboro.
June 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$5,000	One tree down in Spade Acres in Middlesboro. Trees down on Highway 987 towards Cubage. Power outages in the Ferndale area south of Pineville.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$3,000	A tree and large tree limbs were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts in Middlesboro.
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$3,000	Trees and power lines downed.
June 1997	Tornado (F0)	Middlesboro	$3,000	A small tornado damaged trees and downed power lines.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$2,000	Two good sized trees were blown down in city limits. There was also ankle deep water on most streets and parking lots.
November 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$2,000	Two trees were blown down in Cumberland Gap NHP. Time was estimated from radar.
July 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$2,000	Strong winds blew several trees down onto power lines across the town of Middlesboro. Approximately one-third of the town was without power for several hours.
May 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	$1,000	Tree was reported down onto power lines on Edgewood Road in Middlesboro via a social media report.
May 2025	Hail	Middlesboro	-	A public report on social media of quarter sized hail in Middlesboro.
May 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	A social media report with drone photos showed large trees down on the east side of Middlesboro.
May 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Many trees were blown down around the city of Middlesboro.
September 2023	Heavy Rain	Middlesboro	-	The National Park Service YELK2 RAWS site at Cumberland Gap recorded 1.68 inches of rainfall in 1 hour.
September 2023	Flash Flood	Middlesboro	-	Middlesboro Police Department reported that Cumberland Avenue was closed between 15th and 19th Streets due to flash flooding.
September 2023	Flash Flood	Middlesboro	-	Middlesboro Police Department reported that North 15th Street was closed at Ashbury Avenue in the vicinity of Little Yellow Creek due to flash flooding.
September 2023	Heavy Rain	Middlesboro	-	A two hour rainfall total of 4 inches was recorded at the Cumberland Gap National Park Service RAWS - YELK2.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Pictures on social media show a large portion of a pine tree sanpped off in someone's yard along West Chester Avenue in Middlesboro.
March 2021	Heavy Rain	Middlesboro	-	The YELK2 (Yellow Creek) RAWS observing site near Cumberland Gap measured 4.34 inches of rainfall in a 24 hour period.
June 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	A tree was blown down.
April 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	One tree was reported to have been blown down. This report was a public report relayed via social media.
June 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	One tree was downed by thunderstorm winds.
January 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Tree was reported down on Hwy 74.
February 2011	Heavy Rain	Middlesboro	-	Two inches of rain fell along Clear Creek in Middlesboro.
June 2011	Heavy Rain	Middlesboro	-	A rainfall total of 4.42 inches was measured by the Middlesboro Bell county Airport AWOS between 235 and 635 am, with 1.88 inches of that rain falling between 535 and 635 am.
June 2011	Heavy Rain	Middlesboro	-	It was reported that 5.71 inches of rain had fallen near Middlesboro between 3 and 725 am, with 1.26 inches of that total accumulating between 625 and 725 am.
June 2011	Heavy Rain	Middlesboro	-	The Yellow Creek RAWS site measured a three hour rainfall total of 3.05 inches.
June 2011	Flash Flood	Middlesboro	-	Numerous roads were under water throughout Middlesboro, including 35th, 19th, and 25A. A spotter reported that at least 3-4 inches of rain had fallen overnight.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Few trees down at 25th Street, Cumberland Ave, and Fords Woods Park.
August 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Tree down behind West End School. Tree down and blocking Airport Road. Trees also down at various locations across the county.
March 2005	Flash Flood	Middlesboro	-	An area of showers and thunderstorms formed ahead of an eastward moving cold front, leading to flash flooding of creeks and streams in the Middlesboro area.
July 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Trees down on Exeter and Chester Avenues.
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Several trees were down on 24th Street.
April 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	Trees and large branches were down.
November 2002	Hail	Middlesboro	-	Three quarter inch diameter hail was reported along United States Highway 25 East.
April 2000	Flash Flood	Middlesboro	-	Heavy rains produced flooding in Middlesboro. Several roads had to be closed due to the high water.
March 2012	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
March 2012	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
May 2010	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
June 2009	Funnel Cloud	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
July 2008	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
April 2006	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
November 2002	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
November 2002	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
April 1998	Hail	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
January 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	no account filed
January 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Middlesboro	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Bell County

Newspapers printed here

4,903 digitised pages

2 papers published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 901 issues, 4,903 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.

Newspaper	Published
The Weekly Herald	1895 to 1898
The Herald	1898 to 1???

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church	0.1 miles	1985
Brooks House	0.2 miles	2009
American Association, Limited, Office Building	0.2 miles	1978
St. Mary's Episcopal Church	0.7 miles	1984
Middlesboro Jewish Cemetery	0.8 miles	2017
Cumberland Gap Historic District	2.3 miles	1980

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 83002554 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Bell County	All 10 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.