Within Kentucky, Danville is called the "City of Firsts":
It housed the first courthouse in Kentucky.

The first Kentucky constitution was written and signed here.

It was the first capital of Kentucky.

It had the first U.S. post office west of the Allegheny Mountains.

It hosts the first state-supported school for the deaf.

Ephraim McDowell completed the first known successful laparotomy here in 1809, removing an ovarian tumor from a woman patient without anesthesia.

It is the home of Centre College, housing the oldest college administration building and campus west of the Allegheny Mountains.

Danville was part of the Great Settlement Area around Harrod's Fort (present-day Harrodsburg), which was first settled in 1774.
The site was originally known as Crow's Station for settler John Crow, but the town was surveyed and platted by Walker Daniel, Kentucky's first district attorney, who bought 76 acres (31 ha) near the Wilderness Road from Crow in 1783.
The city was named for Daniel.
 The Virginia legislature officially established Danville on December 4, 1787.

Between 1784 and 1792, ten conventions were held in Danville to petition for better governance and ultimately to secure independence from Virginia.
In 1786 the Danville Political Club was organized.
It met each Saturday night at Grayson's Tavern to discuss the political, economic, and social concerns of the day.
After a state constitution was adopted and separation was confirmed in 1792, the town ceased to be of statewide importance.
Its leading citizens moved elsewhere.

Transylvania University was founded in Danville in 1783.
It moved to Lexington in 1789.
Centre College was founded in 1819.
Danville Theological Seminary was founded in 1853; in 1901 it became part of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
The Caldwell Institute for Young Ladies was founded in 1860.
It became Caldwell Female College in 1876, Caldwell College in 1904, Kentucky College for Women in 1913, and merged into Centre College in 1926.

In November 1806, Meriwether Lewis, co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, visited Danville while traveling the Wilderness Road to Washington, D.C., to report on the expedition, which had returned from the Pacific Coast.
In December 1806, William Clark visited his nephews in school in Danville before following Lewis to Washington.

The first school in Danville for African-American children was founded around 1840 by Willis Russell, an emancipated slave of Robert Craddock, a Revolutionary War veteran.
Craddock deeded a log house in Danville to Russell.
He moved to the town after Craddock's death and started a school for children.
The house still stands on Walnut Street.

In 1842, Boyle County was formed from southern Mercer County and northern Lincoln County.
Danville became its county seat.

In 1850, Danville and Boyle County backed construction of the Lexington and Danville Railroad.
Money ran out when the railroad reached Nicholasville.
John A. Roebling had already built towers for a railroad suspension bridge over the Kentucky River. (
Roebling lived in Danville during the construction.)
Despite the railroad not being completed to Danville, the county still owed the company $150,000.
It completed payment on time in 1884.

In 1860, a fire devastated the city, destroying 64 buildings and causing more than $300,000 in damages.
Boyle County's courthouse was destroyed; its replacement was completed in 1862.
 
After the Union Army won the Battle of Perryville in the Civil War on October 8, 1862, it appropriated many Danville buildings, including the courthouse, for use as hospitals.
On October 11, a Union force drove Confederate forces from the county fairgrounds through Danville.

In May 1864, the group of 250 – mostly enslaved males but including some freedmen – marched from Danville to nearby Camp Nelson in Jessamine County, where Colonel Andrew Clark allowed them to enlist In the Union Army after some initial hesitation.
Arriving with wounds inflicted upon them in route, this group was the first to enlist at this site, where 10,000 United States Colored
Within Kentucky, Danville is called the "City of Firsts":
It housed the first courthouse in Kentucky.
The first Kentucky constitution was written and signed here.
It was the first capital of Kentucky.
It had the first U.S. post office west of the Allegheny Mountains.
It hosts the first state-supported school for the deaf.
Ephraim McDowell completed the first known successful laparotomy here in 1809, removing an ovarian tumor from a woman patient without anesthesia.
It is the home of Centre College, housing the oldest college administration building and campus west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Danville was part of the Great Settlement Area around Harrod's Fort (present-day Harrodsburg), which was first settled in 1774. The site was originally known as Crow's Station for settler John Crow, but the town was surveyed and platted by Walker Daniel, Kentucky's first district attorney, who bought 76 acres (31 ha) near the Wilderness Road from Crow in 1783. The city was named for Daniel.  The Virginia legislature officially established Danville on December 4, 1787.
Between 1784 and 1792, ten conventions were held in Danville to petition for better governance and ultimately to secure independence from Virginia. In 1786 the Danville Political Club was organized. It met each Saturday night at Grayson's Tavern to discuss the political, economic, and social concerns of the day. After a state constitution was adopted and separation was confirmed in 1792, the town ceased to be of statewide importance. Its leading citizens moved elsewhere.
Transylvania University was founded in Danville in 1783. It moved to Lexington in 1789. Centre College was founded in 1819. Danville Theological Seminary was founded in 1853; in 1901 it became part of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The Caldwell Institute for Young Ladies was founded in 1860. It became Caldwell Female College in 1876, Caldwell College in 1904, Kentucky College for Women in 1913, and merged into Centre College in 1926.
In November 1806, Meriwether Lewis, co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, visited Danville while traveling the Wilderness Road to Washington, D.C., to report on the expedition, which had returned from the Pacific Coast. In December 1806, William Clark visited his nephews in school in Danville before following Lewis to Washington.
The first school in Danville for African-American children was founded around 1840 by Willis Russell, an emancipated slave of Robert Craddock, a Revolutionary War veteran. Craddock deeded a log house in Danville to Russell. He moved to the town after Craddock's death and started a school for children. The house still stands on Walnut Street.
In 1842, Boyle County was formed from southern Mercer County and northern Lincoln County. Danville became its county seat.
In 1850, Danville and Boyle County backed construction of the Lexington and Danville Railroad. Money ran out when the railroad reached Nicholasville. John A. Roebling had already built towers for a railroad suspension bridge over the Kentucky River. (Roebling lived in Danville during the construction.) Despite the railroad not being completed to Danville, the county still owed the company $150,000. It completed payment on time in 1884.
In 1860, a fire devastated the city, destroying 64 buildings and causing more than $300,000 in damages. Boyle County's courthouse was destroyed; its replacement was completed in 1862.  
After the Union Army won the Battle of Perryville in the Civil War on October 8, 1862, it appropriated many Danville buildings, including the courthouse, for use as hospitals. On October 11, a Union force drove Confederate forces from the county fairgrounds through Danville.
In May 1864, the group of 250 – mostly enslaved males but including some freedmen – marched from Danville to nearby Camp Nelson in Jessamine County, where Colonel Andrew Clark allowed them to enlist In the Union Army after some initial hesitation. Arriving with wounds inflicted upon them in route, this group was the first to enlist at this site, where 10,000 United States Colored 
Danville, Kentucky