Located in the Appalachian Mountains, it lies approximately 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Lexington.

[2] Although it was formerly a company town, it was in many ways a model coal community with many amenities not typical of the region at the time including a swimming pool, central water and sewer, and cable TV service.

When Princess-Elkhorn sold the community in the late 1960s, many of these amenities fell into disrepair and the housing stock deteriorated from over 100 units to slightly more than 30.

The mechanism for this purchase was the creation of the David Community Development Corporation, which went on to secure funding for a new water and sewer system, a fire station, a new park and several dozen new homes.

The David School is featured in the six-hour documentary film Country Boys which was broadcast in Frontline on PBS, about two residents, Chris and Cody, and their life in a poor, rural mountain town.