Washington, Pennsylvania

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Area
Washington, Pennsylvania
Motto: An Ideal Place to Live and Work
County	Washington County
Founded	1768
Incorporated	1810
Mayor	Kenneth Westcott
- City	km² (3.3 sq mi)
Population
- City (2000)	15,268
- Density	5,199/km²
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
Website: http://www.washingtonpa.us

Washington is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,268 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County^GR6 and is located in the southwestern part of the state.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 Current Projects
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Washington is located at 40°10′30″N, 80°15′2″W (40.174959, -80.250634)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 km² (2.9 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 15,268 people, 6,259 households, and 3,486 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,005.1/km² (5,199.2/mi²). There were 7,111 housing units at an average density of 933.9/km² (2,421.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.88% White, 14.60% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There are 6,259 households out of which 24.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 13.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,764, and the median income for a family was $34,862. Males had a median income of $29,977 versus $22,374 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,818. 20.7% of the population and 16.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.2% of those under the age of 18 and 15.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

[edit] History

The area of present-day Washington was settled by many immigrants from Scotland and the north of Ireland along with settlers from eastern and central parts of colonial Virginia. It was first settled by colonists around 1768.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act on March 28, 1781, erecting the County of Washington and naming Catfish Camp as the place for holding the first election. This was the first county in the U.S. to be named in honor of President George Washington.

David Hoge laid out a plan of lots immediately after the legislature's action. His original plot carried the name "Bassett, alias Dandridge Town," but before the plot was recorded, lines were drawn through "Bassett, alias Dandridge Town" with ink, and the word "Washington" was written above.

The town started with every evidence of progressive tendencies, as the original plot dedicated a tract of ground to the people for recreational purposes. A lot was given for a courthouse where the current building now stands, and Lots 43 and 102, according to the plan, were presented by Hoge to "His Excellency, General Washington, and Mrs. Washington." Part of the town-site had been the camp of Tingoocqua, who was a chief in the Kuskuskee tribe of Indians.

Washington County Courthouse

The town was the center for the 'Whisky Rebellion' of 1791, which was one of the first open rebellions against the new U.S. government and Constitution. The Rebellion was centered around a tax being imposed on whiskey distillation in the region. The town was incorporated as a borough on February 13, 1810, and became a city of the third class in 1924.[1]

Washington is home to Washington and Jefferson College, a small, co-educational private liberal arts college founded in 1781. Located in downtown Washington, the college now enrolls over 1,500 students. It is noted as an excellent pre-med and pre-law institution due to its fine liberal arts curriculum and is considered a good preparatory school for graduate level studies in general. W&J’s 60-acre suburban campus includes more than 40 academic, recreational, and residential buildings, as well as a 54-acre biological field station. In the 2006 U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Colleges" guide, W&J was ranked #94 among the top 100 Liberal Arts Schools in the US.

Washington is also the home of Falconi Field, constructed in 2002. The new 3,000-seat stadium serves as the shared home of the Washington Wild Things, a semi-pro baseball team, and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, a professional A-League soccer team. The Wild Things are in the Frontier League, an independent semi-professional baseball organization. Over their young history, the team has had considerable success, including a league-record 62 wins in 2004. The Wild Things have been the Frontier League Organization of the Year three times since moving to Washington in 2002.

Also in the city are two historic homes, that of David Bradford on Main St. and that of Julius LeMoyne on Maiden St. Both are listed on the List of Registered Historic Places in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

On January 27, 2006, to commemorate the Pittsburgh Steelers appearance in Super Bowl XL, the city council voted to symbolically rename the city "Steelers, Pennsylvania" through February 5, 2006.

[edit] Current Projects

The city of Washington is currently working to improve the economic and social conditions of the community through a $14-million street-scape improvement project that will significantly improve the infrastructure of downtown Washington. Along with the infrastructure improvements, Millcraft Industries has announced a $100 million revitalization project for downtown Washington.

As part of the revitalization, Nationwide Appraisal Services is currently building the Nationwide Centre at the corner of Beau and Franklin streets in Washington. Nationwide is expected to take about 100,000 square feet of the seven-story, 140,000-square-foot building for its corporate headquarters, and will employ up to 1,000 people in the building upon completion in December, 2006.

Other aspects of the Crossroads Project include street level retail, residential lofts, an 80-room hotel, and an outdoor park and amphitheatre. In addition, the Carl Walker Construction Co. will build an $12 million, 850-space parking garage between Chestnut and Beau streets to accommodate the office building.