Clairton, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Clairton, Pennsylvania | |
| Nickname: City of Prayer | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  United States |
| Commonwealth |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Allegheny |
| Incorporated | January 1922 (city) |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Domenic Virgona |
| Area | |
| - Total | 7.8 km² (3.0 sq mi) |
| - Land | 7.1 km² (2.8 sq mi) |
| - Water | 0.6 km² (0.2 sq mi) |
| Population (U.S. Census, 2000) | |
| - Total | 8,491 |
| - Density | 1,187.8/km² (3,072.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Website: www.cityofclairton.com | |
Clairton is a third-class city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the Monongahela River and is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. The population was 8,491 at the 2000 census.
The city was the setting for the movie The Deer Hunter (1978), although the opening scene featuring the "City of Prayer" sign was the only one actually filmed there (other mill towns in the Monongahela River Valley and elsewhere in the tri-state area were used). It also is home to Clairton Works, the largest coke manufacturing facility in the United States.
The Montour Trail, a recreational rail-trail extends from Clairton to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.
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[edit] Geography
Clairton is located at (40.296419, -79.887090).[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of more than 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²). 2.8 square miles (7.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (8.31%) is water.
[edit] History
Clairton’s existence began just after the turn of the 20th century when the United States Steel Corporation acquired a large tract along the west side of the Monongahela River, about 13 miles south of Pittsburgh. This became the site for an integrated steel mill and coke production facility, which eventually became one of the world's largest [coke is a concentrated, charcoal-like byproduct of coal, used to fuel blast furnaces].
The site had more than a thousand acres (4 km²) of level land suitable for a large industrial complex. In January 1922, the City of Clairton was incorporated as a City of the Third Class with a population of approximately 11,000. This incorporation was prompted by industry, which was taxed by the three boroughs - Clairton, Wilson and North Clairton - which were chartered separately prior to the incorporation of the City of Clairton.
During the next several decades, growth and advancement indicated a thriving city. As the steel mill and coke production facilities expanded, the population of Clairton grew. Clairton took on a life of its own, including a business district and educational, religious, and cultural facilities.
The city peaked in the late 1950s when the population approached 25,000. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the official population in 1950 was 19,652, but by 1960 had begun its first-ever decline when the number fell to 18,389. By 1970, the population was down to 15,051, signaling a trend that has continued until today. As shown on the chart (above right), the official population in 2000 was 8,491, a number that has further declined since the census (trend-based estimates indicate a population of 7,963 in 2006).
In the late 1950s, Clairton High School (CHS) had a large student body and the city had a "feeder" system of public and parochial elementary schools. The CHS student body was soon siphoned off, however, by new schools in Elizabeth Borough, Snowden Township, and Jefferson Borough, Pa. During the mid 1950s, and into the 1960s, CHS was a Class AAA competitor in the formidable Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL), playing against high schools in other mill towns up and down the Monongahela River Valley.
With the decline of the steel industry in the 1980s, Clairton began to experience severe problems in its employment and tax base, which spurred a major economic shock to the community. In 1988, the City of Clairton was designated a distressed municipality by Pennsylvania's Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Pursuant to Act 47 of 1987 (the Financially Distressed Municipalities Act), DCA commissioned the development of a recovery plan for Clairton.
By the mid 1980s or 1988, the Clairton School District had consolidated its entire system into a single building (a remodled version of the earlier high school) and closed its other schools. CHS now competes at the Class A level in the WPIAL.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 8,491 people, 3,710 households, and 2,203 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,072.3 people per square mile (1,187.8/km²). There were 4,350 housing units at an average density of 1,573.9/sq mi (608.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.12% White, 28.32% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population. 17.5% were of Italian, 9.8% German, 9.8% Irish, 6.7% Slovak and 5.0% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.4% spoke English, 1.3% Italian and 1.1% French as their first language.
Of the 3,710 households, 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. Of these households, 36.4% consisted of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household had 2.25 people and the average family size was 2.92.
The City's population consisted of 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,596, and the median income for a family was $31,539. Males had a median income of $29,399 versus $21,743 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,608. About 15.4% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economic Development
The downtown area is the remnant of a once thriving shopping district, while the residential areas are the remains of housing built for Clairton Works employees. The collapse of the steel industry left a large portion of the population jobless, and large parts of the city have descended into poverty and crime. The city lacks the funding to carry out the demolition of condemned buildings, so empty storefronts and houses, often covered in graffiti and grime, plague the area. Local groups have tried to encourage recovery, but have been unsuccessful due to lack of funding or interest. One of these groups, the Community Economic Development Corporation of Clairton (CEDCC), in conjunction with Allegheny County, Allegheny County Housing Authority, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, recently finished construction of a single-family housing development to encourage people to own rather than rent.
As another move toward recovery, Clairton recently introduced Land Value Taxation (LVT), which is based on the economic philosophies of Henry George, Tom Paine, Adam Smith and others. This move has reduced taxation for almost all homeowners. The revenue garnered from land is now 81.2% as opposed to 26.5% without LVT (most of the burden of the property tax has shifted away from what people build or buy).
[edit] Notable Natives and Residents
- Further information: Category:People from Clairton, Pennsylvania
[edit] References
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Clairton, Pennsylvania is at coordinates Coordinates:
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