Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
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| Hummelstown, Pennsylvania | |
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  Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Dauphin |
| Settled | 1762 |
| Incorporated (borough) | 1874 |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km²) |
| Elevation | 456 ft (139 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 4,360 |
| - Density | 3,233.6/sq mi (1,247.0/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 717 |
| Website: Borough of Hummelstown | |
Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,360 as of the 2000 census. Hummelstown is a part of the Lower Dauphin School District. The current mayor of Hummelstown is Brad Miller.
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[edit] History
Hummelstown was founded as Frederickstown in 1762 when two Germans, Frederick and Rosina Hummel, bought the land for 200 pound sterlings. They then made building lots and sold them to German settlers. During the mid 19th century the Union Canal at Swatara Creek was the driving force behind the local economy, promoting trade and transportation. The Brownstone Quarries from 1867 to 1929 provided much growth and stability to the town.
[edit] Geography
Hummelstown is located at (40.265168, -76.710995) at an elevation of 384 feet.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²).1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (3.57%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,360 people, 1,879 households, and 1,200 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,233.6 people per square mile (1,247.0/km²). There were 1,953 housing units at an average density of 1,448.4/sq mi (558.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.02% White, 0.32% African American, 0.02% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
There were 1,879 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the borough the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,625, and the median income for a family was $50,572. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $27,547 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,394. About 4.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
In 2005 Hummelstown was named the 61st best town in the United States of America to live in, as voted on by The New York Times in association with Time, Life, and several other high-profile magazines on Money Magazine's website[2].
Money Magazine (via their website and magazine) lists the median household income for Hummelstown to be $60,666 as of 2005, compared to the average in the United States which is $68,053 in 2005. The sales tax is 6.00%, compared to that of 6.77% nation-wide. The median house price is $154,815 compared to that of the nation average of $315,351. [3]
[edit] Government
[edit] Officials
| Position | Person |
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| Mayor | Brad Miller |
| President of Council | Jerry Kling |
| Vice President of Council | Brian Foster |
| Councilman | Paul Lutzkanin |
| Councilwoman | Beth Fitzpatrick |
| Councilman | Randy Lutz |
| Councilman | Dave Roeting |
| Councilman | Bob Jones |
| Borough Manager | Michael O'Keefe |
| Secretary / Receptionist | Donna Spittle |
| Administrative Assistant / Editor | Debra Hummer |
| Chief of police / Assistant Manager | Charles Dowell |
[edit] Points of interest
The town is home to a unique historical landmark, the Warwick Hotel, which is still a tavern reminiscent of its pre-Revolutionary War days. George Washington once spent a night there as well as drank from its bar - which is still the same bar.[citation needed]
The Indian Echo Caverns is one of the main attractions to Hummelstown. It was originally used by the Susquehannock Indians who lived and hunted in the nearby area until they vanished in the 1670s. In 1929 it opened to the public.
[edit] Home to
Hummelstown is home to the Lower Dauphin High School. Hummelstown is also home to the Hummelstown Brownstone Company, with the Hummelstown Quarry being the largest producer of brownstone on the East Coast.
Hummelstown also features a historical society near the back of the town beyond the church completely made of Hummelstown brownstone. The Hummelstown Historical Society is both a museum and an information center on the town, it offers tours for the local schools including Nye Elementary as well as the previously used Price Building.
[edit] Parks
Hummelstown has several parks within its borough. Such as:
- Herbert A Schaffner Memorial Park - Previously Borough Park
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- Named in honor of Herbert Schaffner
- Barry E Mehaffie Memorial Park - Previously West End Park
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- Named in honor of Barry Mehaffie
- Hummel Nature Trail
- Bud Alexander Memorial Park - located in the Graystone Development of Hummelstown
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- Named in honor of Bud Alexander, former mayor of Hummelstown
- Keller Fields
[edit] Schools
Hummelstown has four schools within its borough, all connected to the Lower Dauphin School District. They are:
- The Price Building
- The Nye Elementary School
- Lower Dauphin Middle School
- Lower Dauphin High School
[edit] Churches
Hummelstown is home to numerous churches, quite a few of which are along the Main Street of town. Some of which are:
- Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Trinity United Methodist Church
- First United Church of Christ
- The Bridge Church
[edit] Bars
Hummelstown has a plethora of bars and high-class restaurants in the town.
- The Warwick Hotel
- The Boro Bar
- VFW
- Chicks
- Rosie's East End
[edit] Famous residents
Hummelstown has a few famous residents.
[edit] Actors and actresses
- Former Sprint Corporation spokesman Brian Baker
- Wife of Brian Baker, of Becker and Star Trek Deep Space Nine Terry Farrell
[edit] Events
Numerous events are commonly held in Hummelstown, such as:
- The Lollipop Drop, New Year's Eve
- Movie Nights, movies shown at the Herbert Schaffner Memorial Park
- Taste of Hummelstown - an event in Hummelstown where all of the restaurants put up a stand along Main Street and people may sample their foods.
- The Hummelstown Craftsfair - A yearly two-street-long crafts-fair held in September.
[edit] Hummelstown in literature
[edit] See also
- Hummelstown brownstone
- Hummelstown Brownstone Company
- Hummelstown Quarry
[edit] References
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Money Magazine's web site [1]
- ^ Money Magazine's Hummelstown staistics: [2]
[edit] External links
- Hummelstown, Pennsylvania is at coordinates Coordinates:
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