Weissport, Pennsylvania

Borough of Weissport
Settlement
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Carbon
Elevation 630 ft (192 m)
Coordinates
Area 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)
 - land 0.1 sq mi (0 km2)
 - water 0.04 sq mi (0 km2), 20%
Population 434 (2000)
Density 3,264.5 / sq mi (1,260.4 / km2)
Timezone EST (UTC-5)
 - summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Area code 570
Location of Weissport in Carbon County
Location of Weissport in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States

Weissport is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The town was founded in 1792 by Col. Jacob Weiss.[1] This particular area was located between Lehighton, Parryville and Longrun. Soon after the town itself was established, and the first wooden bridge over the river to the town was built in 1805, along with the first post office, taverns, banks, and stores all by 1812.[2] Also, within the first twenty years this town was established as a vital part of the canal industry. Their vital link was in the restoration, building, and repairing of canal boats along the Lehigh Canal which ran parallel to the Lehigh River. By 1832 Lewis Weiss [3] began building boats for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company and the Morris Canal & Banking Company.[4][5]

Geography

Weissport is located at (40.829105, -75.700817).[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), of which, 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (18.75%) is water.

The town was a central hub during the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Canal era. The town served as the only boat building and repair facility along the Lehigh Canal. Today, the Lehigh Canal Park is a gem of nature and history for residents and visitors alike. The town is one of the cultural and historic resources along the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.

Weissport is 2 miles northwest of Parryville and 1 mile southeast of Lehighton.

Weissport's elevation is 630 feet.

Demographics

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 434 people, 176 households, and 107 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,264.5 people per square mile (1,289.0/km²). There were 196 housing units at an average density of 1,474.3 per square mile (582.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.16% White, 0.46% African American, 3.46% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 176 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.2 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $30,139, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $27,639 versus $17,083 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $13,785. About 11.0% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ [4]
  5. ^ [5]
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.