| Lancaster |
| City |
|
|
|
|
| Official name: City of Lancaster |
| Nickname: The Red Rose City |
|
| Country |
 United States |
| State |
 Pennsylvania |
| County |
 Lancaster |
|
| Location |
Penn Square |
| - coordinates |
40°2′23″N 76°18′16″W / 40.03972, -76.30444 |
| Highest point |
|
| - elevation |
368 ft (112 m) |
|
| Area |
7.4 sq mi (19 km²) |
| - land |
7.39 sq mi (19 km²) |
| - water |
0.01 sq mi (0 km²) |
| - metro |
802 sq mi (2,077 km²) |
|
| Population |
55,381 (2000) |
| - urban |
55,561 |
| - metro |
494,486 |
| Density |
7,614.6 /sq mi (2,940 /km²) |
|
| Founded |
1730 |
| - Incorporated |
1818-03-10 |
| Mayor |
Rick Gray (D) |
|
| Timezone |
EST (UTC-4) |
| - summer (DST) |
EDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP Codes |
17573, 17601–17608, 17611, 17622, 17699 |
| Area code |
717 |
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Location of Lancaster in Lancaster, County
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Location of Lancaster within Pennsylvania
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Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
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| Website: www.cityoflancasterpa.com |
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Lancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the county seat of Lancaster County. With a population of 55,351,[1] it is the eighth largest city in Pennsylvania, behind Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, and Bethlehem. The metropolitan area population stands at 494,486 making it the 101st largest metropolitan area in the US.
Locally, Lancaster is pronounced as /ˈlæŋk.ɨ.stɚ/, rather than the more common pronunciation /ˈlæn.kæs.tɚ/.
History
Originally called Hickory Town, the city was renamed after the English city of Lancaster by native John Wright. Its symbol, the red rose, is from the House of Lancaster.[2] Lancaster was part of the 1681 Penn's Woods Charter of William Penn, and was laid out by James Hamilton in 1734. It was incorporated as a borough in 1742 and incorporated as a city in 1818.[3] During the American Revolution, it was briefly the capital of the colonies on September 27, 1777, when the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia, which had been captured by the British. After meeting one day, they moved still farther away, to York, Pennsylvania. Lancaster was capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812, after which the capital was moved to Harrisburg.[4]
In 1737, the Lancaster County Prison was built in the city, and is a near-replication of the Lancaster Castle in England. The prison remains in use as of 2008, and was used for public hangings until 1912.[5]
The first paved road in the United States was the former Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, which makes up part of the present-day U.S. Route 30. Opened in 1795, the Turnpike connected the cities of Lancaster and Philadelphia, and was designed by a Scottish engineer named John Loudon MacAdam. Lancaster residents are known to use the word, "macadam", in lieu of pavement or asphalt.[6] This name is a reference to the paving process named by MacAdam.
The city of Lancaster was home to several important figures in American history. Wheatland, the estate of James Buchanan, the fifteenth President of the United States, is now one of the city's most popular attractions. Thaddeus Stevens, considered among the most powerful members of the United States House of Representatives, lived in Lancaster as an attorney. Stevens gained notoriety as a Radical Republican and for his abolitionism. The Fulton Opera House in the city was named for a Lancaster native named Robert Fulton, a sort of renaissance man who created the first fully-functional steamboat, the "Clermont."
After the American Revolution, the city of Lancaster became an iron-foundry center. Two of the most common products needed by pioneers to settle the Frontier were manufactured in Lancaster: the Conestoga wagon and the Pennsylvania long rifle. The Conestoga wagon was named after the Conestoga River, which runs through the city.[7]
In 1803, Meriwether Lewis visited Lancaster to be educated in survey methods by the well-known surveyor Andrew Ellicott. During his visit, Lewis learned to plot latitude and longitude as part of his overall training needed to lead the Lewis and Clark Expedition.[8]
In 1879, Franklin Winfield Woolworth opened his first successful "five and dime" store in the city of Lancaster. The F. W. Woolworth Company is succeeded by Foot Locker.[9]
Lancaster was one of the winning communities for the All-America City award in 2000.citation needed
Geography
Lancaster is located at 40°02'23" North, 76°18'16" West (40.039860, -76.304366),[10] and is 368 feet above sea level.
The city is located about 34 miles southeast of Harrisburg, 70 miles west of Philadelphia, 55 miles north-northeast of Baltimore and 87 miles north of Washington, D.C.
The nearest towns and boroughs are Millersville (4.0 miles), Willow Street (4.8 miles), East Petersburg (5.3 miles), Lititz (7.9 miles), Landisville (8.6 miles), Mountville (8.8 miles), Rothsville (8.9 miles), and Leola (8.9 miles).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²) of it is land and 0.14% is water.
Demographics
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 56,348 people, 20,933 households, and 12,162 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,616.5 people per square mile (2,940.0/km²). There were 23,024 housing units at an average density of 3,112.1/sq mi (1,201.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.55% White, 14.09% African American, 0.44% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 17.44% from other races, and 3.94% from two or more races. 30.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2000, 24.34% of Lancaster residents were of Puerto Rican ancestry. The city has the highest concentration of Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the "Spanish Rose." Lancaster celebrates its Hispanic heritage once every year with the Puerto Rican Festival.[12]
There were 20,933 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,770, and the median income for a family was $34,623. Males had a median income of $27,833 versus $21,862 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,955. 21.2% of the population and 17.9% of families were below the poverty line. 29.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Economy
Lancaster suffers from high unemployment, especially in the southeastern quadrant.[13] This area, which includes census tracts 8, 9, 15, and 16, had unemployment rates of 10.9%, 10.1%, 3.5%, and 9.0% , respectively, in 1999, when the rest of the county was 4.9%. The Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board sees a persistent problem in underemployment: "People are working but surviving just on the edge of poverty." Outside the city, however, employment has increased 18% by adding 34,900 jobs between the years 1999 and 2002.
Lancaster City has been in the process of recreating itself recently with an explosion of specialty shops, boutiques, bars, clubs, and reinvestment in downtown institutions and locations.
Since 1999,[1] the Lancaster County Convention Center Authority, Penn Square Partners and the City's Redevelopment Authority have pursued a controversial plan to build a 300-room Marriott Hotel and a 220,000-square-foot taxpayer funded convention venue in and near the space formerly occupied by the Watt & Shand department store, preserving only the building's façade.[2] The project's supporters believe it would promote the revitalization of the city's center. Its opponents, however, feel it poses a significant risk to taxpayers. [3][4] This plan also includes the demolition of significant portions of other historic sites, including Thaddeus Stevens' home. [5]
There are also plans to convert an area of unused polluted industrial grounds (i.e., Brownfields), which were once occupied by Armstrong World Industries, into playing fields for Franklin & Marshall College. This action is expected to take up most of the former industrial site. The northeastern corner will be developed with funds from Lancaster General Hospital. The hospital plans to create a mixed-use development which will add several city blocks to Lancaster’s grid. F&M's president, John Fry, has also orchestrated the construction of new dormitories and apartments for Franklin & Marshall students along Harrisburg Pike.
Another Brownfields site is Burle Business Park, the City's only commercial and industrial park. Devoted to adaptive re-use, this facility originally opened in 1942 as a U.S. Navy electronics research, development and manufacturing plant that was operated by RCA. The Navy facility was purchased after World War II by RCA. Burle Business Park was originally occupied by Burle Industries, the successor company to the RCA New Products Division following the 1986 acquisition of RCA by General Electric Company (GE). The GE aquisition of RCA resulted in the divestiture of this facility and the electronic business, but GE retained certain environmental liabilities that were subdivided into a separate parcel. Burle Industries is a major manufacturer of vacuum tube products, including photomultiplier tubes, power tubes, and imaging tubes. and is the largest U.S. manufacturer of photomultiplier tubes. Burle Industries has completed a voluntary clean-up under the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program ("Act 2") [14].
Transportation
The Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) provides local bus transit to Lancaster City as well as surrounding areas in Lancaster County. RRTA is headquartered outside the City of Lancaster.
Capitol Trailways provides intercity bus transit from the Lancaster train station to King of Prussia, Philadelphia, and New York City.
Amtrak also serves the Lancaster train station, located on the northernmost edge of the city at 53 McGovern Avenue. The Pennsylvanian, with service between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, as well as the Keystone, with service between Harrisburg and New York, both serve Lancaster. [6][7] The city is served by the Lancaster Airport, located six miles north of downtown and just south of Lititz.
Notable residents
- See also: Category:People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Andy Baldwin, a U.S. Navy lieutenant and physician, and the bachelor of season 10 of The Bachelor
- James Buchanan, fifteenth President of the United States
- Michael Deibert, journalist and author
- Charles Demuth, painter
- Gretchen Egolf, actress
- Tristan Egolf, author
- Andrew Ellicott, surveyor
- Michael Erlewine, founder of All Media Guide (AMG)
- Barney Ewell, 1948 Summer Olympics winner 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals in track
- Robert Fulton, statesman, painter, and the creator of the Clermont steamboat
- Jim Furyk, professional golfer
- Gene Garber, former professional baseball player
- Jennifer Gareis, actress and former Miss New York
- Major General Edward Hand – early patriot
- Kim Glass, 2008 U.S. indoor volleyball Olympian
- Jonathan Groff, actor (Spring Awakening)
- William Henry, eighteenth-century gunsmith and patriot
- Tom Herr, former professional baseball player and former manager of the Lancaster Barnstormers, current manager of the Hagerstown Suns
- Milton Hershey, founder of the The Hershey Company
- Mark Ibold, bassist for the bands Pavement and Sonic Youth
- Dan Kreider, Professional Football Player for the St. Louis Rams
- Robert Lutz, former tennis player, born in Lancaster
- Helen Reimensnyder Martin (1868-1939) Novelist, born in and buried in the city
- Thomas Mifflin, politician and a signer of the United States Constitution
- John Parrish, professional baseball player, Toronto Blue Jays
- Major General John F. Reynolds, American Civil War commander
- Brad Rutter, Jeopardy! champion
- Kevin Shaffer, professional football player, Cleveland Browns
- Jimmy Sheckard, former professional baseball player
- Thaddeus Stevens, a Radical Republican congressman and abolitionist
- Lieutenant General Daniel B. Strickler, veteran of both World Wars and the Korean War; Lieutenant Governor of PA, 1947-1951
- John F Stacks, former editor of Time Magazine, chief of the Washington office of Time during the Watergate era; was the ghost writer for Judge John Sirica's Setting Things Straight
- Bruce Sutter, former professional baseball pitcher, inducted to Baseball's Hall of Fame, 2006
- Timothy Truman, artist, comic book artist and writer
- Julian Valentin, professional soccer player, Los Angeles Galaxy
- Lex van den Berghe, Survivor castaway
- Junior Vasquez, New York City club DJ and remixer/producer
- Marianne Wiggins, author, and ex-wife of author Salman Rushdie
- Kris Wilson, professional football player, San Diego Chargers
- F. W. Woolworth, businessman, "5 & 10¢ store" F. W. Woolworth Company
Historical Landmarks
Sports
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Baseball
After 44 years without professional baseball, the Lancaster Barnstormers arrived to fill the void left by the departed Red Roses. The Barnstormers are named after the "barnstorming" baseball players who played exhibition games in the surrounding county, as well as a reference to the county's many farms. The Barnstormers continue a couple of traditions of the old Red Roses, as their official colors are red, navy blue, and khaki, the same colors used by the Red Roses. More importantly, the Barnstormers continue the old "War of the Roses" rivalry between Lancaster and the nearby city of York, contending with the York Revolution.
The city of Lancaster is the hometown of Major League alumnus, Tom Herr. Herr played for the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Mets, the San Francisco Giants, and finally with the St. Louis Cardinals. After his time in the Majors, he coached the Black Knights baseball team of Hempfield High School for several years. Herr joined the Lancaster Barnstormers for their inaugural season in 2005 as the manager. After a dismal 2005 season, he lead the Barnstormers to their first-ever championship in 2006, against the Bridgeport Bluefish.
Soccer
Both the National Premier Soccer League and Women's Premier Soccer League expanded to Lancaster for the 2008 season, with both teams known as the Lancaster Inferno. The NPSL and WPSL are FIFA-recognized Division IV leagues, and are also included in the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. The Inferno are owned by the Pennsylvania Classics organization and play their home games at the Hempfield High School stadium in Landisville. The Inferno's colors are orange and black.
Lancaster amateur sports
- Dutchland Derby Rollers, an all-female roller derby team which plays to raise money for various charities.[15]
- Lancaster Firebirds, a youth amateur ice hockey organization, skating at the Lancaster Ice Rink. Member of the Atlantic District of USA Hockey.[16]
Historical Lancaster teams
- Lancaster Maroons: of the Eastern Professional Baseball League from 1896-1899.
- Lancaster Red Sox: of the Eastern Professional Baseball League played in 1932.
Lancaster Classic
The city of Lancaster hosts the Tom Bamford Lancaster Classic, a professional bicycle racing event held each June since 1992. It is part of the 2006-2007 UCI America Tour and the 2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour.
Inventions
- The first battery-powered watch, the Hamilton Electric 500, was released in 1957 by the Hamilton Watch Company.
- Peeps, an Easter confection shaped as marshmallow chicks covered with yellow sugar, were invented by the Rodda Candy Company of Lancaster in the 1920s. In 1953, Rodda was purchased by Sam Born, the Russian immigrant who invented ice cream "jimmies", and production was moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Colleges and universities
Media
Print
TV
- WGAL, the local NBC affiliate serving the Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg area.
- WLYH, the local CW affiliate serving the Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg area.
- WHP, the local CBS affiliate serving the Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg area.
- WHTM, the local ABC affiliate serving the Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg area.
- WITF, the local PBS affiliate serving the Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg area.
- WPMT, the local FOX affiliate serving the Lancaster, York, and Harrisburg area.
Radio
FM
- WFNM 89.1 FM, the student-run radio station of Franklin & Marshall College.
- WIXQ 91.7 FM, the student-run radio station at Millersville University.
- WLRI 92.9 FM, eastern Lancaster County community
- WOMA 93.1 FM, Radio Omega. Spanish radio.
- WQIC 100.1 FM, Adult contemporary
- WLPA 1490 AM, The Sporting News
Sites of interest
Local Businesses
References
Further reading
External links
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