Littlestown, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Littlestown, Pennsylvania | |
| Motto: We're growing, one neighbor at a time | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Adams |
| Settled | 1765 |
| Incorporated | 1864 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Borough Council |
| - Mayor | Donna Shadle |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 627 ft (191 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,947 |
| - Density | 2,517.0/sq mi (971.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Zip code | 17340 |
| Area code(s) | 717 |
| Website: Littlestown, Pennsylvania | |
Littlestown is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,947 at the 2000 census.
Originally laid out by Peter Klein in 1760, the town was first named "Petersburg". German settlers in the area came to call the town "Kleine Stedtle". As confusion between the town and a neighboring town (also named "Petersburg", now York Springs[1]) grew, the town officially changed its name to Littlestown (essentially a translation of "Kleine Stedtle" from German) in 1795.[2]
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[edit] Geography
Littlestown is located at (39.743749, -77.089240)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 3,947 people, 1,586 households, and 1,113 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,517.0 people per square mile (970.7/km²). There were 1,692 housing units at an average density of 1,079.0/sq mi (416.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.26% White, 0.56% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.51% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.27% of the population.
There were 1,586 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $36,678, and the median income for a family was $42,261. Males had a median income of $31,055 versus $23,658 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $17,310. About 6.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Littlestown is surrounded by three larger towns -- Hanover, Gettysburg, and Westminster -- all within 10 to 20 miles driving distance. There are currently four branches of the school district: Rolling Acres Elementary (grades K to 3), the recently built 4th to 5th grade Alloway Creek, Maple Avenue Middle School (grades 6 to 8), and Littlestown High School (grades 9 to 12), home of the Thunderbolts.
While the agricultural past of the town is still clear, it has begun to become a bedroom community for communters working in nearby Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Harrisburg and York[3].
[edit] Teacher Strike and School Board Controversy
In the Fall of 2006, many teachers of the Littlestown School District went on a labor strike after a union contract dispute with the School Board. The teachers are now back at work, but remain without a contract. Thirty one teachers have subsequently resigned from the district.
[edit] Famous residents
- Escaped slave James W. C. Pennington[4]
- Congressman James McSherry
[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
- Littlestown, Pennsylvania is at coordinates Coordinates:
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