Acme, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Acme is an unincorporated community
, identified by ZIP code
15610, in Mount Pleasant
and Donegal
Townships, both in Westmoreland County
, and Bullskin Township
in Fayette County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population (according to ZIP code) was 2,545 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, it has a total area of 25.7 square miles (66.6 km²), of which 25.6 square miles (66.3 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) is water.
The name Acme refers to the area's location along Chestnut Ridge
in the Allegheny Mountains
.
,
Kecksburg
,
Laurelville,
Mammoth,
Saltlick
and
Stahlstown
.
of 2000, there were 2,545 people, 962 households, and 736 families residing in the area. The population density
was 99.2 people per square mile. There were 1,087 housing units at an average density of 42.4/sq mi. The racial makeup of the area was 99.4% White, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.
There were 962 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.03.
The ages of the population were distributed as follows: 24.1% under 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the area was $35.290, and the median income for a family was $37,398. Males had a median income of $28,897 versus $21,765 for females. The per capita income
for the area was $15,012. 7.8% of the population and 5.1% of families were below the poverty line.
.
developed a master plan for a 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) property named Treetops & Mountain Circles. Berndtson, an original apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright
, designed a network of twenty-four private houses, each within a 300 feet (91.4 m) diameter clearing in the woods. If completed, the clearings and their connecting roads would have depicted a bunch
of grapes when viewed from the sky. Only two homes—those for developers Harry Blum and James Balter—were actually built.
Forty-two years later, local homebuilder Thomas D. Papinchak deconstructed the Donald C. Duncan House in Lisle, Illinois
(a suburb of Chicago
) and relocated it to the Acme property. The Duncan House was designed by Wright as an instance of his Usonian style. In honor of the two architects, the failed development has been renamed Polymath Park
Resort. Since 2007, all three houses have been offered as overnight accommodations for visitors to Wright's Fallingwater
and Kentuck Knob
in nearby Stewart Township
. The resort is now maintained by Papinchak's non-profit Usonian Preservation Corporation.
newspaper. The development in a section of forest originally known as Southerwood, along the western descent of Chestnut Ridge
, featured over 1000 house lots in a wooded setting connected by 22 miles of roads. Codes prevented the cutting of more trees than necessary for home construction, unconnected buildings, business restrictions, prohibitions on brick and metal siding and similar provisions intended to maintain the rural character of the development. Two separate lodge buildings were built; one at the upper entrance to the development and another at the base of the ski slopes. At its peak, the Bear Rocks Ski area featured eight slopes and trails with a double-chair lift and snow-making equipment. The advertisement also boasted a private fishing lake, "magnificent" swimming pool, rustic cocktail lounge, tennis, horseback riding, social activities, and "golf at a private country club nearby."
Bear Rocks reportedly ceased ski operations after the 1973 season. The ski lodge and restaurant burned to the ground a few years later and was not rebuilt, however the community lodge remains as a focal point for residents. The community continues to grow, and new homes have been constructed in the clearings of the former ski slopes and continue to be built on vacant lots. While the rustic character of the development is still very evident, it has suffered somewhat in recent years as the Bear Rocks codes have been increasingly ignored, including the clear-cutting of lots, and some logging operations.
, Donegal
and Bullskin
townships.
, a two-lane artery, delivers traffic east and west through the area. The Pennsylvania Turnpike
parallels the state road to the north, but the closest interchange is in nearby Donegal
. Because Turnpike traffic is occasionally diverted to the state route, additional lanes were added to accommodate truck traffic down the latter's western descent of the Allegheny Mountains
, on a two-mile (3 km) stretch of highway known as Three Mile Hill.
Acme Speedway hosts kart racing
every Saturday night from mid-April through late September.
Donegal Highlands, an 18-hole public golf course, offers a unique challenge to golfers of all abilities.
Stone Villa Wine Cellars provides seasonal outdoor entertainment as well as daily wine tastings.
In addition to getaway vacation rentals, Polymath Park provides tours of Frank Lloyd Wright's Duncan House on a weekly basis.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
, identified by ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
15610, in Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Mount Pleasant Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 11,153...
and Donegal
Donegal Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Donegal Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,442 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.The township includes the...
Townships, both in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
, and Bullskin Township
Bullskin Township, Pennsylvania
Bullskin Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,782 at the 2000 census. It is served by the Connellsville Area School District....
in Fayette County
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population (according to ZIP code) was 2,545 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Acme is located at 40°7′38"N 79°26′5"W (40.12731, -79.434929).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, it has a total area of 25.7 square miles (66.6 km²), of which 25.6 square miles (66.3 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) is water.
The name Acme refers to the area's location along Chestnut Ridge
Chestnut Ridge
Chestnut Ridge may refer to:* Chestnut Ridge, Bedford County, a mountain ridge in Bedford County, Pennsylvania* Chestnut Ridge, New York, a village in the United States* Chestnut Ridge Park, in Orchard Park, New York...
in the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
.
Surrounding communities
DonegalDonegal, Pennsylvania
Donegal is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a distinct municipality from the adjacent Donegal Township. The population was 165 at the 2000 census...
,
Kecksburg
Kecksburg, Pennsylvania
Kecksburg is an unincorporated community in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is located along PA Route 982 in a heavily wooded area about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh at an elevation of 1,209 feet.- UFO incident :...
,
Laurelville,
Mammoth,
Saltlick
Saltlick Township, Pennsylvania
Saltlick Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,715 at the 2000 census. It is served by the Connellsville Area School District....
and
Stahlstown
Stahlstown, Pennsylvania
Stahlstown is a small unincorporated community in Cook Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, just a few miles from the Donegal exit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, located at the intersection of route 711 and route 130.The village was...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,545 people, 962 households, and 736 families residing in the area. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 99.2 people per square mile. There were 1,087 housing units at an average density of 42.4/sq mi. The racial makeup of the area was 99.4% White, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.
There were 962 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.03.
The ages of the population were distributed as follows: 24.1% under 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the area was $35.290, and the median income for a family was $37,398. Males had a median income of $28,897 versus $21,765 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the area was $15,012. 7.8% of the population and 5.1% of families were below the poverty line.
History
Acme has always been an agricultural community; however, three attempts to develop resorts in the area have likely been inspired by its gateway position along the edge of the Laurel HighlandsLaurel Highlands
The Laurel Highlands is a region in southwestern Pennsylvania made up of Fayette County, Somerset County and Westmoreland County. It has a population of about 600,000 people....
.
Treetops & Mountain Circles/Polymath Park
In 1962, architect Peter BerndtsonPeter Berndtson
Peter Berndtson was an American architect.Born in Massachusetts, he studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for two years, but dropped out after his father died...
developed a master plan for a 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) property named Treetops & Mountain Circles. Berndtson, an original apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, designed a network of twenty-four private houses, each within a 300 feet (91.4 m) diameter clearing in the woods. If completed, the clearings and their connecting roads would have depicted a bunch
Bunch
Bunch may refer to:* BUNCH, competitors in computer manufacturing* Bunch, Oklahoma, a village in the state of Oklahoma in the United States of America* Bunch grass, any grass of the Poaceae family* The Bunch, a 1972 folk rock group...
of grapes when viewed from the sky. Only two homes—those for developers Harry Blum and James Balter—were actually built.
Forty-two years later, local homebuilder Thomas D. Papinchak deconstructed the Donald C. Duncan House in Lisle, Illinois
Lisle, Illinois
Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
(a suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
) and relocated it to the Acme property. The Duncan House was designed by Wright as an instance of his Usonian style. In honor of the two architects, the failed development has been renamed Polymath Park
Polymath Park
Polymath Park is a resort southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania.The site, near the village of Acme in Westmoreland County, is surrounded by private forest in the Allegheny Mountains and features three architectural landmarks: Frank Lloyd...
Resort. Since 2007, all three houses have been offered as overnight accommodations for visitors to Wright's Fallingwater
Fallingwater
Fallingwater or Kaufmann Residence is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh...
and Kentuck Knob
Kentuck Knob
Kentuck Knob, also known as the Hagan House, is a residence designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in rural Stewart Township near the village of Chalk Hill, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, about southeast of Pittsburgh...
in nearby Stewart Township
Stewart Township, Pennsylvania
Stewart Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 743 at the 2000 census....
. The resort is now maintained by Papinchak's non-profit Usonian Preservation Corporation.
Bear Rocks
On November 7, 1965, Pittsburgh real-estate developer Scott Hamilton advertised Bear Rocks, a new "Mountain Ski Area", in the (now-defunct) Pittsburgh PressPittsburgh Press
The Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
newspaper. The development in a section of forest originally known as Southerwood, along the western descent of Chestnut Ridge
Chestnut Ridge
Chestnut Ridge may refer to:* Chestnut Ridge, Bedford County, a mountain ridge in Bedford County, Pennsylvania* Chestnut Ridge, New York, a village in the United States* Chestnut Ridge Park, in Orchard Park, New York...
, featured over 1000 house lots in a wooded setting connected by 22 miles of roads. Codes prevented the cutting of more trees than necessary for home construction, unconnected buildings, business restrictions, prohibitions on brick and metal siding and similar provisions intended to maintain the rural character of the development. Two separate lodge buildings were built; one at the upper entrance to the development and another at the base of the ski slopes. At its peak, the Bear Rocks Ski area featured eight slopes and trails with a double-chair lift and snow-making equipment. The advertisement also boasted a private fishing lake, "magnificent" swimming pool, rustic cocktail lounge, tennis, horseback riding, social activities, and "golf at a private country club nearby."
Bear Rocks reportedly ceased ski operations after the 1973 season. The ski lodge and restaurant burned to the ground a few years later and was not rebuilt, however the community lodge remains as a focal point for residents. The community continues to grow, and new homes have been constructed in the clearings of the former ski slopes and continue to be built on vacant lots. While the rustic character of the development is still very evident, it has suffered somewhat in recent years as the Bear Rocks codes have been increasingly ignored, including the clear-cutting of lots, and some logging operations.
Forest Lake
Following in the footsteps of the very successful Bear Rocks, this much smaller resort featuring a recreational lake, a swimming pond, and wooded house lots, Forest Lake, was developed adjacent to the eastern edge of Bear Rocks along Bear Rocks road. As part of the sales promotion, a red caboose, now greatly decayed, was placed on one of the lots. Forest Lake never enjoyed the success of its larger neighbor and only 5 houses were built.Government
An unincorporated place, Acme spans the municipal boundaries of Mount PleasantMount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Mount Pleasant Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 11,153...
, Donegal
Donegal Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Donegal Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,442 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.The township includes the...
and Bullskin
Bullskin Township, Pennsylvania
Bullskin Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,782 at the 2000 census. It is served by the Connellsville Area School District....
townships.
Transportation
Pennsylvania Route 31Pennsylvania Route 31
Pennsylvania Route 31 is a long state highway located in Western Pennsylvania, paralleling U.S. Route 30 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike for most of its length. The designation begins at PA 136 near West Newton and ends at US 30 near Bedford....
, a two-lane artery, delivers traffic east and west through the area. The Pennsylvania Turnpike
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
parallels the state road to the north, but the closest interchange is in nearby Donegal
Donegal, Pennsylvania
Donegal is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a distinct municipality from the adjacent Donegal Township. The population was 165 at the 2000 census...
. Because Turnpike traffic is occasionally diverted to the state route, additional lanes were added to accommodate truck traffic down the latter's western descent of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
, on a two-mile (3 km) stretch of highway known as Three Mile Hill.
Recreation and Amenities
Chestnut Ridge Park features a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) recreational pool (lake) with a boat launch and short walking trail. The county park provides opportunity for fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities in a quiet, isolated rural setting.Acme Speedway hosts kart racing
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
every Saturday night from mid-April through late September.
Donegal Highlands, an 18-hole public golf course, offers a unique challenge to golfers of all abilities.
Stone Villa Wine Cellars provides seasonal outdoor entertainment as well as daily wine tastings.
In addition to getaway vacation rentals, Polymath Park provides tours of Frank Lloyd Wright's Duncan House on a weekly basis.