Center Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Center Township is a township in Beaver County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
Center Township is a rapidly growing community located approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. Comprising a land area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²) and a population of 11,492 in the 2000 census with the population growing over the years.
Center Township is home to three colleges, Penn State Beaver, Community College of Beaver County, and Mountain State University. Center Township is also one of the largest retail centers in the area. Ambitious municipal and recreation programs include a system of parks and playgrounds with picnic areas, recreation programs and a Community Youth Center.
One family of settlers in Beaver Valley, the Bakers, made their home in 1774 in the hills above Raccoon Creek
near what is now Pleasant Drive in Center Township. At that time, all lands South of the Ohio had been claimed by Virginia, with the seat of Government at Pittsburgh.
During the course of the Revolutionary War, Fort McIntosh was constructed at Beaver to aid settlers in defense against the Indians and the British at Detroit. Supplies were brought from Pittsburgh along the old Indian path. The trace was renamed Brodhead's Road, after the Commander of Fort McIntosh.
When Beaver County
was formed in 1800, three Townships were created on the Southside: Hanover, First Moon and Second Moon. Later (in 1812) the area was reorganized into four Townships. One of these was Moon, the parent of Center. Over the years, other communities were formed from Moon: Raccoon Township in 1837, Phillipsburg Borough in 1840 (now Monaca), and Potter Township in 1912.
In 1914, a serious dispute among Moon Township residents split the Township, separating the heavily populated suburban section in the North from the much larger sparsely populated region in the South and West. On November 24, 1914, after a second election, the court decreed that the larger Southern section be known as Center Township. Eighteen years later, the remaining portion of Moon in the north was annexed by Monaca, becoming that Borough's Fourth and Fifth Wards (Monaca Heights and Colona Heights). Today, Center can take her place among the larger and most progressive communities in Beaver County as new housing plans develop around the township.
In early November 2003, the largest hepatitis A
outbreak in American
history occurred due to contaminated green onions
at the defunct Chi-Chi's
Mexican restaurant in the Beaver Valley Mall
in Center Township. There were at least 660 confirmed cases, and four deaths.
Center Township now borders a portion of the borough of Monaca
and the city Aliquippa
. Since the township does not have a mailing center all the residents of Center Township have either a Monaca or Aliquippa mailing address
, the township has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km²), of which, 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.72%) is water.
A limited-access highway provides close access to shopping centers, educational institutions, theaters, social centers and other retail business services. Both Greater Pittsburgh International Airport
and the Pennsylvania Turnpike are only 15 minutes away.
The Beaver County Bus Transit System also serves the area.
of 2000, there were 11,492 people, 4,270 households, and 3,317 families residing in the township. The population density
was 746.5 people per square mile (288.1/km²). There were 4,438 housing units at an average density of 288.3/sq mi (111.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.87% White, 2.97% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.40% Asian, and 0.12% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 4,270 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,071, and the median income for a family was $58,796. Males had a median income of $40,495 versus $26,443 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $21,143. About 3.2% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.
program. Headquarters are located with township offices.
Mountain State University
Penn State Beaver
Community College of Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
, 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...
.
Center Township is a rapidly growing community located approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. Comprising a land area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²) and a population of 11,492 in the 2000 census with the population growing over the years.
Center Township is home to three colleges, Penn State Beaver, Community College of Beaver County, and Mountain State University. Center Township is also one of the largest retail centers in the area. Ambitious municipal and recreation programs include a system of parks and playgrounds with picnic areas, recreation programs and a Community Youth Center.
History
Although Center Township is new among the family of communities making up Beaver County, her traditions go back to the earliest period of Ohio Valley History. Prior to colonial explorers, native Indians traveled the "Glade Path", an important trail crossing the future township North to South.One family of settlers in Beaver Valley, the Bakers, made their home in 1774 in the hills above Raccoon Creek
Raccoon Creek (Beaver County, Pennsylvania)
Raccoon Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States.Raccoon Creek joins the Ohio River upstream of the borough of Industry. The creek is not located within Raccoon Creek State Park, but flows outside park boundaries...
near what is now Pleasant Drive in Center Township. At that time, all lands South of the Ohio had been claimed by Virginia, with the seat of Government at Pittsburgh.
During the course of the Revolutionary War, Fort McIntosh was constructed at Beaver to aid settlers in defense against the Indians and the British at Detroit. Supplies were brought from Pittsburgh along the old Indian path. The trace was renamed Brodhead's Road, after the Commander of Fort McIntosh.
When Beaver County
Beaver County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181,412 people, 72,576 households, and 50,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 418 people per square mile . There were 77,765 housing units at an average density of 179 per square mile...
was formed in 1800, three Townships were created on the Southside: Hanover, First Moon and Second Moon. Later (in 1812) the area was reorganized into four Townships. One of these was Moon, the parent of Center. Over the years, other communities were formed from Moon: Raccoon Township in 1837, Phillipsburg Borough in 1840 (now Monaca), and Potter Township in 1912.
In 1914, a serious dispute among Moon Township residents split the Township, separating the heavily populated suburban section in the North from the much larger sparsely populated region in the South and West. On November 24, 1914, after a second election, the court decreed that the larger Southern section be known as Center Township. Eighteen years later, the remaining portion of Moon in the north was annexed by Monaca, becoming that Borough's Fourth and Fifth Wards (Monaca Heights and Colona Heights). Today, Center can take her place among the larger and most progressive communities in Beaver County as new housing plans develop around the township.
In early November 2003, the largest hepatitis A
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus , an RNA virus, usually spread the fecal-oral route; transmitted person-to-person by ingestion of contaminated food or water or through direct contact with an infectious person...
outbreak in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
history occurred due to contaminated green onions
Scallion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
at the defunct Chi-Chi's
Chi-Chi's
Chi-Chi's was a popular Mexican restaurant chain from 1975 to 2004. It ceased to exist within the United States following a 2003 Hepatitis A outbreak that began at one of its locations in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Chi-Chi's is still in operation in Belgium, Luxembourg, United Arab...
Mexican restaurant in the Beaver Valley Mall
Beaver Valley Mall
Beaver Valley Mall opened in 1970 as a regional shopping mall, located in Monaca, Pennsylvania. Its anchors are Boscov's, Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Macy's, Sears and offers over 100 stores and a food court.-Anchor retailers:...
in Center Township. There were at least 660 confirmed cases, and four deaths.
Center Township now borders a portion of the borough of Monaca
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. Monaca was first incorporated as Phillipsburg in 1840, and had been known by that name since the 1820s. In 1892, the name of the borough was changed to Monaca in honor of the Native...
and the city Aliquippa
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
. Since the township does not have a mailing center all the residents of Center Township have either a Monaca or Aliquippa mailing address
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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...
, the township has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.7 km²), of which, 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.72%) is water.
Transportation
The township is bisected by one major highway, Interstate 376 (known locally as the Beaver Valley Expressway), which connects the Parkway West in the vicinity of the Pittsburgh International Airport to the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the northern part of Beaver County. Two of the interstate highway's interchanges are located within the township. The newly constructed Beaver County Transit Authority Terminal is located in the township just off one of these interchanges.A limited-access highway provides close access to shopping centers, educational institutions, theaters, social centers and other retail business services. Both Greater Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport , formerly Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Greater Pittsburgh International Airport and commonly referred to as Pittsburgh International, is a joint civil–military international airport located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Findlay Township, approximately west of...
and the Pennsylvania Turnpike are only 15 minutes away.
The Beaver County Bus Transit System also serves the area.
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 11,492 people, 4,270 households, and 3,317 families residing in the township. 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 746.5 people per square mile (288.1/km²). There were 4,438 housing units at an average density of 288.3/sq mi (111.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.87% White, 2.97% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.40% Asian, and 0.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 4,270 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,071, and the median income for a family was $58,796. Males had a median income of $40,495 versus $26,443 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 township was $21,143. About 3.2% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.
Fire Department
The Center Township Volunteer Fire Department consist of 3 fully volunteer stations, located strategically throughout the township:- Station 36 is located in the residential sector of the township. It consists of 30 active volunteers and protects the community with 4 apparatus – A pumper, a heavy rescue, a brush unit, and a medic unit.
- Station 37 is located in the business district and consists of 30 members with 3 apparatus – one pumper, one aerial device and one medic unit.
- Station 38 is located in the rural sector of the township and serves the community with 20 volunteers and 4 apparatus – one pumper, one air/lights unit, one brush unit, and a fast-attack unit.
Police Department
The Center Township Police Department is led by Chief Barry D. Kramer. The Department consists of around 30 officers and more than 12 vehicles. The department also offers a D.A.R.E. program to the community as well as upholding a S.R.O.S.R.O.
S.R.O., issued in 1966, was Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass' seventh album. It included work by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, as well as the band's cover of "Mame" , one of the first TJB recordings to include vocals from Alpert, as he and the group sang the song's chorus in the middle of the...
program. Headquarters are located with township offices.
Education
Central Valley School District (formerly Center Twp. Area School District)Mountain State University
Mountain State University
Mountain State University is a private nonsectarian university based in Beckley, West Virginia, United States. The university offers undergraduate and master's degree programs, as well as a doctoral degree program. Most of the university's programs focus on the professions in business,...
Penn State Beaver
Penn State Beaver
Penn State Beaver is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Monaca, PA in Center Township, PA-Campus History:The land where the campus now exists was once a farm owned by the Hartenbach family. The family home still stands today and faces Brodhead Road...
Community College of Beaver County
Community College of Beaver County
The Community College of Beaver County is a community college located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The school includes approximately 3,000 students from in and around Beaver County. While CCBC is a community college and only offers two-year degrees and various certification courses, CCBC is...
Notable people
- Ed DeChellisEd DeChellisEdward Richard DeChellis is an American college basketball coach and current head men's basketball coach at the United States Naval Academy. Previously he was the head coach at Penn State from 2003-2011 and at East Tennessee State from 1996-2003. At Penn State, DeChellis led the Nittany Lions to...
, head men's basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach for The U.S. Naval AcademyNavy Midshipmen men's basketballThe Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team represents the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, in NCAA Division I college basketball...
. - Dan RadakovichDan RadakovichDan Radakovich is the Athletics Director at Georgia Tech. He has held that position since February 22, 2006, beating out former Tech player and head coach Bill Curry and former Tech baseball and football player and baseball assistant coach Cam Bonifay for the job. Radakovich has a long background...
, the Athletics Director at Georgia Tech. - Mark VlasicMark VlasicMark Richard Vlasic is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for six seasons. During this time, he played for the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, former Center High School and NFL Quarterback. He graduated from the University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
and played four seasons in the NFL with the San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, and Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.