Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Kutztown is a borough
in Berks County
, Pennsylvania
, 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Allentown
and 17 miles (27.4 km) northeast of Reading
. As of the 2000 census, the borough has a total population of 5,067. It is the site of Kutztown University
.
Kutztown was incorporated as a borough on April 7, 1815, and is the second oldest borough in Berks County
after Reading, which became a borough in 1783 and became a city in 1847.
As with the rest of Berks County, Kutztown was settled mainly by Germans, most of whom came from the Palatinate region of southwest Germany, which borders the Rhine River.
The Kutztown area, broadly defined, encompasses an area of land also known as the East Penn Valley, a broad limestone valley situated in northern and eastern Berks County, bounded by the Blue Mountain
and South Mountain
ranges to the north and south, respectively, by the Lehigh County
border to the east, and by the Ontelaunee Creek
(or Maiden Creek
) to the west. The Crystal Cave
was discovered in the town in 1871.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
of 2010, there were 5,012 people residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.8% White, 1.4% African American, 0.0% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 0.8% from other races
, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 5,067 people, 1,874 households, and 886 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 3,191.4 people per square mile (1,230.4/km²). There were 1,940 housing units at an average density of 1,221.9 per square mile (471.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.00% White, 0.99% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.53% from other races
, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population. Historically there is a large Pennsylvania Dutch
population.
There are 1,874 households out of which 18.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples
living together, 7.1% have a female householder
with no husband
present, and 52.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size is 2.80.
In the borough the population was spread out with 12.4% under the age of 18, 38.7% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median
age is 24 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $35,677, and the median income for a family is $49,653. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $28,669 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $18,803. About 3.8% of families and 29.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Caucasian
(96.6%)
Black
(1.0%)
Hispanic
(1.0%)
Other race (0.5%)
Ancestries: German (91.6%), Irish
(11.8%), Italian
(8.1%), English
(6.0%), Polish
(5.7%).
.
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
in Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 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...
, 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
and 17 miles (27.4 km) northeast of Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
. As of the 2000 census, the borough has a total population of 5,067. It is the site of Kutztown University
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania , is an American public university located in rural Kutztown, Berks County, Pennsylvania and is one of fourteen schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary...
.
History
George (Coots) Kutz purchased 130 acre (0.5260918 km²) of land that became Kutztown on June 16, 1755, from Peter Wentz, who owned much of what is now Maxatawny Township. Kutz first laid out his plans for the town in 1779. The first lots in the new town of Cootstown (later renamed Kutztown) were purchased in 1785 by Adam Dietrich and Henry Schweier.Kutztown was incorporated as a borough on April 7, 1815, and is the second oldest borough in Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
after Reading, which became a borough in 1783 and became a city in 1847.
As with the rest of Berks County, Kutztown was settled mainly by Germans, most of whom came from the Palatinate region of southwest Germany, which borders the Rhine River.
The Kutztown area, broadly defined, encompasses an area of land also known as the East Penn Valley, a broad limestone valley situated in northern and eastern Berks County, bounded by the Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
and South Mountain
South Mountain (eastern Pennsylvania)
South Mountain is a colloquial name applied to features in the mountain range extending south and south west from the Lehigh Valley to the Lebanon Valley regions of Pennsylvania. At times, it also been known as Durham Hills, Reading Hills, and the Lehigh Mountains...
ranges to the north and south, respectively, by the Lehigh County
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
border to the east, and by the Ontelaunee Creek
Ontelaunee Creek
Ontelaunee Creek is a tributary of Maiden Creek in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Ontelaunee Creek and Kistler Creek join in the community of Kempton to form Maiden Creek.-References:...
(or Maiden Creek
Maiden Creek
Maiden Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Maiden Creek is formed by the confluence of Ontelaunee and Kistler creeks in the community of Kempton...
) to the west. The Crystal Cave
Crystal Cave (Pennsylvania)
Crystal Cave is a cave in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, United States, the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It has been visited by millions of people since its discovery on November 12, 1871. It was found by Gideon Merkel and John Gehret. Greenwich Township farmer Samuel D. F. Kohler bought of land,...
was discovered in the town in 1871.
Geography
Kutztown is located at 40°31′11"N 75°46′31"W (40.519798, -75.775260).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...
, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
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 2010, there were 5,012 people residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.8% White, 1.4% African American, 0.0% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 0.8% 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...
, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.
As of the census
Census
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 5,067 people, 1,874 households, and 886 families residing in the borough. 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 3,191.4 people per square mile (1,230.4/km²). There were 1,940 housing units at an average density of 1,221.9 per square mile (471.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.00% White, 0.99% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.53% 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...
, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population. Historically there is a large Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch
Pennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
population.
There are 1,874 households out of which 18.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% 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, 7.1% have a female householder
Householder
A householder is a person who is the head of a household; see House.Householder is also a family name:*Alston Scott Householder, American mathematicianMathematical topics named after A.S...
with no husband
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...
present, and 52.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size is 2.80.
In the borough the population was spread out with 12.4% under the age of 18, 38.7% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median
Median
In probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to...
age is 24 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $35,677, and the median income for a family is $49,653. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $28,669 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 borough was $18,803. About 3.8% of families and 29.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Ethnicities
Ethnicities in Kutztown:Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
(96.6%)
Black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
(1.0%)
Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
(1.0%)
Other race (0.5%)
Ancestries: German (91.6%), Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
(11.8%), Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
(8.1%), English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
(6.0%), Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
(5.7%).
Economy
Kutztown's economy is strong and diverse, with workers employed by Kutztown University, the nearby East Penn Manufacturing / Deka, the world's largest independent battery manufacturer, McConway and Torley, a major maker of steel railcar fittings, Radius Toothbrush, digital creative agency Sposto Interactive, and at one time, the brand of athletic shoe known as the SauconySaucony
Saucony is an American manufacturer of athletic shoes, best-known today for its premium running shoes and men's and women's apparel.-History:...
.
Notable people
- Ranger Bill MillerRanger Bill MillerWilliam Joseph "Ranger Bill" Miller was an American actor and film director.Miller was born in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Prior to being in films, he was a Texas Ranger and toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Miller falsely claimed he was the adopted son of Buffalo Bill Cody...
, silent Western film actor - Keith HaringKeith HaringKeith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
, artist. - Bruce HarperBruce HarperBruce Harper was an American football running back and kick returner for the New York Jets of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kutztown by the Jets in 1977. Bruce Harper is the all-time kick returner in New York Jets history with 5407 yards in kickoff returns...
played football for Kutztown University and played for the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL. - John MobleyJohn MobleyJohn Ulysses Mobley is a former American Football linebacker who played eight seasons for the Denver Broncos from 1996 through 2003 in the National Football League....
played football for Kutztown University and played for the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL. - Andre ReedAndre ReedAndre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
played football for Kutztown University and then went on to play for the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for many years. - Gary Mark SmithGary Mark SmithGary Mark Smith is an American street photographer. Smith is noted for his empathetic and literal style of photography captured in extremely hazardous environments.-Early life and education:...
, artist/author. - Ryan VogelsongRyan VogelsongRyan Andrew Vogelsong is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. In addition to an earlier stint with the Giants , he has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates , and for Nippon Professional Baseball's Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes .-Amateur career:He graduated from Octorara...
played baseball for Kutztown University, moved on to Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and is now playing for the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....