Macungie, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Macungie is a borough in Lehigh County
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. It is the second oldest borough in the county and a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania
in the Lehigh Valley
region of the state.
. In 1875, the borough was renamed Macungie to avoid confusion with another town by the same name, that of Millerstown
in Perry County
.
Macungie lies in the eastern part of the historic Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Macungie is derived from "Maguntsche," a place name used as early as 1730 to describe the region that is now present-day Macungie and Emmaus
. "Maguntsche" is a Lenape
word, meaning either "bear swamp" or "feeding place of the Bears." The borough's current seal depicts a bear
coming to drink at water near some cattails
.
Other names (and alternate spellings) for Macungie have included Kunshi, Kunski, Maccongy, Machk-unschi, Machts, Machts Kunski, Macongy, Macungy, Macunjy and Mauck-Kuntshy.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land. Macungie is almost completely surrounded by Lower Macungie Township except for a very small area in the SE that neighbors Upper Milford Township. The Swabia Creek
flows through the borough and drains it into the Little Lehigh Creek
.
Route 100
crosses it NW-to-SE as Main Street. Other outlet streets include Church Street to the SW, Chestnut Street to the SW and east, Walnut and Lehigh Streets east to Brookside Road, and Willow Street to the north.
of 2000, there were 3,039 people, 1,366 households, and 835 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 3,057.0 people per square mile (1,185.2/km²). There were 1,418 housing units at an average density of 1,426.4 per square mile (553.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.87% White, 1.35% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.11% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races
, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
There were 1,366 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.4% 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 2.22 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $51,721, and the median income for a family was $56,848. Males had a median income of $44,821 versus $34,722 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $26,965. About 1.7% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Borough council:
s. The primary manufacturing facility of Mack Trucks
is located in neighboring Lower Macungie Township.
. Emmaus High School
serves grades nine through 12. Eyer Middle School
and Lower Macungie Middle School
serve grades six through eight.
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....
, 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...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the second oldest borough in the county and a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania
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...
in the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
region of the state.
History
Macungie was founded as Millerstown in 1776 by Peter Miller. On November 15, 1857, the village of Millerstown was incorporated as a boroughBorough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
. In 1875, the borough was renamed Macungie to avoid confusion with another town by the same name, that of Millerstown
Millerstown, Pennsylvania
Millerstown is a borough in Perry County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 679 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Perry County
Perry County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile . There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
.
Macungie lies in the eastern part of the historic Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Macungie is derived from "Maguntsche," a place name used as early as 1730 to describe the region that is now present-day Macungie and Emmaus
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Emmaus is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located five miles southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Emmaus was 11,313 at the 2000 census...
. "Maguntsche" is a Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
word, meaning either "bear swamp" or "feeding place of the Bears." The borough's current seal depicts a bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
coming to drink at water near some cattails
Typha
Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...
.
Other names (and alternate spellings) for Macungie have included Kunshi, Kunski, Maccongy, Machk-unschi, Machts, Machts Kunski, Macongy, Macungy, Macunjy and Mauck-Kuntshy.
Geography
Macungie is located at 40°30′50"N 75°33′9"W (40.513945, -75.552491).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 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land. Macungie is almost completely surrounded by Lower Macungie Township except for a very small area in the SE that neighbors Upper Milford Township. The Swabia Creek
Swabia Creek
Swabia Creek, a tributary of Little Lehigh Creek, is a creek located in Berks and Lehigh Counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States.- Source :...
flows through the borough and drains it into the Little Lehigh Creek
Little Lehigh Creek
The Little Lehigh Creek is approximately long, in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is also sometimes referred to as the Little Lehigh River. It is called the Little Lehigh because it is the largest tributary of the Lehigh River....
.
Route 100
Pennsylvania Route 100
Pennsylvania Route 100 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that runs from U.S. Route 202 in West Chester, Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania Route 309 in Pleasant Corners, Pennsylvania....
crosses it NW-to-SE as Main Street. Other outlet streets include Church Street to the SW, Chestnut Street to the SW and east, Walnut and Lehigh Streets east to Brookside Road, and Willow Street to the north.
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 3,039 people, 1,366 households, and 835 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 3,057.0 people per square mile (1,185.2/km²). There were 1,418 housing units at an average density of 1,426.4 per square mile (553.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.87% White, 1.35% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.11% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.82% 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 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population.
There were 1,366 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.4% 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 2.22 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $51,721, and the median income for a family was $56,848. Males had a median income of $44,821 versus $34,722 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 $26,965. About 1.7% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Borough government
Mayor:- Rick Hoffman
Borough council:
- Joseph F. Sikorski, President
- Guy Ramsey, Vice-President
- Lucy Ackerman
- Robert Bogert
- David Boyko
- Dorothy Kociuba
- Jean Nagle
Industry
Macungie is the headquarters for the Allen Organ Company, a global manufacturer and distributor of organOrgan (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
s. The primary manufacturing facility of Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks
Mack Trucks is an American truck-manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. A wholly owned subsidiary of Renault Véhicules Industriels since 1990, Mack Trucks is currently a subsidiary of AB Volvo. The company's headquarters are located in Greensboro, North Carolina...
is located in neighboring Lower Macungie Township.
Public education
The Borough is served by the East Penn School DistrictEast Penn School District
The East Penn School District is a public school district located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Originally known as the East Penn Union School District, the district was established in 1952...
. Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School
Emmaus High School is a public high school located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The school serves grades 9 through 12 in Pennsylvania's East Penn School District in the Lehigh Valley region of the state....
serves grades nine through 12. Eyer Middle School
Eyer Middle School
Eyer Middle School is a public middle school located in Macungie, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located at 5616 Buckeye Road, on the Macungie side of Buckeye Road, which connects Macungie with west-side Emmaus.The school is part of the East...
and Lower Macungie Middle School
Lower Macungie Middle School
Lower Macungie Middle School is a public middle school located in Macungie, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located at 6299 Lower Macungie Road in Macungie....
serve grades six through eight.
Recreation
- Bear Creek Ski and Recreation AreaBear Creek Ski and Recreation AreaBear Creek is a ski resort near Macungie, in the Berks County region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. The resort opened in 1967. It was known as the Doe Mountain until 1999....
, a locally popular ski resort, is located just west of Macungie in Longswamp Township.
Notable people
- Keith DorneyKeith DorneyKeith Robert Dorney is a former offensive lineman for the National Football League's Detroit Lions.-High school and college career:...
, former professional football player, Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. - Michelle MarciniakMichelle MarciniakMichelle Marciniak is a former All American collegiate and professional basketball player, who played point guard in the Women's National Basketball Association . As a floor general, Marciniak competed for two National Championships during her three year career at the University of Tennessee...
, co-founder of SHEEX, Inc.SheexSHEEX, Inc. is a bed linen company based in the United States. The company was founded in 2008 by former athletes and basketball coaches Susan Walvius and Michelle Marciniak. SHEEX linens are notable for being constructed not from cotton or silk but the type of advanced performance fabrics commonly...
; former women's basketball coach, University of South CarolinaUniversity of South CarolinaThe University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
; and former professional basketball player, WNBAWomen's National Basketball AssociationThe Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
's Portland FirePortland FireThe Portland Fire joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000 as the counterpart to the NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers. They played their games at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The team folded after the 2002 season, after just three seasons in the league...
and Seattle StormSeattle StormThe Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
. - Nicole ReinhartNicole ReinhartNicole Louise Reinhart was an American professional track and road racing cyclist who twice won gold medals in cycling at the Pan American Games.-Early life:...
, former professional cyclist. - Christine TaylorChristine TaylorChristine Taylor-Stiller is an American actress.- Early life :Taylor was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joan, a homemaker, and Skip Taylor, an owner of a security company. She grew up in neighboring Wescosville, Pennsylvania...
, actress and wife of Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
.