Northampton, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Northampton is a borough in Northampton County
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. The borough is located in the Lehigh Valley
region of eastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, Northampton's population was 14,985.
and 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Easton
at 40°41′2"N 75°29′29"W (40.683896, -75.491353).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough/city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (3.70%), water. Northampton's elevation is 370 feet (112.8 m) above sea level.
The Lehigh River
, which separates Northampton County from Lehigh County
, forms the city's western border.
of 2000, there were 9,405 people, 3,869 households, and 2,634 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,619.1 people per square mile (1,396.7/km²). There were 4,023 housing units at an average density of 1,548.1 per square mile (597.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.21% White, 0.35% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.39% from other races
, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 3,869 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $40,982, and the median income for a family was $49,482. Males had a median income of $37,033 versus $26,422 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $19,516. About 1.3% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
. The Atlas Portland Cement Company was based there, until it was closed in 1982, due largely to foreign competition. Northampton was created from the villages of Siegfried, Newport and Stemton, which together were formed into an alliance in 1902. In 1909, Atlas petitioned county courts to change the alliance into a borough, reportedly because the change would make it easier for the company to send and receive mail. The Atlas Portland Cement Company plant closed in 1982, but city residents many of them former Atlas employees or their descendants — still identify strongly with the company and its history. The Atlas Portland Cement Company supplied most of the cement used in the building of the Panama Canal
.
Historical community events included the Northampton Jack Frost Parade every November, celebrating the onset of winter and including marching bands and floats.
Another event that occurred during the 1940s and 1950s was the Northampton County Fair, which was held every year and was spread out across the Lappawinzo Fish & Game Club property North of Northampton (off the Kreidersville Road). There were huge numbers of vendor stands, fair rides, animals, shows/performances, 4-H Club judgings, as well as Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey shows. Visitors came from all over the East Coast during the two-week event and hourly buses ran from downtown Northampton and nearby cities to the Fair.
Part of the opening sequence of the 1992 film School Ties
was filmed in downtown Northampton due to the town's preservation of older buildings, which fit with the 1950s setting of the film.
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
, 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...
. The borough is located 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 eastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, Northampton's population was 14,985.
Geography
Northampton is located 8 miles (12.9 km) north of AllentownAllentown, 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 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
at 40°41′2"N 75°29′29"W (40.683896, -75.491353).
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/city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), of which 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (3.70%), water. Northampton's elevation is 370 feet (112.8 m) above sea level.
The Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
, which separates Northampton County from 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....
, forms the city's western border.
Government
The governing body consists of a city manager, an assistant borough manager and eight council members (two from each ward) who are voted into office by the citizens of the borough.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 9,405 people, 3,869 households, and 2,634 families residing in the city. 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 3,619.1 people per square mile (1,396.7/km²). There were 4,023 housing units at an average density of 1,548.1 per square mile (597.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.21% White, 0.35% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.39% 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 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.74% of the population.
There were 3,869 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $40,982, and the median income for a family was $49,482. Males had a median income of $37,033 versus $26,422 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 $19,516. About 1.3% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
History
Northampton was once a global center for the manufacturing of cementCement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
. The Atlas Portland Cement Company was based there, until it was closed in 1982, due largely to foreign competition. Northampton was created from the villages of Siegfried, Newport and Stemton, which together were formed into an alliance in 1902. In 1909, Atlas petitioned county courts to change the alliance into a borough, reportedly because the change would make it easier for the company to send and receive mail. The Atlas Portland Cement Company plant closed in 1982, but city residents many of them former Atlas employees or their descendants — still identify strongly with the company and its history. The Atlas Portland Cement Company supplied most of the cement used in the building of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
.
Historical community events included the Northampton Jack Frost Parade every November, celebrating the onset of winter and including marching bands and floats.
Another event that occurred during the 1940s and 1950s was the Northampton County Fair, which was held every year and was spread out across the Lappawinzo Fish & Game Club property North of Northampton (off the Kreidersville Road). There were huge numbers of vendor stands, fair rides, animals, shows/performances, 4-H Club judgings, as well as Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey shows. Visitors came from all over the East Coast during the two-week event and hourly buses ran from downtown Northampton and nearby cities to the Fair.
Part of the opening sequence of the 1992 film School Ties
School Ties
School Ties is a 1992 film directed by Robert Mandel starring Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris O'Donnell, Cole Hauser, Randall Batinkoff, and Anthony Rapp....
was filmed in downtown Northampton due to the town's preservation of older buildings, which fit with the 1950s setting of the film.