Rose Point, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Rose Point is an unincorporated community
in east central Slippery Rock Township
, Lawrence County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
, very close to the Butler County
line. Founded approximately 200 years ago, the community lies in a rural yet formerly industrial region of fields and broken terrain.
at its intersection with Rose Point Road, along the gorge of the Slippery Rock Creek
. Located east of the city of New Castle
, the county seat
of Lawrence County, the community sits approximately midway between New Castle and Butler
. It lies near two of U.S. 422's significant intersections: with U.S. Route 19
, about 1 mile (1.6 km) away, and with Interstate 79
, about 3 miles (5 km) away. In the vicinity of Rose Point are multiple state parks: Moraine State Park
, including the large Lake Arthur, is located to the east not far past Interstate 79, while McConnells Mill State Park
sits on the opposite side of U.S. 422.
and low levels of magnesium carbonate
and silica
. Hydrocarbons were originally prevalent in the township: significant coal
beds of fine quality were found throughout the area, and oil well
s were drilled in hopes of reaching the edge of the Venango County
-centered oil fields. Seen most clearly in the deep and broken gorge of the Slippery Rock Creek is the karst topography
of the region around Rose Point, which also includes significant cave complexes. Leading among the caves in the area is the Harlansburg Cave, Pennsylvania's longest cave, which has been reported to extend from Harlansburg
(eleven miles away) to Rose Point. Smaller caves such as the Rose Point Cave also exist in the area, parallel to the Harlansburg Cave; all these caves are believed to have been formed by stream water forced underground during wetter times of the year, causing their passages to be maze-like rather than linear.
, who arrived in 1804. Wigle was the first of many to harness the power of the Slippery Rock Creek, building a gristmill
and a sawmill
on its banks in about 1825; although Wigle's mill was destroyed by water, another mill (later abandoned) was built shortly before 1850, and the still-preserved McConnells Mill is just 2 miles (3 km) downstream. Various businesses were established in the community, including a hotel, blacksmiths'
and cobblers'
shops, and multiple stores. Two churches were established in the community: one Reformed Presbyterian
(which still exists), and one Roman Catholic
. Slippery Rock Township's natural resources were exploited in Rose Point, with iron furnace
s being built to use locally-produced iron ore, coal, and limestone
. Of these two, the Willie Roy or Wilroy Furnace, built in 1854, has been recognized as a Pennsylvania state historic location. Public services were also introduced to the community: a post office was opened in the 1850s, and a village school was established in the early 1860s. Dates given for the establishment of the Rose Point post office vary from 1852 to 1858; regardless of the date of its establishment, the post office operated until disestablishment in 1933. Today, Rose Point addresses are served by the New Castle ZIP code
, 16101. While the community has long been known only as Rose Point, it also bore the name of "Stonetown" for a time in its early history; the post office, however, was always named Rose Point.
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...
in east central Slippery Rock Township
Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock Township is a township in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,179 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Lawrence County
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania
Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 91,108. The county was added to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2003. The county seat is New Castle....
, 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...
, very close to the Butler County
Butler County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile . There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile...
line. Founded approximately 200 years ago, the community lies in a rural yet formerly industrial region of fields and broken terrain.
Geography
Rose Point's elevation is 1,106 feet (337 m). It lies on the northern side of U.S. Route 422U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...
at its intersection with Rose Point Road, along the gorge of the Slippery Rock Creek
Slippery Rock Creek
Slippery Rock Creek is a small stream in Western Pennsylvania, a tributary of Connoquenessing Creek. From its source in Hilliards in Butler County, it flows through McConnells Mill State Park before flowing into the Connoquenessing in Ellwood City. Then, the Connoquenessing flows into the Beaver...
. Located east of the city of New Castle
New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lawrence County, the community sits approximately midway between New Castle and Butler
Butler, Pennsylvania
The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. It lies near two of U.S. 422's significant intersections: with U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 19 is a north–south U.S. Highway. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie....
, about 1 mile (1.6 km) away, and with Interstate 79
Interstate 79
Interstate 79 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States, designated from Interstate 77 in Charleston, West Virginia to Pennsylvania Route 5 and Pennsylvania Route 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania...
, about 3 miles (5 km) away. In the vicinity of Rose Point are multiple state parks: Moraine State Park
Moraine State Park
Moraine State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Brady, Clay, Franklin, Muddy Creek, and Worth townships in Butler County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The main feature of the park is its man-made lake, Lake Arthur, formed by impounding Muddy Creek, which is and is used for...
, including the large Lake Arthur, is located to the east not far past Interstate 79, while McConnells Mill State Park
McConnells Mill State Park
McConnells Mill State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Perry and Slippery Rock Townships, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park features a deep scenic gorge with the restored watermill and a covered bridge at the bottom, accessible by a roadway that winds between large,...
sits on the opposite side of U.S. 422.
Geology
The bedrock around Rose Point is primarily the soft rock of the large Vanport Limestone layer, which has a 93.6% content of calcium carbonateCalcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
and low levels of magnesium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate, MgCO3, is a white solid that occurs in nature as a mineral. Several hydrated and basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals...
and silica
Silicon dioxide
The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica , is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula '. It has been known for its hardness since antiquity...
. Hydrocarbons were originally prevalent in the township: significant coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
beds of fine quality were found throughout the area, and oil well
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
s were drilled in hopes of reaching the edge of the Venango County
Venango County, Pennsylvania
Venango County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,984. Its county seat is Franklin.-History:Venango County was created on March 12, 1800 from parts of Allegheny and Lycoming Counties...
-centered oil fields. Seen most clearly in the deep and broken gorge of the Slippery Rock Creek is the karst topography
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
of the region around Rose Point, which also includes significant cave complexes. Leading among the caves in the area is the Harlansburg Cave, Pennsylvania's longest cave, which has been reported to extend from Harlansburg
Harlansburg, Pennsylvania
Harlansburg is a community eight miles east of the city of New Castle in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.The community is the home of the Harlansburg Station Transportation Museum and the Harlansburg cave, reputedly the longest cave in Pennsylvania....
(eleven miles away) to Rose Point. Smaller caves such as the Rose Point Cave also exist in the area, parallel to the Harlansburg Cave; all these caves are believed to have been formed by stream water forced underground during wetter times of the year, causing their passages to be maze-like rather than linear.
History
The first settler in the Rose Point vicinity were Abraham Wigle and Samuel Stickle of Westmoreland CountyWestmoreland 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...
, who arrived in 1804. Wigle was the first of many to harness the power of the Slippery Rock Creek, building a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
on its banks in about 1825; although Wigle's mill was destroyed by water, another mill (later abandoned) was built shortly before 1850, and the still-preserved McConnells Mill is just 2 miles (3 km) downstream. Various businesses were established in the community, including a hotel, blacksmiths'
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
and cobblers'
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
shops, and multiple stores. Two churches were established in the community: one Reformed Presbyterian
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America , a Christian church, is a small Presbyterian denomination with churches throughout the United States, in southeastern Canada, and in a small part of Japan. Its beliefs place it in the conservative wing of the Reformed family of Protestant churches...
(which still exists), and one Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Slippery Rock Township's natural resources were exploited in Rose Point, with iron furnace
Furnace
A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
s being built to use locally-produced iron ore, coal, and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. Of these two, the Willie Roy or Wilroy Furnace, built in 1854, has been recognized as a Pennsylvania state historic location. Public services were also introduced to the community: a post office was opened in the 1850s, and a village school was established in the early 1860s. Dates given for the establishment of the Rose Point post office vary from 1852 to 1858; regardless of the date of its establishment, the post office operated until disestablishment in 1933. Today, Rose Point addresses are served by the New Castle 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...
, 16101. While the community has long been known only as Rose Point, it also bore the name of "Stonetown" for a time in its early history; the post office, however, was always named Rose Point.
External links
- [ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/lawrence_GHSN.PDF Detailed Lawrence County map]
- Township and community history