Spring Grove, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Spring Grove is a borough in York County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 2,167 at the 2010 census.
, midway between York
and Hanover
, by a surveyor
for the Penns. Its growth since that time falls into two periods, each lasting approximately 100 years. The first witnessed development of the borough as an iron-making center. The second, which extends to the present day, is as a papermaking
center. The businesses of both periods have relied on certain natural resource
s of the area.
Originally, Spring Grove was a part of Paradise Township and was contained within the boundaries of Lancaster County
. York County was formed in 1749 and Jackson Township
, including Spring Grove, in 1853. The residents of the community petitioned the County Court in 1882 for incorporation as a borough, and in August of that year their petition was granted. Since that time, the borough has grown in area as a result of annexation
of the surrounding land, the largest annexation having taken place in 1953.
In the 1770s, attracted by the presence of water, iron ore and wood for charcoal
in the Pigeon Hills, an iron manufacturer established a forge
at "Spring Forge". It is known as Spring Grove. The early German and English woodchoppers who flocked to this first Pennsylvania iron industry west of the Susquehanna River
were the forbears of today's community. By the mid-19th century, the manufacturing of iron had grown to a point where almost 200 short tons (181,436.9 kg) of iron bar were produced locally each year.
By 1851, however, the iron business had been suspended, and its buildings were converted to the manufacturing of paper. Once again local resources, wood and water, were largely responsible for the location of this industry in the Spring Grove area. Thirteen years later, the plant was purchased by P. H. Glatfelter for $14,000.
Other basic industries, such as brick-making and the manufacture of explosives, have from time to time established themselves in the borough. None, however, have remained as long nor have been as successful as the paper mill. Since 1865, the growth of the borough has reflected growth of the Glatfelter Paper Mill.
currently operates three primary schools, an intermediate school, a middle school, and one secondary school in the Spring Grove area. The high school is called Spring Grove Area High School
. A new high school was recently built closer to the middle and intermediate schools. The high school opened in 2008, and the 2009 class was the first class to graduate from the new high school.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,050 people, 817 households, and 570 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 2,698.1 people per square mile (1,041.5/km²). There were 848 housing units at an average density of 1,116.1 per square mile (430.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.56% White, 0.20% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.83% from other races
, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.66% of the population.
There were 817 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $42,609, and the median income for a family was $52,228. Males had a median income of $36,842 versus $25,714 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $20,124. About 2.9% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Spring Grove is home to the Glatfelter paper mill, established in 1865.
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
, 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...
. The population was 2,167 at the 2010 census.
History
The site of Spring Grove was laid out in 1747 on the banks of Codorus CreekCodorus Creek
Codorus Creek is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in York County, Pennsylvania in the United States.-Course:Codorus Creek rises on Beecher Hill in Manheim Township, just north of the Pennsylvania-Maryland line and the town of Lineboro, Maryland...
, midway between York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
and Hanover
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
, by a surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
for the Penns. Its growth since that time falls into two periods, each lasting approximately 100 years. The first witnessed development of the borough as an iron-making center. The second, which extends to the present day, is as a papermaking
Papermaking
Papermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
center. The businesses of both periods have relied on certain natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s of the area.
Originally, Spring Grove was a part of Paradise Township and was contained within the boundaries of Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
. York County was formed in 1749 and Jackson Township
Jackson Township, York County, Pennsylvania
Jackson Township is a township in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,494 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1853 from parts of Paradise Township.-Geography:...
, including Spring Grove, in 1853. The residents of the community petitioned the County Court in 1882 for incorporation as a borough, and in August of that year their petition was granted. Since that time, the borough has grown in area as a result of annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of the surrounding land, the largest annexation having taken place in 1953.
In the 1770s, attracted by the presence of water, iron ore and wood for charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
in the Pigeon Hills, an iron manufacturer established a forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
at "Spring Forge". It is known as Spring Grove. The early German and English woodchoppers who flocked to this first Pennsylvania iron industry west of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
were the forbears of today's community. By the mid-19th century, the manufacturing of iron had grown to a point where almost 200 short tons (181,436.9 kg) of iron bar were produced locally each year.
By 1851, however, the iron business had been suspended, and its buildings were converted to the manufacturing of paper. Once again local resources, wood and water, were largely responsible for the location of this industry in the Spring Grove area. Thirteen years later, the plant was purchased by P. H. Glatfelter for $14,000.
Other basic industries, such as brick-making and the manufacture of explosives, have from time to time established themselves in the borough. None, however, have remained as long nor have been as successful as the paper mill. Since 1865, the growth of the borough has reflected growth of the Glatfelter Paper Mill.
Education
Spring Grove Area School DistrictSpring Grove Area School District
Spring Grove Area School District is located at 100 East College Avenue in Spring Grove, York County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses approximately 96 square miles. According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 24,401...
currently operates three primary schools, an intermediate school, a middle school, and one secondary school in the Spring Grove area. The high school is called Spring Grove Area High School
Spring Grove Area High School
Spring Grove Area High School is currently the only secondary school within the Spring Grove Area School District, and is located in Spring Grove, York County, Pennsylvania. AP classes are a recent addition to Spring Grove's offered curriculum....
. A new high school was recently built closer to the middle and intermediate schools. The high school opened in 2008, and the 2009 class was the first class to graduate from the new high school.
Geography
Spring Grove is located at 39°52′37"N 76°51′56"W (39.876827, -76.865536).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 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
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 2,050 people, 817 households, and 570 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 2,698.1 people per square mile (1,041.5/km²). There were 848 housing units at an average density of 1,116.1 per square mile (430.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.56% White, 0.20% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.83% 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 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.66% of the population.
There were 817 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% 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, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $42,609, and the median income for a family was $52,228. Males had a median income of $36,842 versus $25,714 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 $20,124. About 2.9% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Spring Grove is home to the Glatfelter paper mill, established in 1865.
External links
- Spring Grove travel guide from WikitravelWikitravel-External links:* *...