Cressona is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

in Schuylkill County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Formed in 1857 from part of North Manheim Township, it was founded by and named for John Chapman Cresson, a

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

civil engineer and manager of the Schuylkill Navigation Company, president of the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven Railroad, and the chief engineer of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia.

History

Until the Mine Hill Road was built in Cressona, the borough remained mostly wilderness, with some minor agricultural areas. In 1831, the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Railroad was completed, and the tracks went through Cressona. The borough was historically called West Haven, but the name was changed to Cressona. The borough was incorporated on February 2, 1857.

Geography

Cressona is located at (40.630214, −76.193003). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the borough has a total area of , all land. Cressona is four miles south of Pottsville and is served by state routes 61,

183 Year 183 ( CLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 936 '' Ab ur ...

and 901. The

West Branch Schuylkill River The West Branch Schuylkill River (also known simply as the West Branch) is an approximately tributary of the Schuylkill River in central Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, USA, with a watershed approximately in size. Several small communities are ...

flows through Cressona. Cressona is in the

Coal Region The Coal Region is a region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is known for being home to the largest known deposits of anthracite coal in the world with an estimated reserve of seven billion short tons. The region is typically defined as compri ...

of Pennsylvania.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 1,635 people, 663 households, and 468 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,600.3 people per square mile (618.9/km²). There were 711 housing units at an average density of 695.9 per square mile (269.1/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the borough was 98.53% White, 0.06% African American, 0.92% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.18%. Of the 663 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.4% of households were one person, and 12.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.95. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males. The median household income was $39,783 and the median family income was $42,292. Males had a median income of $33,807 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,285. About 1.3% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

William Joseph Hammer William Joseph Hammer (February 26, 1858 – March 24, 1934) was an American pioneer electrical engineer, aviator, and president of the Edison Pioneers. Biography He was born in Cressona, Pennsylvania on February 26, 1858 to William Hammer (1827 ...

, electrical engineer and associate of

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...

Gallery

File:Hubert Inn, Cressona PA.JPG, Hubert Inn on Pottsville St. File:St Mark's UCC, Cressona PA.JPG, St. Mark's UCC. File:Post Office, Cressona PA.JPG, Cressona Post Office. File:Cressona Borough Hall, Schuylkill Co PA.JPG, Borough Hall. File:Sapa Extrusions in Cressona, PA 01.JPG, Sapa Extrusions facility in Cressona.

References

External links

{{authority control 1857 establishments in Pennsylvania 1847 establishments in Pennsylvania Boroughs in Pennsylvania Boroughs in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1847