Duncannon 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 ...

Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States *Perry County, Alabama *Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois *Perry County, Indiana *Perry County, Kentucky *Perry County, Mississippi *Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio *Perry Coun ...

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, Ma ...

, United States. The population was 1,473 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

–

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers Eden, Caldew and Petteril. It is the administrative centre of the City ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. The

center of population In demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to different geogr ...

of Pennsylvania is located in Duncannon. Lightning Guider Sleds were manufactured in Duncannon from 1904 until 1988. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

makes its way through the town, going on various streets, and runs mainly along North High Street. It comes off the mountain at 40.3813, -77.0292 lat/long, onto Inn Road.

History

Duncannon was originally called Petersburg, and under the latter name was laid out in 1792. The present name is derived from Duncan's Island in the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

. The Puritan missionary

David Brainerd David Brainerd (April 20, 1718October 9, 1747) was an American Presbyterian minister and missionary to the Native Americans among the Delaware Indians of New Jersey. Missionaries such as William Carey and Jim Elliot, and Brainerd's cousin, t ...

visited the area in the 1740s. In his journal he describes his trip on the Susquehanna and his brief stay with an Indian tribe on Duncan's Island, across the river from present-day Duncannon. The Mutzabaugh family has close connection to the town, as their market (now grocery store) named after the family has been a presence in the town since 1920, opening originally along the old railroad crossing between Market Square and High Street.

Geography

Duncannon is located at (40.393986, -77.028891). According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the borough has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 1,508 people, 667 households, and 386 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 3,566.5 people per square mile (1,386.3/km²). There were 714 housing units at an average density of 1,688.7 per square mile (656.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.28%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.53%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.07% Asian, 0.73% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population. There were 667 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.94. In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $33,000, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $31,643 versus $21,477 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the borough was $15,883. About 6.2% of families and 8.5% 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 ...

, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

On S. Market Street, there is a mural with various artistic depictions of life and scenery in Duncannon, the entire area that is Perry County, Pennsylvania as a whole, and even of the entire United States. A high percentage of the population is Christian, and many churches are in Duncannon, including a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, UCOC, Assembly of God,

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

, and Church of God. Many other churches, including multiple Methodist churches, are a few miles away.

Notable people

Marie Doro Marie Doro (born Marie Katherine Stewart; May 25, 1882 – October 9, 1956) was an American stage and film actress of the early silent film era. She was first noticed as a chorus-girl by impresario Charles Frohman, who took her to Broadway, whe ...

, silent screen actress *

Mollie Woods Hare Mollie Woods Hare (August 30, 1881 – January 19, 1956) was an American educator. In 1913, she founded the Woods Schools in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, serving students with intellectual disabilities. Early life Mollie Ainscow Woods was born i ...

, educator * William J. Kirkpatrick, musician, composer of Christian hymns *

Amanda Clark Amanda Clark (born March 26, 1982) is an American sports sailor. She was born in Southampton, New York. In 2002, Clark won the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded National Championship in 2002. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, P ...

, actress, reality TV star The Traitors

Gallery

File:Duncannon Depot (4877227326).jpg, Former Duncannon train depot File:Duncannon mural.jpg, A mural in downtown File:CR 6363 at Duncannon. PA November 11, 1987 (22814558006).jpg, A train passing through Duncannon File:Duncannon sign with historic name "Petersburg".jpg, A historical name marker File:Duncannon, Pennsylvania (4876619019).jpg, A view of a crossroads

References

External links

{{authority control Pennsylvania populated places on the Susquehanna River Populated places established in 1792 Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area Boroughs in Perry County, Pennsylvania 1844 establishments in Pennsylvania