Lititz 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 Ag ...
in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County (; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder Kaundi), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the south central part of Pennsylvania. ...
, United States, north of the city of
Lancaster. As of the
2020 census, it had a population of 9,370.
History
![LititzStreetScene](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/LititzStreetScene.jpg)
Lititz was founded by members of the
Moravian Church
The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...
in 1756 and was named after
a castle in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
near the village of
Kunvald
Kunvald (german: Kunewalde, Kunwald) is a market town in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Villages of Bubnov, Končiny, Kunačice, Záhory and Zaječiny ...
where the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church had been founded in 1457. The roots of the Moravian Brethren's Church date back to the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church. It was one of the four leading Moravian communities in the
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...
(
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
,
Emmaus
Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...
and
Nazareth
Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
, each in Pennsylvania, were the three others).
For a century, only Moravians were permitted to live in Lititz. Until the middle of the 19th century, only members of the congregation could own houses; others were required to lease. The lease system was abolished in 1855, just five years before the beginning of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. More information can be found in the book ''A Brief History of Lititz Pennsylvania'' by Mary Augusta Huevener, published in 1947.
During a part of the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, the Brethren's House, built in 1759, was used as a hospital. A number of soldiers died and were buried here. Lititz is also home to Linden Hall School, the oldest all-girls boarding school in the United States. Located adjacent to the Moravian Church on of land, Linden Hall School was founded by the Moravians in 1746, a decade before the borough was incorporated.
Geography
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 , of which , or 0.13%, are water.
Lititz Run flows through the downtown from Lititz Springs Park toward the
Conestoga River
The Conestoga River, also referred to as Conestoga Creek, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River flowing through the cente ...
, to the southeast.
Lititz has a hot-summer
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Dfa'') and average monthly temperatures range from 30.1 °F in January to 74.7 °F in July
The local
hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
is 6b.
Demographics
As of the census
of 2000, there were 9,029 people, 3,732 households, and 2,407 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,827 housing units at an average density of 1,646.2 per square mile (636.9/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.23%
White
White is the 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.44%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.09%
Native American, 0.87%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.50% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.83% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.52% of the population.
There were 3,732 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $40,417, and the median income for a family was $52,028. Males had a median income of $36,126 versus $25,997 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,601. About 2.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Lititz-based Woodstream manufactures
mousetrap
A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch and, usually, kill mice. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. Larger traps are designed to catch other s ...
s under the Victor brand name. Mousetraps have been produced in Lititz since 1899.
Rock Lititz, a company specializing in rock concert production, is headquartered and has a show production stage in Lititz. The facility attracts international artists and supports music production suppliers in the area.
Arts and culture
Annual events include:
*
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
event, founded in 1813, which includes a Queen of Candles Pageant and fireworks.
* summer art show.
* microbrewery festival.
* Fire and Ice Festival each February, featuring food trucks, entertainment and ice carvings.
The Lititz Public Library is a member of the
Library System of Lancaster County
The Library System of Lancaster County (LSLC) is a federated system, which serves 519,462 residents in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is made up of a consortia of 14 member libraries, two branches and a bookmobile. LSLC was established in A ...
.
Museums and historic sites
*Gravesite of
John A. Sutter
John Augustus Sutter (February 23, 1803 – June 18, 1880), born Johann August Sutter and known in Spanish as Don Juan Sutter, was a Swiss immigrant of Mexican and American citizenship, known for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area th ...
*Heritage Map Museum
*Johannes Mueller House
*
Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
The Sturgis Pretzel House of Lititz, Pennsylvania, founded in 1861, is the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the United States. The Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery remains active in pretzel production and is a tourist attraction.
History
In 185 ...
*Lititz Springs Park
*
Wilbur Chocolate Factory and Candy Americana Museum
*
John Beck's Boys Academy
Lititz Academy for Boys was a highly esteemed nineteenth century boarding school in the Moravian village of Lititz, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It drew students from throughout the eastern U.S. and even from Canada, the Caribbean and Europe. ...
*
Johann Agust Sutter House
*
William Werner House
William Werner House is a historic home located at Lititz, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1762, and is a -story, four bay frame dwelling on a stone foundation. It has a steep gable roof and is in the Georgian style. It measure ...
*
Lititz Moravian Historic District
The Lititz Moravian Historic District is a national historic district that is located in Lititz, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
History and architectural features
This dist ...
Government
![Ralph Miller has guarded the Lititz water works for sixteen years,8d10756v](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Ralph_Miller_has_guarded_the_Lititz_water_works_for_sixteen_years%2C8d10756v.jpg)
*Mayor: Timothy R. Snyder (R)
*Borough Manager: Sue Ann Barry
*Borough Council
**Shane Weaver, President
**J. Andrew Greiner
**Stephen Lee
**Christine Sensenich
**Ken Mobley
**David Brubaker
Education
Lititz, along with Elizabeth and Warwick townships and part of Penn Township, is located in the
Warwick School District
Warwick School District is located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In t ...
. Schools located in Lititz include:
*
Warwick High School
*Warwick Middle School
*Lititz Elementary School (at former site of K-12 Lititz High School; serves the central and northern part of Lititz borough and western Warwick township out to Penn township and its border with Manheim Central School District)
*John Beck Elementary School (founded independently of the district and incorporated; serves the northern part of Warwick township and Elizabeth township)
*John R. Bonfield Elementary School (serves the eastern part of the school district, including the outskirts of Lititz borough and Warwick township)
*Kissel Hill Elementary School (serves the southern part of Lititz borough and Warwick township south to the Manheim Township line)
*
Linden Hall School for Girls (the oldest all-girls private school in the country)
Infrastructure
Transportation
Pennsylvania Routes
772
__NOTOC__
Year 772 (Roman numerals, DCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 772 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Do ...
(West Orange and East Main streets) and
501
__NOTOC__
Year 501 ( DI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Avienus and Pompeius (or, less frequently, year 1254 '' Ab u ...
(Broad Street) run through Lititz.
The
Reading and Columbia Railroad
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spellin ...
operated passenger service through downtown Lititz until 1952.
Norfolk Southern
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the ...
continues to operate freight service to Lancaster, while the line between Lititz and
Ephrata Ephrata may refer to:
Places
* Ephrata, Suriname
* Ephrata, Pennsylvania, U.S.
*Ephrata, Washington, U.S.
* Ephrata Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other uses
*Ephrata Cloister, a religious community in Ephrata, Pennsylvania
See also
*
* Efrata or E ...
has been converted into a
rail trail
A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...
. A replica of the Lititz Depot was constructed at its former location in Lititz Springs Park in 1999, along with a small museum in a Reading
caboose
A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, damag ...
.
Bus service in Lititz is provided by
Red Rose Transit
The Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) is a transit agency serving Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. RRTA is headquartered in downtown Lancaster. The South Central Transit Authority owns RRTA and the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority ...
Route 10,
the successor of the
Conestoga Traction Company
Conestoga Traction, later Conestoga Transportation Company, was a classic American regional interurban trolley that operated seven routes 1899 to 1946 radiating spoke-like from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to numerous neighboring farm villages and to ...
trolley line to Lancaster along the Lititz Pike.
Notable people
*
John Fass (1890–1973), book designer, printer, photographer
*
Matt Greiner
Matt Greiner, born Matthew Wilson Greiner, is an American metalcore drummer. He's most well known as a founding member for the band August Burns Red. Greiner was homeschooled as a child. Greiner cofounded the drum company ''Greiner&Kilmer'' wit ...
,
metalcore
Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
drummer for
August Burns Red
August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's current lineup consists of lead guitarist John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Ja ...
*
Mary Penry
Mary Penry (12 November 1735 — 17 May 1804) was a Welsh-born woman in colonial Pennsylvania. As a longtime member of the Moravian community at Lititz, she served as "diarist, accountant and guide" for the single sisters' house.Scott Paul Gordon ...
(1735–1804), Moravian sister
*
Richard A. Snyder
Richard A. Snyder (March 26, 1910 – June 17, 1992) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 13th district from 1961 to 1984.
Early life and education
Snyder was b ...
(1910–1992), Pennsylvania state senator
*
Johann August Sutter (1803–1880), pioneer of California
*
Louise Adeline Weitzel
Louise Adeline Weitzel (December 2, 1862 – May 6, 1934) was an American writer of German descent. She was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Her family moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania while she was still young.
Given the socio-cultural context in whi ...
(1862–1934), poet
*
Joey Welz
Joseph W. Welz (born Welzant, March 17, 1940) is an American musician best known for his tenure as pianist with Bill Haley & His Comets.
Early life and education
Welz was born in Baltimore to Melba Welzant, a teacher and concert pianist, and J ...
(born 1940), musician; former pianist for
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band founded in 1947 that continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...
*
Andrew Wenger
James Andrew Wenger (born December 25, 1990) is an American former professional soccer player who played for eight seasons in Major League Soccer.
College and amateur career
Wenger made an immediate impact in his first year at Duke University. ...
(born 1990),
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top men's and women's college soccer players.
History
In 1967, Bob Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the ...
winner and professional soccer player for the
Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Union compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the club began playing in 201 ...
Sister city
A
sister city
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship between Lititz and
Kunvald
Kunvald (german: Kunewalde, Kunwald) is a market town in Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Villages of Bubnov, Končiny, Kunačice, Záhory and Zaječiny ...
(
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
) was established on June 11, 2006, during the celebration of the 250th anniversary naming of Lititz. The ceremony took place in Lititz Springs Park. Their Pennsylvania sister city is
Emmaus
Emmaus (; Greek: Ἐμμαούς, ''Emmaous''; la, Emmaus; , ''Emmaom''; ar, عمواس, ''ʻImwas'') is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before tw ...
in
Lehigh County.
See also
*
Lititz Watch Technicum
The Lititz Watch Technicum is a watchmaking school located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The school, founded by Rolex in 2001, was created to help make up for the deficiency of skilled watchmakers in the US.
The Technicum offers a two-year, 3000+ hou ...
*
The Hess Homestead
The Hess Homestead, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a historic Mennonite farmstead near the town of Lititz. The property is an ancestral home of the Hess family, who purchased the land from William Penn's sons in 1735.
The primary buildin ...
References
Further reading
* ''Moravian Historical Society Transactions'', volume ii, (Bethlehem, Pa.)
* Mombert, ''An Authentic History of Lancaster County, Pa.'', (Lancaster, 1869)
External links
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1710
History of the America (North) Province of the Moravian Church
Boroughs in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Moravian settlement in Pennsylvania
1756 establishments in Pennsylvania