Lawrence County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the Commonwealth of

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, ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,070. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is New Castle. Lawrence County comprises the entire New Castle, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the larger Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-WV-OH Combined Statistical Area.

History

Lawrence County was created on March 20, 1849, from parts of

Beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

and

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...

counties due to the rapid growth of New Castle, which was primarily in Mercer County but was rapidly expanding into Beaver County. The former borders between Beaver and Mercer Counties are still evident in Lawrence County today, as the northern borders of North Beaver Township, Shenango Township, and Slippery Rock Township with (respectively) the southern borders of Mahoning Township, Hickory Township, and Scott Township make up the former boundaries between Beaver and Mercer Counties. In addition, County Line Road in New Castle where the Lawrence County Courthouse is located also marks the former boundaries. The county was named after the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was an American naval commander, born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. The best-known and most prominent member of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace Ale ...

, the USS ''Lawrence'', which was disabled in the 10 September 1813

Battle of Lake Erie The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, on Lake Erie off the shore of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of the Briti ...

during the War of 1812. The ship's complement included local raw recruits. That niagara-class

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

(more correctly:

snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

) was itself a namesake, of Perry's friend and naval officer

James Lawrence James Lawrence (October 1, 1781 – June 4, 1813) was an officer of the United States Navy. During the War of 1812, he commanded in a single-ship action against , commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words, ...

, who died during the War of 1812.

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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.3%) is water. Major waterways are the Shenango River, Neshannock Creek and the Mahoning River which form the Beaver River. Also, the Slippery Rock Creek and Connoquenessing Creak empty into the Beaver River. It has a

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''/''Dfb'') and average monthly temperatures in New Castle range from 27.7 °F in January to 72.2 °F in July

Adjacent counties

* Mercer County, Pennsylvania, Mercer County (north) * Butler County (east) * Beaver County (south) * Columbiana County, Ohio (southwest) *

Mahoning County, Ohio Mahoning County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 228,614. Its county seat and largest city is Youngstown, Ohio, Youngstown. The county is List of ...

(west)

Demographics

As of the 2000 census there were 94,643 people, 37,091 households, and 25,889 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 263 people per square mile (101/km²). There were 39,635 housing units at an average density of 110 per square mile (42/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.98%

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 ...

, 3.61%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, 0.27%

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 ...

, 0.01%

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 ...

, 0.19% 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 0.84% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were

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 ...

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. 34.2%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

, 14.6% were of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, 12.4%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 9.0%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 8.1%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and 6.8% Scotch-Irish, 2.5%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

, and 1.9%

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

ancestry. There were 37,091 households, out of which 28.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.50% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.10% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 19.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.90 males.

2020 Census

Micropolitan Statistical Area

The

United States Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, pol ...

has designated Lawrence County as the New Castle, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. Census the micropolitan area ranked 3rd most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 48th most populous in the United States with a population of 91,108. Lawrence County is also a part of the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the population of Lawrence, as well as the Allegheny,

Armstrong Armstrong may refer to: Places * Armstrong Creek (disambiguation), various places Antarctica * Armstrong Reef, Biscoe Islands Argentina * Armstrong, Santa Fe Australia * Armstrong, Victoria Canada * Armstrong, British Columbia * Armstrong ...

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

, Fayette,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

and Westmoreland county areas in Pennsylvania. In

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

the counties included are Brooke and

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

. And in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, Jefferson County. The

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

ranked 4th in the State of Pennsylvania and 20th most populous in the United States with a population of 2,660,727.

Government and politics

As of February 21, 2022, there are 55,823 registered voters in Lawrence County. *

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

: 26,478 (47.43%) * Democratic : 22,567 (40.43%) *

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

: 4,564 (8.18%) *

Third Party Third party may refer to: Business * Third-party source, a supplier company not owned by the buyer or seller * Third-party beneficiary, a person who could sue on a contract, despite not being an active party * Third-party insurance, such as a V ...

: 2,214 (3.97%)

County commissioners

* Morgan Boyd, Chairman, Republican * Dan Vogler, Republican * Loretta Spielvogel, Democrat

Other county officials

* Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary, Jodi Esoldo, Democrat * Controller, David Gettings, Republican * District Attorney, Joshua Lamancusa, Democrat * Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, Janet Kalajainen, Democrat * Sheriff, Perry Quahliero, Democrat * Treasurer, Richard Rapone, Democrat * Coroner, Richard Johnson, Democrat

State House of Representatives

Christopher Sainato Christopher Sainato (born May 8, 1959) is an American politician who represented the 9th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1995 to 2022. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Early life and education Sainato was born ...

, Democrat, 9th district *

Aaron Bernstine Aaron Joseph Bernstine (born July 2, 1984) is an American politician and current representative for the 8th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party, having previously represented the 10th D ...

, Republican, 10th district *

Parke Wentling Parke H. Wentling (born ) is an American politician and current member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 7th District since 2023. A Republican, Wentling previously represented the 17th District from 2015 until 2022 ...

, Republican, 17th district

State Senators

Elder Vogel Elder Vogel, Jr. (born July 9, 1956) is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He has represented the 47th district since 2009. Professional career Vogel is a fourth generation dairy farmer who operates his family's farm in Ne ...

, Republican, 47th district

United States House of Representatives

* Mike Kelly, Republican, 16th district

United States Senate

Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator for Pennsylvania since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. representat ...

Bob Casey, Jr. Robert Patrick Casey Jr. (born April 13, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Pennsylvania, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, Casey previously served as Pe ...

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Education

Colleges

Butler Community College
Lawrence Crossing Campus * Westminster College - New Wilmington

Public school districts

Blackhawk School District The Blackhawk School District is a tiny, rural public school district that spans portions of two counties in Pennsylvania, United States. Blackhawk School District encompasses approximately . In Beaver County it covers the boroughs of Darlingt ...

(part) *

Ellwood City Area School District The Elwood City Area School District (ECASD) is a diminutive, suburban, public school district located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. It serves the boroughs of Ellwood City, Ellport, and New Beaver, and th ...

(part) * Laurel School District *

Mohawk Area School District Mohawk Area School District is a rural, public school system in Bessemer, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. Mohawk Area School District encompasses approximately . It is the largest school district in Lawrence County by area, serving ...

* Neshannock Township School District *

New Castle Area School District New Castle Area School District is a public school district located in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The district serves the city of New Castle and Taylor Township. New Castle Area School District encompasses approximately . According to 2017 ...

* Shenango School District *

Union Area School District Union Area School District is a diminutive, suburban public school district located in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The Union Area School District encompasses approximately . The District serves Union Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania ...

Wilmington Area School District Wilmington Area School District is a public school district located in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The district serves the boroughs of New Wilmington and Volant plus Pulaski, Wilmington, Washington Washin ...

(part)

Tech schools

* Lawrence County Career Technology Center - New Castle * New Castle School of Trades - New Castle

Private schools

* Apple Grove School - New Wilmington * Cherry Hill School - New Wilmington * Cotton School - New Wilmington * Ellwood City Children's Center, Inc. * Faith Country Chapel Preschool and Kindergarten - New Castle * Fayette School - Volant * Hillside Parochial School - New Wilmington * Indian Run School - New Wilmington * J R Wilson School - New Wilmington * Ligo School - New Wilmington * Little Beaver Parochial School - Enon Valley * Lusk School - Volant * Meadow Lark School - New Wilmington * New Castle Christian Academy - New Castle * Parents Preschool Ellwood City * Shepherd School - Volant * St Vitus Catholic School - New Castle * Thorn Hill School - Volant * Westminster Preschool - New Wilmington Per data provided at Pennsylvania EdNA

Libraries

* Ellwood City Area Public Library * F D Campbell Memorial Library - Bessemer * Lawrence County Federated Library System - New Castle * New Castle Public Library

Transportation

Airports

* New Castle Municipal Airport

Public transit

* New Castle Area Transit Authority

Major roads and highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Recreation

Parks

Cascade Park
(New Castle)

(Ellwood City) * Gaston Park (New Castle) * McConnells Mill State Park (Slippery Rock Twp) * Pearson Park (Neshannock Twp)
West Park Nature Center
(Union Twp) * Marti Park * New Wilmington Borough Park

State Game Lands

* SGL 148 (New Beaver) * SGL 150 (Pulaski Twp) * SGL 151 (Washington Twp) * SGL 178 (Neshannock Twp) * SGL 216 (Scott Twp)

Trails

North Country Trail The North Country National Scenic Trail, generally known as the North Country Trail or simply the NCT, is a footpath stretching over from Middlebury in central Vermont to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota in the United States; ...

Stavich Bike Trail
*Neshannock Trail

Municipalities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities:

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

boroughs 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 ...

townships A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...

, and, in at most two cases,

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Lawrence County:

City

* New Castle (county seat)

Boroughs

* Bessemer * Ellport *

Ellwood City Ellwood City is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small district in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Beaver County. The population was 7,031 at the 2020 ...

(partly in Beaver County) * Enon Valley * New Beaver *

New Wilmington New Wilmington is a borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, first platted in 1824 and established as a borough on April 9, 1863. The population was 2,097 at the 2020 census. It is home to Westminster College and serves the Old O ...

* S.N.P.J. * South New Castle *

Volant Volant may refer to: *Volant (heraldry), an attitude of heraldry, a position of a bird emblazoned as a charge, supporter or crest *Flying and gliding animals *Volant skis, a U.S. ski manufacturer *Volant, Pennsylvania Volant is a borough in Law ...

Wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western Nor ...

Townships

Hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...

* Little Beaver * Mahoning * Neshannock * North Beaver *

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

* Plain Grove * Pulaski * Scott * Shenango * Slippery Rock *

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) ** List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Pl ...

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

* Wayne * Wilmington

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

s are geographical areas designated by the

for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well. * Chewton * Frizzleburg *

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

New Castle Northwest New Castle Northwest is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,413 at the 2010 census. Geography New Castle Northwest is locate ...

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

* Oakwood * West Pittsburg

Unincorporated communities

Various unincorporated communities that lie within and are part of official municipalities. * Altman * Castlewood * Cottage Grove * Coverts * Duckrun * Eastbrook * Edinburg * Energy * Gibsondale * Grant City * Harbor * Harlansburg * Hillsville * Joyce * McCaslin * Moravia * Mount Jackson * Pulaski * Rockville * Rose Point * Skidmore * Sunset Valley * Villa Maria * Walmo * Wiegletown * Wurtemberg

Former community

* Big Beaver Borough- became a borough on March 7, 1958. Until that date it was known as Big Beaver Township which was formed in 1802 when South Beaver Township was divided. In 1849 when Lawrence County was created, the new county line split Big Beaver leaving a township of that name in each county. Big Beaver in Lawrence County is now known as New Beaver Borough.

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Lawrence County. † ''county seat''

References

External links

* Tourism - http://www.visitlawrencecounty.com/ * Government - http://www.co.lawrence.pa.us/ * Economic Development - http://www.lawrencecounty.com/ * Chamber of Commerce - https://web.archive.org/web/20071006161144/http://www.lawrencecountychamber.com/ * Fishing - http://www.fish.state.pa.us/ * Hunting - http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/ * History - http://www.lawrencechs.com/ {{authority control Pittsburgh metropolitan area Populated places established in 1849 1849 establishments in Pennsylvania Counties of Appalachia