Spring Grove 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
York 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, ...
, United States. The population was 2,372 at the
2020 census.
].
History
The site of Spring Grove was laid out in 1747 on the banks of
Codorus Creek
Codorus 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 in York County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ' ...
, midway between
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
and
Hanover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, by a
surveyor
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
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 resources 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
A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
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
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 ...
were the forebears of today's community. By the mid-19th century, the manufacturing of iron had grown to a point where almost 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
Glatfelter is a leading global supplier of engineered materials with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability. The company's high quality, technology-driven, innovative and customizable nonwovens solutions can be found in products that a ...
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.
In August 2018, Glatfelder announced an agreement to sell its Specialty Papers division, which includes the Spring Grove mill, to private investment firm
Lindsay Goldberg
Lindsay Goldberg (LGLLC) is an American private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in middle-market companies in such sectors as consumer products, commodity-based manufacturing, energy services, business ser ...
for $360 million, with the sale to close before 2019. Mill operations are expected to continue.
The
Spring Grove Borough Historic District
The Spring Grove Borough Historic District is a national historic district that is located in Spring Grove Borough in York County, Pennsylvania.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
History and architectural fea ...
was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1984.
Geography
Spring Grove is located at (39.876827, -76.865536).
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 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 incl ...
of 2000, there were 2,050 people, 817 households, and 570 families residing in the borough. 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 2,698.1 people per square mile (1,041.5/km
2). There were 848 housing units at an average density of 1,116.1 per square mile (430.8/km
2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.56%
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 ...
, 0.20%
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 ...
, 0.15%
Native American, 0.63%
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 ...
, 0.83% 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 0.63% 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 1.66% 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. Of all households 25.6% 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 (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 $20,124. About 2.9% of families and 5.8% 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 7.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Spring Grove Area School District
Spring Grove Area School District is a midsized, suburban, public school district located in Spring Grove, York County, Pennsylvania. It encompasses approximately . According to 2000 federal census data, it serves a resident population of 24,4 ...
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 is one of two, public secondary schools within the Spring Grove Area School District. The School is located in Spring Grove, York County, Pennsylvania, United States.
Athletics
The School provides the following spor ...
. 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.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
1882 establishments in Pennsylvania
Boroughs in York County, Pennsylvania
Populated places established in 1747