Straban Township is a

township 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 ...

in Adams 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 United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The population was 4,928 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Straban Township is located in central Adams County, adjacent to the eastern border of Gettysburg. A portion of the

Gettysburg National Military Park The Gettysburg National Military Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the park is managed by the National Park Service. The GNMP propert ...

is within the township. 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 township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.46%, is water.

History

Founding

Straban Township was created in 1746 when the area was still part of Lancaster County. Named for

Strabane Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle marks ...

, a town in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, this spelling was in use as late as the 1870s. For the most part, the original boundaries remain unchanged to this day. York County was formed out of Lancaster County in 1749, and for the next 51 years, Straban Township was a part of York County, until Adams County was formed in 1800. The

Hunterstown Historic District The Hunterstown Historic District is a national historic district which is located in Hunterstown, Straban Township in Adams County, Pennsylvania. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. History and architectural f ...

Great Conewago Presbyterian Church The Great Conewago Presbyterian Church is an historic Presbyterian church, which is located on Church Road near Hunterstown, Straban Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. His ...

and Wirts House are 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 ...

Casino proposal

During 2006 there was debate about the proposed construction of a

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

in Straban Township near the intersection of

U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 (US 15) is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Caro ...

and U.S. Route 30, not far from the East Cavalry Field battle site. Legislation enacted in 2005 known as "Act 71" permitted up to 60,000 slot machines to be located in casinos throughout the state in an effort to offset high property taxes. One of two available casino licenses was pursued by Chance Enterprises Inc. and

Millennium Management Group Cannery Casino Resorts was a hotel and casino operator based in Spring Valley, Nevada. It was acquired by Boyd Gaming in 2016. History Cannery Casino Resorts was an outgrowth of Millennium Management Group, a casino management company. Millenni ...

for their proposed "Crossroads Gaming Resort & Spa". Many of the residents of neighboring Gettysburg and tourists believed that a casino near Gettysburg and the resulting increase in traffic would have had a negative impact on Gettysburg's hallowed ground. A group called "No Casino Gettysburg", made up of local citizens as well as students and faculty of Gettysburg College, was formed to lobby against the proposal. On April 3, 2006, the Gettysburg borough council voted by 6–3 to support the proposal. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) began hearings on the proposal on April 5, 2006, at Gettysburg College. A second hearing was held on April 7, 2006, in

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

, and a third and final hearing occurred on May 17, 2006, at Gettysburg College. On December 20, 2006, the PGCB opted not to award Crossroads a casino license, effectively killing the proposal. Crossroads' president soon announced that he would not appeal the decision. In February 2007, the activist group, No Casino Gettysburg, disbanded.''The Evening Sun'', February 18, 2007.

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 4,539 people, 1,687 households, and 1,233 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,816 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 95.86%

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 ...

, 1.43%

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 ...

, 0.18% Native American, 0.73%

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 ...

, 0.90% from other races, and 0.90% 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 ...

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 2.29% of the population. There were 1,687 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 21.9% of all households 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 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97. In the township, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the township was $44,008, and the median income for a family was $51,979. Males had a median income of $30,231 versus $22,336 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 township was $19,530. About 4.5% of families and 5.4% 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 3.6% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Straban Township official website

Gettysburg Fire Department

United Hook and Ladder Co. #33

Adams Regional EMS
{{coord, 39, 52, 00, N, 77, 07, 59, W, type:city_region:US-PA_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title Populated places established in 1741 Townships in Adams County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania