Shirleysburg 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 ...

Huntingdon County Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cr ...

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 150 at the 2010 census.

History

Shirleysburg was originally the site of, and takes its name from

Fort Shirley Fort Shirley was a fort erected by the Province of Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War. History Before the construction of Fort Shirley, a small trading post built by George Croghan was located at the site.Waddell and Bomberger, p. 88 ...

, a

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

fort. During this period, in 1754 ''Monacatoocha'' (''Scarouady'') led about 200 French-allied Native Americans: Iroquois, Lenape, and Shawnee from their village of Logstown on the western frontier to take refuge near here. The narrow gauge

East Broad Top Railroad The East Broad Top Railroad (EBT) is a narrow gauge historic and heritage railroad headquartered in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania. Operating from 1871 to 1956, it is one of the nation's oldest and best-preserved narrow-gauge railroads ...

(EBT) was constructed through Shirleysburg in 1873. It continued to serve the town for 83 years, until it ceased operations in 1956. Since 1960 EBT tourist trains have operated from Rockhill to Colgate Grove, just south of town, where a wye was constructed to turn trains. The inactive tracks pass through the community on their way to Mount Union. The Benjamin B. Leas House 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

Shirleysburg is located in southeastern Huntingdon County at (40.296892, -77.874652). It sits in the valley of

Aughwick Creek Aughwick Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Juniata River in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ' ...

, between Blacklog Mountain to the east and

Jacks Mountain Jacks Mountain is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, trending southeast of the Stone Mountain ridge and Jacks Mountain Anticline. The ridge line separates Kishacoquillas Valley from the Ferguson and Dry Valleys. Jacks ...

to the west. U.S. Route 522 passes through the borough, leading north to Mount Union and south to

Orbisonia Orbisonia is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 428 at the 2010 census. __TOC__ Geography Orbisonia is located in southeastern Huntingdon County at (40.243345, -77.893362), on the northeastern side ...

, next to Rockhill. 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 ...

, Shirleysburg has a total area of , all land. The western border of the borough follows Aughwick Creek, a northward-flowing tributary of the

Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...

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 140 people, 61 households, and 38 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 64 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 97.86%

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% Native American, 0.71% 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 ...

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 0.71% of the population. There were 61 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% 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, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.82. In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $18,750 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 $13,586. There were 5.7% of families and 13.6% of the population living 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 19.4% of under eighteens and 22.2% of those over 64.

References

{{authority control Populated places established in 1780 Boroughs in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania