Somerset, Pennsylvania
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Somerset 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 and the county seat of Somerset 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 6,046 at the 2020 census. The borough is surrounded by Somerset Township. Somerset is just off Exit 110 of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
(
I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...
and
I-76 Interstate 76 may refer to: Interstate Highways in the United States * Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska) * Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania Video gaming * ''Interstate '76 ''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
). Somerset is the principal city of the Somerset, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is also one of two cities, the other being Johnstown, that make up the larger Johnstown-Somerset, PA Combined Statistical Area.


History

The Somerset County Courthouse and Uptown Somerset Historic District 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 ...
. *Somerset was a central stage for the
Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...
of 1794. Several rebellion leaders, including Harmon Husband, lived in Somerset. The federal militia sent to put down the rebellion worked from its headquarters in the nearby town of Berlin. The Whiskey Rebellion was the first major test of the federal authority under the newly adopted U.S. Constitution and under President George Washington. *A major fire on the afternoon of May 9, 1872, destroyed a significant portion of the town within just a few hours. *On
September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
,
United Airlines Flight 93 United Airlines Flight 93 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight that was hijacked by four al-Qaeda attackers aboard the plane on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The plane eventually crashed in Som ...
, bound from
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
and one of the four planes hijacked that day by
al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
operatives, crashed near
Shanksville Shanksville is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It has a population of 197 as of the 2020 U.S. census. It is part of the Somerset, Pennsylvania Micropolitan Statistical Area and is located southeast of Pittsburgh and west of Philade ...
, killing all 44 persons on board. It is believed that hijackers intended to fly this plane into the
U.S. Capitol Building The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill at ...
or the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
. *In July 2002, nine miners were trapped for 77 hours, underground, by flooding in the Quecreek
coal mine Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
, just outside Somerset. All nine
miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...
s were rescued. The Quecreek Mine Rescue was chronicled by journalists from around the world and was televised globally. *Somerset Crater on
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
is named after Somerset.


Geography

Somerset lies at (40.006920, -79.081297) on Pennsylvania's southern border. 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. Somerset has the ninth-highest elevation of towns in Pennsylvania, at above sea level. Somerset County is in
Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...
.


Economy

Somerset is headquarters to Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, which manufactures oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment in a 152,000 square foot facility in Somerset.Massive Cargo Plane Brings Medical Supplies to PIT
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Climate

Somerset has a humid continental climate that is affected by the high elevation, rendering it colder much of the winter than Altoona, Johnstown, or State College, despite being well south of these locations. Its climate is quite similar to those seen in northern Pennsylvania, although the average winter high temperatures are a bit higher. Somerset holds the June and November record lows for the state of Pennsylvania. Somerset is also the only place in Pennsylvania to receive accumulations of snow in June (other places received a partial dusting at most) when it received 3 inches of snow from the same polar front that caused it to drop to 20 degrees on June 10, 1913. Because of arctic air, powdery snow fell. It was photographed being swept off porches with brooms. That same cold snap brought snow to many other Pennsylvania communities, especially in the northern counties.


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 6,762 people, 3,035 households, and 1,717 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 2,466.0 people per square mile (952.9/km2). There were 3,313 housing units at an average density of 1,208.2 per square mile (466.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.80%
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 ...
, 0.70%
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, 0.70%
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 ...
, 0.19% 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 0.50% 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 0.55% of the population. There were 3,035 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% 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, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.82. In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 82.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.2 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $29,050, and the median income for a family was $41,831. Males had a median income of $28,339 versus $19,492 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 $18,310. About 7.8% of families and 11.6% 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 15.7% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.


Media


Television

Somerset is provided with local coverage from both the Johnstown and
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
markets. The '' Daily American'' newspaper serves the city and county.


Education

The borough is served by the Somerset Area School District. There are three private schools
St. Peter School
(K-8)
Apostolic Christian Academy
(K-12) and Somerset Christian Schoo

Somerset Christian School is located at the Somerset Alliance Church. It offers classes for Pre-K - 12th grades.


Notable people

*
Jeremiah S. Black Jeremiah Sullivan Black (January 10, 1810 – August 19, 1883) was an American statesman and lawyer. He served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1851–1857) and as the Court's Chief Justice (1851–1854). He also served in the ...
,
Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
(1857–1860) and
U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
(1860–1861) *
Jacob M. Campbell Jacob Miller Campbell (November 20, 1821 – September 27, 1888) was a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He also served as an officer and, later on, served more roles ...
(1821–1888), U.S. Congressman (1881–1887) and Civil War officer *
George Chorpenning George W. Chorpenning Jr. (sometimes spelled 'Chorpening')(1 June 1820 - 3 April 1894) was a pioneer in the transportation of mail, freight, and passengers through the arid and undeveloped western regions of nineteenth-century United States. His eff ...
(1820–1894), transportation pioneer * Charles H. Ealy (1884–1947), president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate (1941–1944) *
Chauncey Forward Chauncey Forward (February 4, 1793 – October 19, 1839) was an American politician who served as a Jacksonian member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Early life and education Forward was born in Old Granby, Connecticut, ...
(1793–1839), U.S. Congressman *
Alexander Ogle Alexander Ogle (August 10, 1766 – October 14, 1832) was an American politician who served as a Jackson Democrat member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district from 1817 to 1819. Early life Ogle was born ...
(1766–1832), U.S. Congressman * Charles Ogle (1798–1841), Whig congressman and orator *
Edward Scull Edward Scull (February 5, 1818 – July 10, 1900) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district from 1887 to 1889 and 20th cong ...
(1818–1900), U.S. Congressman *
Pete Zorn Pete Zorn (29 May 1950 – 19 April 2016) was an American multi-instrumentalist who was a longstanding member of Richard Thompson's backing band. He was also a member of Steeleye Span, The Albion Band, and Driver 67. Career As a member of Tho ...
, musician and member of Richard Thompson's backing band * Keith Malley, co-host of the long-running podcast Keith and the Girl


References


External links


Somerset Borough
{{authority control Boroughs in Somerset County, Pennsylvania County seats in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1795 1804 establishments in Pennsylvania