Spruce Hill 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 Juniata 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 791 at the 2020 census, a decline from the figure of 834 tabulated in 2010.

History

The

Academia Pomeroy Covered Bridge The Academia Pomeroy Covered Bridge at (portal to portal) is the longest remaining covered bridge in Pennsylvania. Built in 1902, this single-lane, double-span wooden covered bridge crosses Tuscarora Creek between Spruce Hill and Beale Townsh ...

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 1979.

Geography

The township is in south-central Juniata County. 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 ...

, it has a total area of , all land. The crest of

Tuscarora Mountain Tuscarora Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in the Ridge and Valley province in central Pennsylvania. It reaches its highest point on Big Mountain (Pennsylvania) at above sea level. The mountain is named after the Tuscaro ...

forms the southern border of the township. Tuscarora Creek, a northeastward-flowing tributary of the Juniata River, forms most of the northern border. Spruce Hill Township is bordered by

Beale Beale is an English surname. At the time of the British Census of 1881, its relative frequency was highest in Dorset (6.3 times the British average), followed by Huntingdonshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Warwickshire, Kent and ...

and Milford Townships to the north, Turbett Township to the east, Perry County to the south and Tuscarora Township to the west. Unincorporated communities in the township include Spruce Hill, Seven Pines, and Path.

Pennsylvania Route 75 Pennsylvania Route 75 (PA 75) is a north–south state highway located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at the Mason–Dixon line in Montgomery Township, where the road continues into Maryland as Maryland Route 494 (MD 494) ...

crosses the center of the township, leading northeast to

Port Royal Port Royal is a village located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and co ...

and southwest to East Waterford.

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 724 people, 271 households, and 199 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 335 housing units at an average density of 15.5/sq mi (6.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.41%

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 ...

, 1.93%

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 ...

, 0.28% Native American, 0.55% 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 0.83% 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 1.80% of the population. There were 271 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% 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, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.06. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 108.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $35,962, and the median income for a family was $40,547. Males had a median income of $33,929 versus $20,278 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 $15,135. About 4.9% of families and 9.7% 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 8.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{coord, 40, 27, 00, N, 77, 30, 59, W, type:city_region:US-PA_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title Populated places established in 1762 Townships in Juniata County, Pennsylvania