Kutztown, Pennsylvania
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Kutztown ( Pennsylvania German: ''Kutzeschteddel'') 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 A ...
in
Berks County, Pennsylvania Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware Ri ...
, United States. It is located southwest of
Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: *Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California *Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County *Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Taze ...
and northeast of
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 5,012.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Highe ...
is located just outside the borough limits to the southwest.


History

George (Coots) Kutz purchased of land that became Kutztown on June 16, 1755, from Peter Wentz who owned much of what is now Maxatawny Township. Kutz first laid out his plans for the town in 1779. The first lots in the new town of Cootstown (later renamed Kutztown) were purchased in 1785 by Adam Dietrich and Henry Schweier. Kutztown was incorporated as a borough on April 7, 1815, and is the second oldest borough in
Berks County Berks County (Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River, ...
after Reading, which became a borough in 1783 and became a city in 1847. As with the rest of Berks County, Kutztown was settled mainly by
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
, most of whom came from the Palatinate region of southwest Germany, which borders the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
river. The Kutztown area, broadly defined, encompasses an area of land also known as the
East Penn Valley East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
, a broad
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
valley situated in northern and eastern Berks County, bounded by the Blue Mountain and South Mountain ranges to the north and south, respectively, by the Lehigh County border to the east, and by
Ontelaunee Creek Ontelaunee Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of Maiden Creek in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Keystone ...
(
Maiden Creek Maiden Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks County, Pennsylvania.Gertler, Edward. ''Keystone Canoeing'', S ...
) to the west. Crystal Cave was discovered near the town in 1871. The H.K. Deisher Knitting Mill and Kutztown 1892 Public School Building 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 ...
. Since 1950 the Kutztown Folk Festival has been held in early July celebrating the culture, artistry, and culinary delights of the Pennsylvania Dutch.


Geography

Kutztown is located in northeastern Berks County at (40.519798, -75.775260). It is surrounded by Maxatawny Township but is separate from it. 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 t ...
, the borough has a total area of , of which , or 0.33%, is water. Kutztown has a hot-summer
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Dfa'') and average monthly temperatures range from 28.9 °F in January to 73.7 °F in July

The hardiness zone is 6b.


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 in ...
of 2010, there were 5,012 people living in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 95.8%
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 o ...
, 1.4%
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 ...
, 0.0% Native American, 1.0%
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 ...
, 0.0%
Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...
, 0.8% 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 1.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
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 2.6% of the population. 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 5,067 people, 1,874 households, and 886 families living in the borough. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 3,191.4 people per square mile (1,230.4/km2). There were 1,940 housing units at an average density of 1,221.9 per square mile (471.1/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.00%
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 o ...
, 0.99%
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 ...
, 0.10% Native American, 0.89%
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 ...
, 0.53% 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 0.49% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
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 0.97% of the population. Historically there has been a large Pennsylvania Dutch population. There were 1,874 households, out of which 18.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average
family size Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
was 2.80. In the borough the population was spread out, with 12.4% under the age of 18, 38.7% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $35,677, and the median income for a family was $49,653. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $28,669 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 $18,803. About 3.8% of families and 29.4% 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 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.


Ethnicities

Ethnicities An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
in Kutztown: *
Caucasian Caucasian may refer to: Anthropology *Anything from the Caucasus region ** ** ** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region * * * Languages * Northwest Caucasian l ...
(96.6%) *
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
(1.0%) *
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
(1.0%) *Other race (0.5%) *Ancestries:
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
(91.6%),
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
(11.8%),
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
(8.1%),
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
(6.0%),
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
(5.7%). The Kutztown area is home to an Old Order Mennonite community consisting of about 160 families. The Old Order Mennonites in the area belong to the Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church and use the
horse and buggy ] A horse and buggy (in American English) or horse and carriage (in British English and American English) refers to a light, simple, two-person carriage of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, drawn usually by one or sometimes by two h ...
as transportation. There are several farms in the area belonging to the Old Order Mennonite community and a meetinghouse is located south of Kutztown. The Old Order Mennonites first bought land in the area in 1949.


Government

Kutztown has a mayor-council system of government with a Mayor and a six-member Council. As of 2019, the Mayor of Kutztown is James F. Schlegel ( D) and the Council members are Council President Kevin J. Snyder ( R), Council Vice President Derek D. Mace (D), Council President Pro Tempore Scott R. Piscitelli (R), Edwin K. Seyler (R), Richard J. Diehm (D), and Arabel J. Elliott (D). Police services in the borough is provided by the Kutztown Police Department, which consists of twelve full-time officers. Fire protection in Kutztown and surrounding areas is provided by the Kutztown Fire Department, a volunteer fire department with 30 members and six pieces of equipment.


Education

Public school students in Kutztown, along with Lyons, Maxatawny Township, Greenwich Township, Lenhartsville, and Albany Township, are served by the Kutztown Area School District. Schools in the district serving the borough include Greenwich Elementary School, Kutztown Elementary School, Kutztown Area Middle School, and
Kutztown Area High School Kutztown Area High School is a public high school in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, United States. It was built in 1961, with an annex added in 1974 and underwent major renovations in 2016. It is part of the Kutztown Area School District. The school s ...
.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Highe ...
is a four-year public
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
located just outside the borough to the southwest. The university, which is one of the 14 schools of the
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that oversees 10 state-owned universities. Collectively, it is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth. All ...
, has an enrollment of 7,391 undergraduates and 918 postgraduates.


Infrastructure


Transportation

U.S. Route 222 U.S. Route 222 (US 222) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur of US 22 in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. It runs for from US 1 in Conowingo, Maryland, north to Interstate 78 (I-78)/Pennsylvania Route 309 (PA 309) in Dorneyville, Pennsylv ...
bypasses the borough to the north and west on a
freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
called the Kutztown Bypass, heading northeast to
Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: *Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California *Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County *Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Taze ...
and southwest to
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
.
Pennsylvania Route 737 Pennsylvania Route 737 (PA 737) is a state highway in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The route runs from U.S. Route 222 (US 222) in the borough of Kutztown north to PA 143 in Albany Township. PA 737 heads north from ...
heads north on Krumsville Road to Krumsville and
Interstate 78 Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...
/
U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 in the Newark Airport Intercha ...
. Main Street runs southwest–northeast through Kutztown, becoming Kutztown Road outside the borough and connecting to US 222 at both ends. Greenwich Street heads north from Main Street and becomes PA 737 past an interchange with US 222. Noble Street heads south from Main Street toward Lyons. The Allentown & Auburn Railroad operates a freight and tourist railroad from a station in Kutztown east to Topton; the tracks are owned by the Kutztown Transportation Authority.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Highe ...
has a
zero-fare Free public transport, often called fare-free public transit or zero-fare public transport, refers to public transport funded in full by means other than by collecting fares from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local gove ...
shuttle bus service that serves the campus and the adjacent town when school is in session, consisting of four routes operating at different times and to different locations. Klein Transportation provides bus service from a stop at Kutztown University to Douglassville, Reading, Wescosville, Hellertown, and Midtown Manhattan in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. Kutztown-based Bieber Transportation Group formerly provided bus service from the Bieber Bus Terminal in Kutztown to Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem, Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, and Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Bieber ended bus service on February 8, 2019. Kutztown Airport was located outside the borough but closed on January 31, 2009.


Utilities

The Borough of Kutztown Electric Department provides electricity to most of the borough, with portions of the borough receiving electricity from Met-Ed, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy. The borough's electric department dates back to the early 1900s and is one of 35 municipal electric departments in Pennsylvania. The borough purchases its electric power from American Municipal Power. The borough of Kutztown provides water and sewer service through the Water Department and Wastewater Department, respectively. The Public Works department provides trash collection and recycling to the borough. The borough also provides cable, internet, and telephone service through Home Net, a division of Hometown Utilicom. Natural gas service in Kutztown is provided by
UGI Utilities UGI Corporation (formerly United Gas Improvement Corp.) is a natural gas and electric power distribution company headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with extensive operations in the United States and Europe. UGI owns AmeriGas, the la ...
.


Health care

Lehigh Valley Health Network Lehigh Valley Health Network is a healthcare network based in the Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The healthcare network serves eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania. Its flagship hospital is Lehigh Va ...
operates the Health Center at Kutztown, which offers various services such as blood testing, family medicine, speciality care, and rehabilitation services. The nearest hospitals to Kutztown are located in the Allentown and Reading areas. Emergency medical services are provided by Kutztown Area Transport Service.


Economy

Kutztown's economy is strong and diverse, with workers employed by
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Highe ...
, Radius Toothbrush, a digital creative agency, and Sposto Interactive. Companies formerly based in Kutztown include Bieber Transportation Group and the athletic shoe company
Saucony Saucony is an American brand of athletic footwear and apparel. Founded in 1898, the company is owned by Wolverine World Wide. Products commercialised by Saucony include footwear and clothing ranges, such as athletic shoes, jackets, hoodies, t- ...
.


Notable people

*
Luther Adler Luther Adler (born Lutha Adler; May 4, 1903 – December 8, 1984) was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on Broadway. Early life and career Adler was born on ...
, actor. Had a home in Kutztown at the time of his death. *
Keith Haring Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an American artist whose pop art emerged from the New York City graffiti subculture of the 1980s. His animated imagery has "become a widely recognized visual language". Much of his wor ...
, artist and Kutztown Area High School alumnus. *
Bruce Harper Bruce Harper (born June 20, 1955) is a retired American football running back and kick returner for the New York Jets of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kutztown by the Jets in 1977. Bruce Harper is the all-time kick ...
, played football for Kutztown University and for the New York Jets in the NFL * Ranger Bill Miller, silent Western film actor * John Mobley, played football for Kutztown University and played for the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
in the NFL *
Ray O'Connell Ray O'Connell is an American politician who served as the 42nd Mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania. He assumed the office on March 29, 2018 following the resignation of former mayor Ed Pawlowski. O'Connell was selected to serve as mayor by the Al ...
, mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania * Andre Reed, Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills who played for Kutztown University. *
G Rene Ryan G Rene Ryan (born October 1, 1995) is an American swimmer from Kutztown, Pennsylvania. They won a US National Championship in the 800m freestyle, as well as two golds in the Pan American Games. Ryan moved to Baltimore, Maryland for their last 3 ...
, national champion swimmer from Kutztown High School *
Gary Mark Smith Gary Mark Smith (born April 27, 1956) is an American street photographer.Near, Mitchell J. (2002-01-03) The MAG: Cover Story – The Art of War, A Lawrence artist captures street photography in world's hot spots. The Art MAG. http://www2.ljwor ...
, artist/author *
Ryan Vogelsong Ryan Andrew Vogelsong (born July 22, 1977), nicknamed "Vogey", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates and in Nippon Professional Baseball (N ...
, played baseball for
Kutztown University Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (Kutztown University or KU) is a public university in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on High ...
and the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...


Sister city

Kutztown has one sister city: *
Altrip Altrip is a municipality in the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. 7 km southeast of Ludwigshafen. Sister city Altrip has one sister city: * Kutztown, Pennsylvania ...
, Rhineland-Palatine, Germany


References


External links


Kutztown Borough official website

Kutztown Area Historical Society

Kutztown Area Patriot

Kutztown Area Patriot historical (1889-1940)

Kutztown Area School District

Kutztown Chamber of Commerce

Kutztown Community Partnership

Kutztown Folk Festival

Kutztown University

Kutztown Volunteer Fire Company

Picture Gallery of Kutztown, PA
{{authority control Populated places established in 1779 Boroughs in Berks County, Pennsylvania