Port Matilda 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 ...

Centre County Centre County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,172. Its county seat is Bellefonte. Centre County comprises the State College, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The lands ...

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, ...

. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

and is located approximately halfway between State College and Altoona. The population was 606 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Port Matilda is located at (40.800056, -78.051119). According to the

U.S. 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.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, there were 606 people, 262 households, and 165 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,110.7 people per square mile (428.9/km²). There were 289 housing units at an average density of 529.7 per square mile (204.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.0% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2%. There were 262 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 4.6% had male householder with no wife present, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 30.2% of households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 19.5% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 103.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.7 males. The

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

for a household in the borough was $32,054, and the median family income was $53,750. The per capita income for the borough was $19,418. About 14.5% of families and 20.2% 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 54.9% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

Squire Clement Beckwith laid out the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in 1850 and named it to honor his daughter, Matilda. Why he chose to call it Port Matilda is not clear, but the name may have reflected his hope that the town would eventually be connected to the Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Branch of the

Pennsylvania Canal The Pennsylvania Canal (or sometimes Pennsylvania Canal system) was a complex system of transportation infrastructure improvements including canals, dams, locks, tow paths, aqueducts, and viaducts. The Canal and Works were constructed and assemb ...

. While the canal did not reach Port Matilda, the Bald Eagle Railroad did, and the community became a market center in the Bald Eagle Valley for agricultural and lumber products.

Industrial history

Port Matilda was home to McFeely Brick Co., located on Brick St. at the east end of the town adjacent to the railroad. The company was based in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and founded by Fred McFeely, the grandfather of children's television personality Fred Rogers. The company was later owned by General Refractories, which closed the Port Matilda plant in 1959. Its primary product was silica fire brick made from ganister rock, using beehive kilns. Its bricks were typically stamped "Vulcan".Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission data; National Park Service HAER Survey; personal inspection

References

External links

Port Matilda Volunteer Fire DepartmentParks in Port Matilda
{{authority control 1836 establishments in Pennsylvania Boroughs in Centre County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1836