Sharon is a city in western Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city, located along the banks of the

Shenango River The Shenango River is a principal tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 100 mi (160 km) long,Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, is about northeast of Youngstown, about southeast of

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

and about northwest of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

. The population was 13,147 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area.

History

The Sharon area was first settled in 1795. It was incorporated as 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 ...

on October 6, 1841, and incorporated as a city on December 17, 1918. The city operated under the Pennsylvania third-class city code until 2008, at which point it adopted a home rule charter under which the elected position of mayor was replaced with a hired city manager and financial officer. The founding families of Sharon first settled on a flat plain bordering the

Shenango River The Shenango River is a principal tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 100 mi (160 km) long,Plain of Sharon The Sharon plain ( ''HaSharon Arabic: سهل شارون Sahel Sharon'') is the central section of the Israeli coastal plain. The plain lies between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Samarian Hills, to the east. It stretches from Nahal T ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. Initially a center of coal mining, Sharon's economy transitioned to iron and steelmaking and other heavy industry after the arrival of the Erie Extension Canal in the 1840s. Following extensive national deindustrialization of the 1970s and '80s, the city's economy diversified and is now based primarily on light industry, education, health care, and social services. Prior to Prohibition in 1919, Sharon was once home to a large commercial beer brewery, Union Brewing Co., which was forced to close its doors like many U.S. breweries of the era. The

Frank H. Buhl Mansion Frank H. Buhl Mansion, or Buhl Mansion, is a historic home located in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Description The mansion was built in 1891 for the Buhl family, which owned th ...

was added to 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 ...

in 1977. Sharon is the home of the original

Quaker Steak & Lube Quaker Steak & Lube is a casual dining restaurant chain based in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1974, in Sharon, Pennsylvania. The original restaurant was built by George "Jig" Warren and Gary "Mo" Massaro's in an abandoned gas stati ...

, which opened in 1974, and formerly The Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Geography

Sharon is located at in southwestern Mercer County. The city borders the city of Hermitage to the north and east, the city of

Farrell Farrell (anglicization of the Irish ''Ó Fearghail'') is a surname and may refer to: * Farrell (surname) * Farrell Lines, shipping company (acquired by Maersk) * Farrell, Nevada, an American city * Farrell, Pennsylvania, an American city * Farr ...

to the south, and on the west the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

s of Masury and

West Hill, Ohio West Hill is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in eastern Brookfield Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,218 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. Ge ...

. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The

Shenango River The Shenango River is a principal tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 100 mi (160 km) long, 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 16,328 people, 6,791 households, and 4,189 families residing in the city. 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 4,342.6 people per square mile (1,676.7/km). There were 7,388 housing units at an average density of 1,964.9 per square mile (758.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 86.44%

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 ...

, 10.85%

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 ...

, 0.21% Asian, 0.18% Native American, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.23% 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 2.08% 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 of any race were 0.88% of the population. From the Census Ancestry Question, Sharon has the following ethnic make-up: German 21%, Irish 14%, Italian 11%, Black or African American 11%, English 8%, Polish 5%, Slovak 5%, Welsh 3%, Scots-Irish 2%, Hungarian 2%, Dutch 2%, French (except Basque) 2%, Croatian 1%, Scottish 1%, Russian 1%, Swedish 1%, Arab 1%, Slavic 1%, American Indian tribes, specified 1%. Sharon's Jewish community is served by the Reform Jewish Temple Beth Israel. There were 6,791 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.97. In the city, the population was distributed with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,945, and the median income for a family was $34,581. Males had a median income of $30,072 versus $20,988 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 city was $15,913. About 14.0% of families and 17.6% 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 25.8% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Children in Sharon are served by the

Sharon City School District The Sharon City School District is a small, urban, public school district serving the city of Sharon, Pennsylvania on the western edge of the state. Sharon City School District encompasses approximately . According to 2000 federal census data, it ...

. The district colors are black and orange, and the school mascot is the Tiger. The following schools currently serve Sharon: *Case Avenue Elementary School – grades K-6 *C.M. Musser Elementary School – grades K-6 *West Hill Elementary School – grades K-6 *Sharon Middle School – grades 7-8 *Sharon High School – grades 9-12 Sharon is home to the Shenango campus of Pennsylvania State University, which offers several two-year and four-year degrees. It also hosts Laurel Technical Institute, a for-profit trade school, and the Sharon Regional Health System School of Nursing.

Tourism

* Buhl Mansion * Shenango River Lake * Waterfire Sharon

Broadcast media

Television

Because of Sharon's location on the Pennsylvania/Ohio border, it is served by WKBN-TV (

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

), WFMJ-TV (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

WYTV WYTV (channel 33) is a television station in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Vaughan Media, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owne ...

( ABC),

WYFX-LD WYFX-LD (channel 62) is a low-power television station in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside CBS affiliate WKBN-TV (channel 27); Nexstar also provides certain service ...

( Fox) and WBCB ( CW), all broadcast from nearby Youngstown, OH.

Radio

Sharon is served by AM radio stations such as WLOA (1470 AM) ( Farrell, PA), WPIC (790 AM), WKBN (570 AM) ( Youngstown, OH), and by FM radio stations such as WYFM/"Y-103" (102.9 FM), WLLF/"The River" (96.7 FM) (

Mercer, PA Mercer is a borough in and the county seat of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,982 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. The community was named after Brigadier General H ...

), WYLE/"Willie 95.1" (95.1 FM) (

Grove City, PA Grove City is a borough in southeastern Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States, located approximately north of Pittsburgh and south of Erie. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,894. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan a ...

), WMXY/"Mix 98.9" (98.9 FM) ( Youngstown, OH) and WWIZ/"Z-104" ( West Middlesex, PA).

Notable people

* Mike Archie – former

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

Carmen Argenziano Carmen Antimo Argenziano (October 27, 1943February 10, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 73 movies and around 100 television movies or episodes. He was best known for playing Jacob Carter on ''Stargate SG-1''. He had recurring role ...

– actor ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...

'' *

Teryl Austin Teryl Austin (born March 3, 1965) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2 ...

–

coach, Pittsburgh Steelers, Senior Defensive Assistant/Secondary coach * Jane J. Boyle – judge *

Tony Butala Anthony Francis Butala (born November 20, 1940) is an American singer.

– founder, lead vocalist,

The Lettermen The Lettermen are an American male pop vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959. They have had two Top 10 singles (both No. 7), 16 Top 10 singles on the Adult Contempor ...

, president

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum. It was ...

* Mike Connell – former National Football League punter * John Daverio – professor of music * Jonathan Dresel – Drummer for

Jimmy Kimmel Live ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's lea ...

and his older brother

Bernie Dresel Bernard John Dresel Jr. (born November 12, 1961) is an American studio drummer and percussionist. He has been with multi-Grammy award-winning artists and recordings; most notably having performed and recorded extensively with The Brian Setzer O ...

, Grammy Award-winning LA studio drummer known for the Simpsons, Family Guy and many others. * Nate Dunn – artist, Pennsylvania Impressionism School * John H. Garvey –

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

(2010–present) * Charlie Gibson –

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

for the Philadelphia Athletics (1905) * Bob Golub – stand-up comedian, actor, writer, filmmaker *

Mick Goodrick Mick Goodrick (June 9, 1945 – November 16, 2022) was an American jazz guitarist who spent most of his career as a teacher. In the early 1970s, he worked with Gary Burton and Pat Metheny. Biography An Elvis fan, Goodrick began studying guitar ...

– jazz guitarist * Erwin Hahn – physicist * Randy Holloway – former National Football League

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

* Marc Howard – former Philadelphia news anchor *

Marlin Jackson Marlin Tyrell Jackson (born June 30, 1983) is a former American football player who last played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and was recognized as a con ...

– National Football League

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

Benjamin Jarrett Benjamin Bryant Jarrett (July 18, 1881 – July 20, 1944) was a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography Benjamin Jarrett was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania. He worked as ...

–

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the U.S. House of Representatives *

Jane Katz Jane Katz (born 1943) is an educator, author, and world-class former Olympic competitive and long-distance swimmer. She has been awarded the Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur Certificate of Merit (2000) and the Lifetime Achievement A ...

– (born 1943), Olympic swimmer *

John Kiriakou John Chris Kiriakou (born August 9, 1964) is an American author, journalist and former intelligence officer. Kiriakou is a columnist with Reader Supported News and co-host of ''Political Misfits'' on Sputnik Radio. He was formerly an analyst and ...

– former CIA officer convicted of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act; notable in

waterboarding Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the person to experience the sensation of drowning. In the most common method of waterboard ...

debate * Ty Longley – guitarist, Great White * John D. MacDonald – best-selling crime novelist *

Jack Marin John Warren Marin (born October 12, 1944) is an American former professional basketball player. A 201 cm (6-foot, 7-inch) guard/forward from Duke University, Marin was named to the 1967 NBA All-Rookie Team and spent 11 seasons in the Natio ...

– former

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

player * Paul McKee – professor and author of children's reading primers * Hugh McKinnis – former

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

and

Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on '' Saturday Nig ...

– nationally syndicated cartoonist and children book illustrator *

Grover Norquist Grover Glenn Norquist (born October 19, 1956) is an American political activist and tax reduction advocate who is founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, an organization that opposes all tax increases. A Republican, he is the primar ...

- founder and president,

Americans for Tax Reform Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is a politically conservative U.S. advocacy group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today." According to ATR, "The government's power to contro ...

* Lester Rawlins – actor *

Mike Sebastian Michael John "Lefty" Sebastian (June 7, 1910 – June 28, 1989) was an American football halfback in the National Football League for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Pirates, (later renamed the Steelers) and ...

– former halfback in the National Football League and second American Football League *

Frank Secich Frank Secich (born June 14, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, author and record producer. He was the bass player and founding member of the group Blue Ash (band), Blue Ash from 1969 to 1979 and guitarist and bassist for the Stiv Bato ...

– author, rock musician and member of the group Blue Ash * Hershel Shanks – founder,

Biblical Archaeology Society The Biblical Archaeology Society was established in 1974 by American lawyer Hershel Shanks, as a non-sectarian organisation that supports and promotes biblical archaeology. Its current publications include the ''Biblical Archaeology Review'', whil ...

, editor, ''

Biblical Archaeology Review ''Biblical Archaeology Review'' is a magazine appearing every three months and sometimes referred to as ''BAR'' that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of the Bible, the ...

'' * Willie Somerset – ABA All-Star professional basketball player *

Lorenzo Styles Lorenzo Cavelle Styles (born January 31, 1974) is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for six seasons for the Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams, and spent half a season as the Head Coach of the Marion Blue Racer ...

– former

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for Atlanta Falcons and

St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...

;

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

for the

Marion Blue Racers The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League ...

* James Henry Taylor – professor of mathematics * Leo Yankevich – poet, translator, editor of ''The New Formalist''

References

External links

City website
* {{authority control Cities in Mercer County, Pennsylvania Cities in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1795 1795 establishments in Pennsylvania