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Alexandria is a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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 Huntingdon County,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, United States. The population was 388 at the 2020 census.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the borough has a total area of , all land.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 346 people and 139 households within the borough. The population density was . There were 160 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 98.55%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.29
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.29% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.58% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population. There were 139 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.00. In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 2.3% from 18 to 19, 4.9% from 20 to 24, 13.9% from 25 to 34, 21.4% from 35 to 49, 19.9% from 50-64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. The population was 49.42% male, and 50.58% female.


History

The year 1744 is the first record of John Hart's “logg”, near where Alexandria is located now. During the land purchase of 1755 James Sterrat of Carlisle purchased 400 acres including the sleeping place called John Hart's log on the
Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...
, which is now Alexandria. Some time in the years before 1785 the first mention of a religious group called Hartslog Presbyterian Congregation was formed. A log worship house, Old Hartslog Church, stood upon the hill one mile (1.6 km) north of the present site of the town of Alexandria, where a burial ground was later made. This was a primitive structure but by 1787 a floor was laid, six large windows set in, a large door constructed, and a pulpit and a communion table made. In 1794 it was laid off into four sections, and fitted with pews. In 1826, the old Hartslog congregation moved to a brick building, referred to by Senator John Scott in his memoirs as the "Brick Church", which seems to have been located near to the site of the present Reformed Church. The old log worship house was taken down the same year, and some of its logs were used in one or two of the dwellings of Alexandria. In the late 18th century the primary transportation to and from Alexandria was the
Juniata River The Juniata River () is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed August 8, 2011 in central Pennsylvania. The river is ...
, suitable only during summer and when the water depth permitted. On May 3, 1808, the new road from Harrisburg to Alexandria opened, permitting a more reliable connection with the outside world. In 1833 the Juniata Division of the
Pennsylvania Canal The Pennsylvania Canal, sometimes known as the Pennsylvania Canal system, was a complex system of transportation infrastructure improvements, including canals, dams, Lock (water transport), locks, tow paths, Navigable aqueduct, aqueducts, and vi ...
was opened, the promise of better transportation started a mini housing boom in Alexandria. By 1875 the canal was abandoned and the
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...
managed the transportation needs of the area. Around this time the growth of the area slowed, while the populations of
Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by John, King of England, King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver C ...
and Hollidaysburg grew.


Hartslog Heritage Day Festival

Alexandria hosts the annual "Hartslog Heritage Day" celebration each year on the second Saturday of October. The day-long event recognizes the early days of the small borough, when, in 1744, a licensed Indian trader named John Hart used a large hollowed-out log to feed and salt his horses while he conducted his trading. Early settlers used this log as a landmark to describe the location of their claims and referred to this area as Hartslog Settlement. In 1793 this area was laid out into town lots and named Alexandria, with the street near the site of the log name Hartslog Street. Today the name remains for Hartslog Street as well as the region — "Hartslog Valley." The Hartslog Museum located on the second floor of the library in Alexandria is open one weekend a month and on Hartslog Day. The museum includes artifacts and antiques from the area, when Pennsylvania was still inhabited by Indian tribes. Hartslog Day helps to support the museum. Alexandria PA Fire Department.jpg , Fire Department Christ Reformed Church of Alexandria PA.jpg, Christ Reformed Church Old hotel on Main Alexandria PA.jpg, Old hotel on Main Street


Notable people

* George MacPherson Docherty – pastor who helped to get the phrase "Under God" added to the
Pledge of Allegiance The U.S Pledge of Allegiance is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States. The first version was written in 1885 by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union Army o ...
. * John Scott, Sr. – Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
* John Scott, Jr. – Member of the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...


References


External links

{{authority control Populated places established in 1793 Boroughs in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania 1793 establishments in Pennsylvania