Emmaus, Pennsylvania
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Emmaus ( ) 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
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Lehigh County (; Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Lechaa Kaundi'') is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the coun ...
, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 11,652. Emmaus is located in the
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...
, the third-largest metropolitan area in Pennsylvania and 68th-largest
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
in the nation. In 2007 and again in 2009, Emmaus was listed as one of the top 100 "Best Places to Live" in the United States by ''
Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...
'' magazine. Emmaus is located south of Allentown, north of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, and west of
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.


History


18th century

Emmaus was settled in the early 1700s during the colonial era by German
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
of the
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
and Reformed faiths who were fleeing religious persecution in Europe. Its earliest German settlers were primarily farmers. In 1741, the land on which present-day Emmaus is located was donated to the
Moravian Church The Moravian Church, or the Moravian Brethren ( or ), formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century and the original ...
by Sebastian Heinrich Knauss and Jacob Ehrenhardt for the purpose of creating a closed faith-based village. The village was originally named Salzburg. At the time of its founding in 1759, Emmaus was one of four leading Moravian communities in the
Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and joined to form the United States of America. The Thirteen C ...
;
Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...
,
Lititz Lititz is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lancaster. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 9,370. History Lititz was ...
, and
Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...
, each in Pennsylvania, were the three others. Two years later, in 1761, Moravian Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg announced the town's new name would be Emmaus, saying "Now here we build a village small; toward its completion we give all. Here, too, our hearts within shall flame; Emmaus then shall be its name." For approximately 100 years, until the mid-19th century, Emmaus was a closed community of the Moravian Church. Emmaus was named for the
Biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
village of Emmaus, where, according to the Bible's
Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Luke is the third of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It tells of the origins, Nativity of Jesus, birth, Ministry of Jesus, ministry, Crucifixion of Jesus, death, Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection, and Ascension of ...
,
Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
was seen by his disciples Luke and Cleopas in what is known as his Road to Emmaus appearance following his
crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...
and
resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...
. Three historic Emmaus residential structures built during the 18th and early 19th centuries, each still standing, have been added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
. Shelter House, constructed in 1734 by
Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...
settlers, is the oldest building structure in Emmaus and the oldest continuously occupied structure in the
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...
. at Lehigh Valley Marketplace The 1803 House was built in 1803 in Emmaus by Revolutionary patriot militia member Jacob Ehrenhardt, Jr., son of one of the founders of Emmaus. Kemmerer House, built between 1840 and 1950, is a farmstead house in Emmaus.


19th century

From its founding in 1759 until 1830, the settlement's name was spelled "Emmaus." From 1830 until 1938, however, the community used the
Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...
spelling of the name, "Emaus," with a macron line above the "m" to indicate a double letter. As English began emerging as the prevalent language in Pennsylvania, however, the line often was often omitted, leading to confusion about the correct spelling. In 1938, the local
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...
circulated petitions in support of changing the spelling to "Emmaus," and its spelling was changed to match the English version of the Bible's
King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English Bible translations, Early Modern English translation of the Christianity, Christian Bible for the Church of England, wh ...
. Despite the 1938 spelling change, a major borough thoroughfare, Emaus Avenue, continues to retain the pre-1938 spelling. Emmaus and the metropolitan Allentown area contributed considerable numbers of volunteers to the Union Army during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. Volunteers from the region comprised roughly 70 percent of the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, which mobilized after the fall of Fort Sumter to Confederate forces in April 1861, and engaged Confederate forces in the Lower seaboard theater in southern states through the Civil War's conclusion. On June 7, 1930, in recognition of the 47th Regiment's contributions to the preservation of the Union and Emmaus veterans who later served in the Spanish-American War and
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Emmaus erected the Emaus Honor Roll, using the borough's initial spelling, in a mini-park between 3rd and 4th Streets in their honor.
Iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...
was discovered in and near Emmaus in the 19th century. Beginning in 1850, the Donaldson Iron Company in Emmaus mined and processed iron ore and manufactured
cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
pipes and other iron-related products. In 1859, Reading Company constructed railroad lines through Emmaus, which are still functioning. The same year, the town was incorporated as a borough. In 1869, the town's first
blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure. In a ...
opened. Iron ore production fueled the town's growth through the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century. During the 19th century, Emmaus was also a center of
silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
and
cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and Fermentation, fermented tobacco leaves made to be Tobacco smoking, smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct comp ...
manufacturing.


20th and 21st centuries

In 1940, public census statistics showed that 6,731 people lived in Emmaus. The population of the borough has since nearly doubled to 11,467 as of the 2020 census. Housing construction has reached the borough line in all directions so significant continued population growth in the borough is unlikely. Outside the borough line, however, the local population continues to grow, especially in neighboring Lower Macungie Township. Consequently, growth in the Emmaus ZIP Code continues to expand but not within its borough limits.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all land, though part of Little Lehigh Creek, a tributary of the Lehigh River, flows just outside the Emmaus border with Salisbury Township. Emmaus borders South Mountain, a large Appalachian mountain range. The town's elevation is 436 feet above sea level. Emmaus is located at approximately . It 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 cold ...
(''Dfa'') and is in
hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
6b. Average monthly temperatures in the downtown vicinity range from 28.9 °F in January to 73.5 °F in July.


Demographics

As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 11,313 people, 4,985 households, and 3,155 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 5,186 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 95.89%
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 ...
, 0.70%
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 ...
, 0.06% Native American, 1.81% Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.88% from other races, and 0.63% 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 1.51% of the population. Of the borough's 4,985 households, 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.85. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there are 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. Median income for a household in the borough was $55,139, whereas the estimated median household for the state of Pennsylvania is $52,007, and median income for a family was $54,120. Males had a median income of $38,659 versus $25,331 for females.
Per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the borough was $23,245. About 2.2% of families and 3.5% 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 ...
, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over as of 2010.


Industry and commerce

Buckeye Pipe Line, a
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...
distributor, is headquartered locally, between Emmaus and Macungie. The largest major shopping mall in the Emmaus area is South Mall, located on Lehigh Street on Emmaus' border with Salisbury Township and Allentown. South Mall is one of four major shopping malls in Allentown and its immediate suburbs. Yocco's Hot Dogs, the Lehigh Valley-based fast food establishment known for their regionally-famous
hot dog A hot dog is a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term ''hot dog'' can also refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a frankfurter ( Frankfurter Würs ...
s and cheesesteaks, maintains its corporate headquarters on East Minor Street in Emmaus with four locations in the
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...
. The Emmaus Arts Commission hosts art and film events in Emmaus, including "Art in the Garden," "Emmaus Art Walk," the "Student Horror Film Festival," and others. Each October, Emmaus also hosts an annual
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
parade, one of the largest in the Lehigh Valley, combined with a 5K Race, which is held just before the parade's start and is a major fundraiser for the Parade Committee and the Parks and Recreation Commission. Emmaus was the former headquarters of Rodale, Inc., one of the world's largest publishers of health-related books and magazines, including ''
Men's Health ''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst Communications, Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries; it is the bestselling men's magazine on American newsstands. Started as a men's health magazin ...
'', '' Prevention'', ''
Runner's World ''Runner's World'' is a global magazine and website for runners of all abilities. It has additionally developed experiential formats, including a digital membership program, called Runner's World+. It is published by Hearst in Easton, Pennsylva ...
'', and ''
Women's Health Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Often treated ...
'' magazines. In 2018, the company was acquired by Hearst and local offices were moved to Easton.


Education

Emmaus is served educationally by the East Penn School District, a public school district that accommodates
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
through 12th grade. The district operates a high school, Emmaus High School located in Emmaus (for grades nine through 12), two middle schools, Eyer Middle School and Lower Macungie Middle School (both located in Macungie for grades six through eight), seven public elementary schools (Alburtis Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School, Macungie Elementary School, Shoemaker Elementary School, Wescosville Elementary School, and Willow Lane Elementary School), and one public elementary
charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
(Seven Generations Charter School, located in Emmaus).


Transportation

As of 2022, there were of public roads in Emmaus, of which were maintained by the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is an agency created in 1937 to construct, finance, operate, and maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike (both the mainline and the Northeast Extension). The commission consists of five members. Four memb ...
(PTC), were maintained by the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll. PennDOT ...
(PennDOT) and were maintained by the borough. Interstate 476, the most prominent highway passing through Emmaus, traverses the western portion of the borough along the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension. However, the nearest interchange is two townships away in South Whitehall Township. I-476 heads north to
Wyoming Valley The Wyoming Valley is a historic industrialized region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The region is historically notable for its influence in helping fuel the American Industrial Revolution with its many anthracite coal mines. As a metropolitan ar ...
and south to Plymouth Meeting near
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. The only numbered highway providing direct access to the borough is Pennsylvania Route 29, which enters from the southwest via Chestnut Street and exits to the northwest via Cedar Crest Boulevard. Lehigh Street, the other thoroughfare serving the borough, is located on the borough's east-side. Both highways have junctions with I-78, which spans from Lebanon County in the west to the Holland Tunnel and
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
in the east. LANta provides bus service to and from Emmaus on its Route 104 service through Allentown to and from the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.


Notable people

* Charles Bierbauer, former CNN correspondent * Margaret W. "Hap" Brennecke, former
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
metallurgist * Howard J. Buss, composer and music publisher * Aaron Gray, former professional basketball player,
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
,
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
, New Orleans Hornets, and
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
*
Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also be ...
, jazz pianist * Michael Johns, health care executive and former
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
presidential speechwriter * K. C. Keeler, head football coach,
Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...
* Trina Radke, U.S. swimming team,
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represe ...
* J. I. Rodale, founder, Rodale, Inc. * Robert Rodale, publisher * Cindy Werley, U.S. field hockey team,
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...


References


External links


Official website

Emmaus news
at '' The Morning Call''
Emmaus news
at Lehigh Valley Live
Emmaus, Pennsylvania at "Best Places to Live"
''
Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: m ...
'' magazine, 2007 {{Authority control 1759 establishments in Pennsylvania Boroughs in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Boroughs in Pennsylvania Moravian settlement in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1759 Privatization controversies Privatization in the United States Settlements in the America (North) Province of the Moravian Church