Houtzdale is a borough in

Clearfield County, Pennsylvania Clearfield County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 80,562. The county seat is Clearfield, and the largest city is DuBois. The county was created in 1804 and later organized in 1822. ...

, United States. The population was 764 at the 2020 census.

History

Houtzdale is named after Dr. Daniel Houtz, the original owner of the town site. The town was built quickly in the late 19th century and is structured on a square grid plan. Focused mainly on the railroad and coal industry, the town served as a hub for the railroad which made its way onto Ramey and Madera to the west. Houtzdale become an incorporated borough in 1872.

Geography

Houtzdale is bordered to the north by the borough of Brisbin.

Pennsylvania Route 53 Pennsylvania Route 53 (PA 53) is an state highway located in central Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 219 (Pennsylvania), U.S. Route 219 (US 219) near the borough of Summerhill, Pennsylvania, Summerhill. Th ...

passes through Houtzdale, leading east to Osceola Mills and west to Glen Hope. Pennsylvania Route 153 leads north from Houtzdale to Clearfield, the county seat. 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 ...

, Houtzdale 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 941 people, 380 households, and 275 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 432 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 99.57%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American, and 0.21% from two or more races. There were 380 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% 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, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.89. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $29,219, and the median income for a family was $33,309. Males had a median income of $27,039 versus $20,438 for females. The

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 $14,177. About 9.3% of families and 12.3% 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 14.2% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Ukrainian ancestry

In 2000, 6.9% of Houtzdale claimed Ukrainian ancestry.

Parks and recreation

In 2020, ''Trella Memorial Park'' was created, the first public park in Houtzdale.

Government

The borough council consists of seven members, who are elected in the general elections, and serve four year terms with seats coming available every two years. The mayor serves a four-year term for ceremonial duty. As of 2020, the mayor was Izen Lingenfelter.

Education

The community is served by Moshannon Valley School District, which has two schools: * Moshannon Valley Junior/Senior High School, grades 7-12, located at 4934 Green Acre Road. Mascot known as Black Knights. * Moshannon Valley Elementary School, grades K-6, located at 5026 Green Acre Road.

Media

WMMH is a Catholic radio station licensed to Houtzdale.

Notable people

* Bill Bishop, (1900–1956), professional baseball pitcher who appeared for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1921 season * Camille "Bud" George (1927–2017), mayor of Houtzdale, member of the Pennsylvania State House from 1975 to 2012. *

Irving Kahal Irving Kahal (March 5, 1903, Houtzdale, Pennsylvania – February 7, 1942, New York City) was a popular American song lyricist active in the 1920s and 1930s. He is best remembered for his collaborations with composer Sammy Fain which started in ...

(1903–1942), popular song lyricist in the 1920s and 1930s * Charles Rowland (1860–1921), two term 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 ...

, president of Moshannon Coal Mining Company and Pittsburgh & Susquehanna Railroad Company * Edna Yost (1889–1971), book author

References

External links

{{Authority control Boroughs in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania 1872 establishments in Pennsylvania Ukrainian communities in the United States