Lebanon ( ; ) is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,814 at the 2020 census. Lebanon was founded by George Steitz in 1740 and was originally named Steitztown. Lebanon is located southwest of Allentown, east of

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

, and northwest 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 ...

History

Indigenous nations in the area of what is now Lebanon included the Shawnee, Susquehannock, Gawanese,

Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...

(or Delaware), and Nanticoke peoples.A Brief History of Lancaster County
Web.archive.org (1999-02-03). Retrieved on 2013-07-27. Lebanon was settled by European colonists in 1720, many with the family names of "Steitz" and "Light", along a creek that was then named "Steitz Creek". The Light patriarchs built a fort to protect against Indians and named it "Light's Fort". The town was laid out in 1753, incorporated as 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 ...

on February 20, 1821, and became a city on November 25, 1885. It adopted the commission form of government, consisting of four councilmen and a mayor. Lebanon bologna was first made here, since before the 1780s. The Union Canal, which operated from 1828 to 1885, flowed through the city's north side. San Giorgio pasta has been manufactured in Lebanon since 1914, and was acquired by nearby Hershey Foods Corporation in 1966. Lebanon was formerly home to a major steel mill operated by Bethlehem Steel.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Lebanon is bordered to its north and east by North Lebanon Township (4.5 mi), to its south and east by South Lebanon Township (3.22 mi), to its west by West Lebanon Township (1.07 mi), and to its south and west by North Cornwall Township (4.38 mi). The Quittapahilla Creek drains the city westward into the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

via the Swatara Creek.

Climate

Average monthly temperatures in center city Lebanon range from 29.4 °F in January to 74.3 °F in July. The city and vicinity have 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 the local

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 ...

is 6b.

Demographics

As of the 2020

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 ...

, the city was 60.8% White, 5.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 5.6% were two or more races. 43.8% of the population were of Hispanic of Latino ancestr

As of the census of 2000, there were 24,461 people, 10,266 households, and 6,056 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 11,220 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.50% White (U.S. Census), White, 3.23%

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 ...

, 0.28% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.10%

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 ...

, 8.11% from other races, and 1.76% 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 16.43% of the population. There were 10,266 households, out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% 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, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,259, and the median income for a family was $34,045. Males had a median income of $26,957 versus $20,162 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 city was $15,584. About 12.8% of families and 16.2% 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 ...

, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the city of Lebanon and West Lebanon Township is provided by the Lebanon School District. There are five elementary schools in the district along with Lebanon Middle School and Lebanon High School. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year the middle school will be replaced by an intermediate school (5th & 6th grades) and a junior high school (7th & 8th Grades). Nearby private institutions include Blue Mountain Christian School, New Covenant Christian School and Lebanon Christian Academy. All three private institutions have a varsity sports department and an elementary, junior high, and senior high. Students in Lebanon School District also may attend the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center. The city is home to Harrisburg Area Community College's Lebanon Campus.

Culture

Lebanon, Pennsylvania is thought to be named after the ancient

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

ern nation of

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, however. Locals consistently pronounce the Pennsylvania city's name ("Leb-a-''nin''") and many shorten it to two syllables—"Leb-nin" or even "Lep-nin." The latter is particularly identified with

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 ...

heritage. An infamous 1878 murder near Fort Indiantown Gap resulted in a trial of six defendants who all had blue eyes. They were given the moniker '' the Blue-eyed Six'' by a newspaper reporter who attended the trial, held in the Lebanon county courthouse. Five of the six defendants were hanged at the county jail. The trial received worldwide publicity and provided inspiration to

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

in writing the

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

short story " The Red-Headed League" (1891). At one point in history the Lebanon County courthouse and jail became the home of the popular Lebanon Farmers Market. After a time as a textile manufacturer, the market returned to the original 30,000 square foot Market House on South 8th street in 2003. Lebanon is one of several Pennsylvania towns to drop or raise a unique item at midnight on New Year's Eve. Godshall's Quality Meats, owners of Weaver's Famous Lebanon Bologna, donates a Lebanon bologna for the annual festivity. It is encased in a metal frame and suspended from a fire department ladder truck, and donated to a local rescue mission after the celebration. In December 2008, the TV show '' Dirty Jobs'', hosted by Mike Rowe, visited the Seltzer's Smokehouse Meats to film production of Lebanon bologna. In 2008 the show featured the Wertz Candy Shop. In 2010, an

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

drama '' Lebanon, PA'' was made. The movie was set in Lebanon and some scenes were filmed in the city and surrounding county.

Points of interest

Local points of interest listed on 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 ...

include: * Chestnut Street Log House * Cornwall & Lebanon Railroad Station * Josiah Funck Mansion * Reading Railroad Station * Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church * St. Lukes Episcopal Church * Tabor Reformed Church * Union Canal Tunnel Park *Lebanon Farmers Market *Lebanon County Historical Society

Notable people

* Thomas Albert,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

* Jaynne Bittner (née Jaynne Berrier), pitcher

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley, which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

* Sam Bowie, NBA center *

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He also served as the United States Secretary of State, secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvan ...

, 15th President of the United States, and first member of the Lebanon County Bar Association * Matt Busch, illustrator and professor at Macomb Community College * Robert Coleman (industrialist), iron barron and politician * Kerry Collins, former NFL quarterback * Jamie Lynn Corkish, sport shooter and gold medalist at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

* David Edgerton, co-founder of

Burger King Burger King Corporation (BK, stylized in all caps) is an American multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacks ...

* Derek Fisher, former MLB

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

* Jacob G. Francis, founder of Elizabethtown College * Bobby Gerhart,

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

/ ARCA driver * Betty Harte, silent-film actress *

Randal Kleiser John Randal Kleiser (born July 20, 1946) is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known for directing the films ''Grease (film), Grease'' (1978), ''The Blue Lagoon (1980 film), The Blue Lagoon'' (1 ...

, American film director, producer and screenwriter * Todd Klick, American writer * Kyle Martel, racing driver * Lois K. Miller (1945–1999), entomologist * Jared Odrick, former NFL defensive end for the Miami Dolphins and

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

* C. Henry Orth, Politician *

Alexander Patch Alexander McCarrell Patch (23 November 1889 – 21 November 1945) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer who fought in World war, both world wars, rising to rank of General (United States), general. During World War ...

, U.S. Army general * Joseph D. Patch, U.S. Army major general * Cyrus Patschke, racing driver * Frank Reich, former NFL quarterback and former head coach of the Carolina Panthers and

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

* George S. Rentz,

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 ...

Navy Cross recipient and

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Chaplain * Dick Shiner, former NFL quarterback * Michael Wavves, rapper

References

External links

Official website

Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce
* {{authority control County seats in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1756 Cities in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania 1756 establishments in Pennsylvania Cities in Pennsylvania