Lititz 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 ...

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster County (; ), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States ...

, United States, north of Lancaster. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 9,370.

History

Lititz was founded by members of 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 ...

in 1756 and was named by a German form of name of the

Litice Castle Litice Castle () is a castle in Záchlumí (Ústí nad Orlicí District), Záchlumí municipality in the Ústí nad Orlicí District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. The town Lititz, Pennsylvania, Lititz in Pennsylvania was named afte ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

. Lititz was one of four leading Moravian communities in Pennsylvania, the other three being

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 ...

Emmaus Emmaus ( ; ; ; ) is a town mentioned in the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament. Luke reports that Jesus appeared, after his death and resurrection, before two of his disciples while they were walking on the road to Emmaus. Although its geograp ...

, 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 ...

. For a century, only Moravians were permitted to live in Lititz. Until the middle of the 19th century, only members of the congregation could own houses; others were required to lease. The lease system was abolished in 1855, just five years before the beginning of 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 ...

. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, Brethren's House, built in 1759, was used as a hospital for

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

troops, and a number of Continental Army soldiers died and were buried here. Lititz is also home to Linden Hall School for Girls, the oldest all-girls boarding school in the United States. Located adjacent to the Moravian Church on of land, Linden Hall was founded by the Moravians in 1746, a decade before the borough was incorporated.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the borough has a total area of , of which , or 0.13%, are water. Lititz Run flows through the downtown from Lititz Springs Park toward the

Conestoga River The Conestoga River (), also referred to as Conestoga Creek (), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River flowing through t ...

, to the southeast. Lititz 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 average monthly temperatures range from 30.1 °F in January to 74.7 °F in July
PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University
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 census of 2000, there were 9,029 people, 3,732 households, and 2,407 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 3,827 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 97.23%

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 ...

, 0.44%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.87% 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 ...

, 0.50% from other races, and 0.83% 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 1.52% of the population. There were 3,732 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% 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 2.91. In Lititz, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $40,417, and the median income for a family was $52,028. Males had a median income of $36,126 versus $25,997 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,601. About 2.6% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Lititz-based Woodstream manufactures

mousetrap A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch and, usually, kill Mouse, mice. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. Larger traps are designed to catch ...

s under the Victor brand name. Mousetraps have been produced in Lititz since 1899. Sensenich Propeller, founded in 1932, is one of aviation's oldest continuously manufacturing propeller companies, specializing in propellers for light aircraft,

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...

s, and

airboat An airboat (also known as a planeboat, swamp boat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. It is commonly used for fishing, hunting, r ...

s. The company is particularly known for its wood props, but also has produced fixed-pitch metal props since 1948, and in recent years expanded to adjustable-pitch carbon-fiber composite propellers. Throughout the mid-20th century, Sensenich wood props were available on nearly all 1-seat and 2-seat U.S.-made aircraft, many of which still operate today. Wood prop manufacturing is now handled in their

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

-based facility."Propeller, Fixed-pitch, Sensenich Brothers,"

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, retrieved August 19, 2023"About Sensenich Propeller Company"
(official company history), Sensenich Propeller, retrieved August 19, 2023Johnson, Dan
"Sensenich Propeller,"
ByDanJohnson.com (principal ultralight / light-sport aircraft journalist), retrieved August 19, 2023 Rock Lititz, a company specializing in rock concert production, is headquartered and has a show production stage in Lititz. The facility attracts international artists like

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010. The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, who co-write or co-produce much of their material. Originally a hip hop group, they ...

and

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

, to local stars

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

and

Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series ''Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney Music Group, Disney ...

, and supports music production suppliers in the area. The White House Gift Shop is now based in Lititz. It is an online company selling (according to its website) a 'wide selection of White House, Presidential, Diplomatic, and United States Military gifts'. Originally set up by the

Truman administration Harry S. Truman's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 33rd president of the United States began on April 12, 1945, upon the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and ended on January 20, 1953. He had been Vice President ...

in 1946 it is now privately owned and no longer has any connection with the

US Federal Government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...

Arts and culture

Annual events include: *

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

event, founded in 1813, which includes a Queen of Candles Pageant and fireworks. * Summer art show. * Microbrewery festival. * Fire and Ice Festival each February, featuring food trucks, entertainment, and ice carvings. The Lititz Public Library is a member of the Library System of Lancaster County.

Museums and historic sites

*Gravesite of John A. Sutter *Heritage Map Museum *Johannes Mueller House * Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery *Lititz Springs Park * Wilbur Chocolate Factory and Candy Americana Museum * John Beck's Boys Academy * Johann Agust Sutter House * William Werner House * Lititz Moravian Historic District

Government

*Mayor: Timothy R. Snyder (R) *Borough Manager: Sue Ann Barry *Borough Council **Shane Weaver, President **J. Andrew Greiner **Stephen Lee **Christine Sensenich **Ken Mobley **David Brubaker

Education

Lititz, along with Elizabeth and Warwick townships and part of Penn Township, is located in the Warwick School District. Schools located in Lititz include: * Warwick High School *Warwick Middle School *Lititz Elementary School (at former site of K-12 Lititz High School; serves the central and northern part of Lititz borough and western Warwick township out to Penn township and its border with Manheim Central School District) *John Beck Elementary School (founded independently of the district and incorporated; serves the northern part of Warwick township and Elizabeth township) *John R. Bonfield Elementary School (serves the eastern part of the school district, including the outskirts of Lititz borough and Warwick township) *Kissel Hill Elementary School (serves the southern part of Lititz borough and Warwick township south to the Manheim Township line) * Linden Hall School for Girls (the oldest all-girls private school in the country)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Pennsylvania Routes

772 __NOTOC__ Year 772 (Roman numerals, DCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 772 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent ...

(West Orange and East Main streets) and 501 (Broad Street) run through Lititz. The Reading and Columbia Railroad operated passenger service through downtown Lititz until 1952.

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

continues to operate freight service to Lancaster, while the line between Lititz and Ephrata has been converted into a

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

. A replica of the Lititz Depot was constructed at its former location in Lititz Springs Park in 1999, along with a small museum in a Reading

caboose A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting; as well as in keeping a lookout for load ...

. Bus service in Lititz is provided by Red Rose Transit Route 10, the successor of the Conestoga Traction Company trolley line to Lancaster along the Lititz Pike.

Notable people

* Curtis Cregan, former member of Hi-5 USA * John Fass (1890–1973), book designer, printer, photographer * Matt Greiner,

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

drummer for August Burns Red * Mary Penry (1735–1804), Moravian sister * Richard A. Snyder (1910–1992), Pennsylvania state senator * Johann August Sutter (1803–1880), pioneer of California * David Tannenberg, Moravian organ builder * Louise Adeline Weitzel (1862–1934), poet * Joey Welz (born 1940), musician; former pianist for

Bill Haley & His Comets Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band formed in 1947 and continuing until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...

* Andrew Wenger (born 1990),

Hermann Trophy The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top men's and women's college soccer players. History In 1967, Bob Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and th ...

winner and professional soccer player for the

Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the Union began ...

Sister cities

Lititz has

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

relationship with: * Kunvald, Czech Republic

References

External links

{{authority control Populated places established in 1710 History of the America (North) Province of the Moravian Church Boroughs in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Moravian settlement in Pennsylvania 1756 establishments in Pennsylvania