Loretto 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 ...

Cambria County, Pennsylvania Cambria County 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 population was 133,472. Its county seat is Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, Ebensb ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,302. Like the rest of Cambria County, it is part of the Johnstown Metropolitan Statistical Area. Loretto is the home of

Saint Francis University Saint Francis University (SFU) is a private Catholic university in Loretto, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. The university is situated ...

Geography

Loretto is located in east-central Cambria County at (40.506355, -78.636066). It is east of Ebensburg, the Cambria County seat, and west of Altoona. Johnstown is to the southwest. 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 of Loretto has a total area of , all land.

, an institute of higher learning with an enrollment of 2,210, occupies the southwestern quadrant of the borough.

History

Loretto was founded in 1799 by

Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin (, December 22, 1770 – May 6, 1840) was an emigre Russian aristocrat and Catholic priest known as "The Apostle of the Alleghenies" and also in the United States as Prince Gallitzin. He was a member of the House of ...

as the first English-speaking

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

settlement west of the

Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the Ridge-an ...

. He named it after the town of Loreto, Italy, site of a Catholic place of pilgrimage. Loretto was built adjoining the original settlement founded by Captain Michael McGuire, a Revolutionary War veteran, in 1788. In his will, Captain McGuire donated land to the Catholic Church on which Prince Gallitzin built St. Michael's Church in 1799.

Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto The Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto (FCI Loretto) is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Pennsylvania. An adjacent satellite prison camp houses minimum-security male offenders. It is operated by the Federal Bu ...

, is a U.S. federal prison located southeast of Loretto, on the site of a former Catholic seminary.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 1,190 people, 133 households, and 82 families living in the borough. The population density was . There were 153 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 96.39% White, 2.52% African American, 0.50% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26%. There were 133 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 27.8% of households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.20. The age distribution was 5.5% under the age of 18, 71.6% from 18 to 24, 8.7% from 25 to 44, 7.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% 65 or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 70.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.8 males. The median household income was $30,357 and the median family income was $40,750. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $7,125. About 2.7% of families and 9.1% 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 none of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

, Apostle of the Alleghenies *

Charles M. Schwab Charles Michael Schwab (February 18, 1862 – September 18, 1939) was an American steel magnate. Under his leadership, Bethlehem Steel became the second-largest steel maker in the United States, and one of the most important heavy manufacturer ...

, industrialist

References

External links

Saint Francis University
{{authority control Populated places established in 1816 Boroughs in Cambria County, Pennsylvania 1816 establishments in Pennsylvania