Mount Gretna 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 ...

Lebanon County Lebanon County ( ; ) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 143,257. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. It lies 72 miles northwest of Philadelphia, which is the nearest m ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States. It is part of the

Lebanon, PA Lebanon ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,814 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Lebanon was founded by George Steitz in 1740 and was originally named ...

, Metropolitan statistical area. The population was 188 at the 2020 census. The borough was founded by the Pennsylvania Chautauqua Society, which was attracted by the area's natural landscape and beauty, by the 1890s. Pennsylvania Chautauqua state historical marker in Mount Gretna

Pennsylvania Chautauqua state historical marker in Mount Gretna

Mount Gretna is a popular destination in the summer. It features a nationally ranked juried

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

show (third weekend in August),

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

concerts A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

lectures A lecture (from ) is an speech, oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, backgroun ...

, book reviews, and an annual tour of historic homes and cottages (first Saturday in August). The Connewago Lake features a Victorian-era bathhouse with high-dive, floating docks and a sandy beach area. The community also has a

roller rink A roller rink is a hard surface usually consisting of hardwood or concrete, used for roller skating or inline skating. This includes roller hockey, speed skating, roller derby, and individual recreational skating. Roller rinks can be located in ...

, open-air playhouse, miniature golf course, several restaurants, playgrounds, and an award-winning ice cream parlor known as the Jigger Shop. Gretna Theatre, the independent professional non-profit theatre company performing at the Mount Gretna Playhouse, is one of the country's oldest

summer stock In American theater, summer stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock ...

theatres, having opened in 1927. The surrounding area, which includes seven distinct neighborhoods, has a year-round population estimated at 1,500 people. Summertime population increases to about 2,500.

History

Pursuant to a letter written by Hugh Maxwell, an official of the Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad, and sent by him to the Lebanon County Historical Society "and read before them on April 26, 1901" the name "Mount Gretna" was suggested by his wife, subsequently adopted by the board, and "On September 21st 1883 that name appears in public print for the first time in the Lebanon Daily News."Mt. Gretna - A Coleman Legacy, by Jack Bitner; Lebanon County Historical Society special publication; Pgs 24-25

Geography

Mount Gretna is located at (40.246525, -76.472899). 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 ...

, the borough has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.4 km), all land. Mount Gretna is divided into seven different sections. These include Mount Gretna Heights, where the Mount Gretna Inn is located; Stoberdale; Campmeeting, where the Tabernacle and church are located, and Chautauqua, where the post office, playhouse, playground, and Jigger Shop are located. The area which includes Conewago Lake and the Timbers Restaurant is called Timber Hills. Conewago Hill, Timber Bridge and Conewago Lake are not technically in Mount Gretna, but are rather located within South Londonderry Township. Mount Gretna is bordered to the east by West Cornwall Township (0.82 mi), and to the west by South Londonderry Township (1.06 mi).

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 242 people, 117 households, and 74 families residing in Mt. Gretna Borough. The population density was . There were 205 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 99.17%

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 ...

and 0.83% Asian. There were 117 households, out of which 13.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% 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, 2.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.53. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 12.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 43.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 106.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $62,917, and the median income for a family was $87,500. Males had a median income of $43,333 versus $48,125 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 $43,470. None of the families and 0.8% of the population were living 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 ...

Notable person

* Lois Herr - progressive activist * Frank Tomecek Jr - Real Estate Mogul/Professional Puzzles and Survivals Player * Radnor Falcetta - Fitness Influencer

References

External links