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Murrysville is a
home rule municipality Statutory city may refer to: * Statutory city (Austria), an Austrian municipality acting as a district administrative authority * Statutory city (Czech Republic), a Czech city with special privileges * Statutory city (United States), a city in the ...
in
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Westmoreland County is a county in the state of Pennsylvania, United States, in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 354,663. The county seat is Greensburg and the most populous community is ...
, United States. The population was 21,006 at the 2020 census. It is part of the
Pittsburgh metropolitan area Greater Pittsburgh is the metropolitan area surrounding the city of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania, United States. The region includes Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh's urban core county and economic hub, and s ...
.


History

The Haymaker Gas Well in Murrysville was the nation's first commercial natural gas well. For some time, it remained the largest commercial gas well in the world. The well was drilled in 1878, and until a gas pipe line was attached to the well in 1883, approximately 35 million cubic feet of gas a day was released into the atmosphere, resulting in a total of about 60 billion cubic feet of
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
released into the atmosphere from this single site Murrysville was described in the first half of the 20th century as being "the center of a district dotted with gas wells, the first of which was bored in 1878; wild speculation in leases precipitated the open conflict known as the 'Haymaker Riots,' named for the speculator killed in one of them." Since 1933, Murrysville has had a "tree sign" spelling out the wor
"Murrysville"
The trees were landscaped to grow and form the letters by local Boy Scouts. The sign is situated on a large hill as one enters the Municipality from the Murrysville–Monroeville border, near U.S. Route 22. In 1947, the sign was featured in "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" as the world's largest arboreal sign. (It is no longer the world's largest). The "Y" in the Murrysville sign points to the Haymaker Gas Well. In 1977, Murrysville was designated the "Gateway to Westmoreland County" by Mayor Walt Dollman in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, community leaders upgraded sign and landscaping elaborately at the main entrance at the Allegheny / Westmoreland border featuring this designation. As is shown at the introduction of this page, the Gateway designation is featured on the official Seal of the Municipality. Murrysville became a
home rule municipality Statutory city may refer to: * Statutory city (Austria), an Austrian municipality acting as a district administrative authority * Statutory city (Czech Republic), a Czech city with special privileges * Statutory city (United States), a city in the ...
in August 1976, when its electorate voted for a Charter designating it a Municipality.


Geography

Murrysville is located at (40.434828, -79.656724). It is roughly 20 miles east of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
on U.S. Route 22, just east of the county line that separates Westmoreland and Allegheny counties. Murrysville is a
control city A control city is a city, locality, or other location posted on a series of traffic signs along a particular stretch of road indicating destinations on that route. Together with route numbers and cardinal directions, these focal points aid the mo ...
on the sign for eastbound US 22 at the eastern end of I-376 in Monroeville. 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 municipality had a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.03% is water. Among the neighborhoods within Murrysville are Murrysville Heights, Heather Highlands, Franklin Estates, Settlers Ridge (The Ridge), Dunningtown, Newlonsburg, Ringertown, Sardis, and White Valley. Murrysville surrounds, but does not include, the Borough of Export, which is a separate municipal entity.


Surrounding municipalities

Murrysville has eight borders, including Upper Burrell Township to the north, Washington Township to the north and east, Salem Township to the south and southeast, Delmont to the southeast, Penn Township to the south, and the Allegheny County municipalities of Monroeville to the southwest and
Plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...
to the west. The borough of
Export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is a ...
is situated inside Murrysville in the south-southeast section.


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 18,872 people, 7,083 households, and 5,630 families located in the municipality. The population density was . There were 7,396 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the Municipality was 95.38%
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 ...
, 0.61%
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 ...
, 0.05% Native American, 3.28% Asian, 0.01%
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 ...
, 0.16% from other races, and 0.50% 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 0.56% of the population. There were 7,083 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.8% 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, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.01. In the Municipality population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the Municipality was $64,071, and the median income for a family was $72,740. Males had a median income of $58,553 versus $32,567 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 Municipality was $32,017. About 2.2% of families and 2.8% 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 3.1% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.


Government

Murrysville is governed by a
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
(currently Regis J. Synan) who is elected every two years and has executive/administrative powers, and a seven-member
council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
, whose members are elected every four years and have precise legislative powers. In the mid-1970s, as suburban growth began to occur, the community rapidly transitioned through three forms of government (township, borough, and home rule) and four legal name changes (Franklin Township, Franklin Borough, Murrysville Borough, and Municipality of Murrysville). Since 1976, it has operated under its Home Rule Charter as the Municipality of Murrysville. On Dec. 6, 2023, Murrysville Council approved gas
fracking Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of formations in bedrock by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure inje ...
beneath its two largest parks, Duff and Murrysville Community Park, over the objections of at least 174 residents who petitioned Council. No plan was presented for using the incoming money from the leases. Council member Jason Lemak pointed to fracking operations around the Beaver Run Reservoir “We’re talking about parks, but there has been fracking going on for a long time below the water supply for us and 120,000 people,” he said. On Dec. 18, 2023, the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County issued a mandatory water conservation order for Murrysville and others, including energy companies using water from the Beaver Run Reservoir for fracking, due to an ongoing
drought A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
. In the Department of Environmental Protection’s 2021
Climate Change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
Impacts Assessment, it is noted that precipitation patterns are expected to change over the next century. Those changes are likely to include more extreme and intense rainfall — something scientists already have reported noticing — and increased drier weather in between and drought, along with higher temperatures. “In general, we expect worse drought over most of the U.S. as a result of human-caused warming, and Western Pennsylvania is no exception,” said
Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...
, a professor and director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Our Fragile Moment.”


Education

Murrysville is part of the Franklin Regional School District. The district operates four schools: Franklin Regional Primary School, Franklin Regional Intermediate School, Franklin Regional Middle School, and Franklin Regional High School, with Dr. Gennaro Piraino as the district's superintendent. The district's high school boasts a graduation rate of 99.3% compared to the national average for public high schools of 82% and is ranked #213 in Newsweek's 2016 "America's Top High Schools".http://www.newsweek.com/high-schools/americas-top-high-schools-2016 America's Top High Schools 2016 , Newsweek Private schools includ
Mother of Sorrows Catholic School
The Free Gospel Bible Institute (FGBI), a Holiness Pentecostal
bible college A Bible college, sometimes referred to as a Bible institute or theological institute or theological seminary, is an evangelical Christian or Restoration Movement Christianity, Christian institution of higher education which prepares students for C ...
, is located in Murrysville.


Notable people

*
Julie Benz Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Darla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Darla on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel (1999 TV series), Angel'' (1997–2004), and as Rita Bennett on ''Dexter (TV s ...
(born 1972), actress * Jeremiah Burrell (1815–1856),
Western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Unite ...
lawyer and judge * Bobby Engram (born 1973), Seattle Seahawks wide receiver; San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive coordinator * Eli Evankovich (born 1982), PA House of Representatives, 54th District * Tom Flynn (born 1962), defensive back for Green Bay Packers and New York Giants * Josiah Given (1828–1908) attorney, soldier and Supreme Court justice of Iowa * Spencer Lee (born 1998), Cadet and Junior World Champion in
freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...
, three-time NCAA wrestling National Champion at the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
* Ken Macha (born 1950),
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
manager and major league third baseman * Robert Moose (1947–1976),
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, pitcher 1967–1976 *
Manu Narayan Manu Narayan (born August 16, 1973) is an American actor, film producer, singer, songwriter, composer and saxophonist. He currently guest stars as Hari Sahni on the hit Apple TV series Your Friends & Neighbors (TV series), Your Friends and Neighb ...
(born 1973), actor * Candace Otto (born 1980),
Miss Pennsylvania The Miss Pennsylvania competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Pennsylvania in the Miss America pageant. Pennsylvania, including early years' city representatives, has won the Miss America crown on five occasi ...
2003 *
Maddie Ziegler Madison Nicole Ziegler (; born September 30, 2002) is an American actress and dancer. She appeared in Lifetime (TV network), Lifetime's reality show ''Dance Moms'' from 2011 (at age 8) until 2016, and starred in a series of music videos by Si ...
(born 2002), dancer and actress *
Mackenzie Ziegler Mackenzie Ziegler (born June 4, 2004; age ) is an American singer, actress and former dancer, and internet personality. She appeared as a child for six years on the Lifetime reality dance series ''Dance Moms'' together with her older sister, d ...
(born 2004), dancer, singer, model and actress


See also

* Westmoreland Conservancy
Nonprofit citizen environmental group Protect P-T


References


External links


Municipality website

Murrysville's official Community Magazine

Murrysville Economic and Community Development Corporation
*
The Murrysville Star
'
Murrysville Business Directory

News articles about the Murrysville tree sign and efforts to restore it: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 16, 2006

''Penn-Franklin News'', based in Murrysville
{{authority control Home Rule Municipalities in Pennsylvania Boroughs in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1788 Pittsburgh metropolitan area 1788 establishments in Pennsylvania