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Rochester 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 ...
in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Beaver and
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
rivers northwest 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 ...
. The population was 3,472 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Like many towns around Pittsburgh, Rochester was a former industrial hub, home to the H. C. Fry Glass Company, and was a major junction on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Rochester has been a background for films, including the 1986 movie '' Gung Ho'', the 1996 movie '' Kingpin'', and the 2000 movie '' Wonder Boys''.


History

What eventually became Rochester was originally a
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 ...
village called Sawcunk. The area was settled in 1799 in what was then the American frontier by white settlers and was known as East Bridgewater, Fairport, and Beaver Point. The borough adopted the name Rochester in 1834 when a local businessman who did regular business in Pittsburgh decided to christen his home with the name Rochester so he could have a unique name to stamp his goods; the borough was officially incorporated as such in 1849.The Hub: Rochester’s formative days were once part of East Bridgewater
'' The Beaver County Times'' (July 14, 2015)
Many of the streets that run through Rochester today had different names based on wild animals. Virginia Avenue and Adams Street—two of the city's main thoroughfares via Pennsylvania Route 68—were once known as Fox Lane and Tiger Lane, respectively. Deer Lane, which still exists today, is the last remnant of the original naming scheme for the street grid in the borough. Rochester is where Henry Clay Fry and his associates formed a glass manufacturing company following Fry's return from 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 ...
. In 1897 the Rochester Tumbler Company (as the company was known) became the National Glass Company of Rochester. The company helped to introduce pressed glass production to America, pressing the glass into a mold where previously the technique of cut glass had been to blow it by hand. At its height, the National Glass Company of Rochester employed over 1000 people but its bankruptcy during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
began a long decline in the town's population which continues up to today. Rochester was a railroad junction for the Pennsylvania Railroad and sat along the railroad's mainline from the Eastern United States to Chicago.


Geography

Rochester is at (40.703146, -80.283420). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (17.14%) is water.


Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,014 people, 1,732 households, and 971 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,900 housing units at an average density of 1,243.4 inhabitants/km2 (3,247.8 inhabitants/mi2). The racial makeup of the borough was 83.81% White, 13.38% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.57% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population. There were 1,732 households, out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.97. In the borough, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $30,970, and the median income for a family was $39,805. Males had a median income of $28,906 versus $21,576 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 $15,359. About 7.2% of families and 12.2% 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 14.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Children in Rochester are served by the Rochester Area School District. The current schools serving Rochester are: * Rochester Elementary School – grades K–5 * Rochester Middle School – grades 6–8 * Rochester Area High School – grades 9–12


Notable people

*
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
, Grammy award-winning pop music singer * Barney Cable, NBA basketball player 1958–1964 * Mickey Davis, basketball player * Tony Dorsett, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back * Mark Grater, Major League Baseball player * Juliet Greer, educator, college dean * Kirby Griffin, American football player * Kris Griffin, Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns linebacker * Babe Parilli, Vito "Babe" Parilli, All Star quarterback of the Boston Patriots' "Team of the 1960s" * Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton, war veteran after whom Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was named * Oliver B. Shallenberger, electrical engineer and inventor * Mark Vlasic, American football quarterback * Lauryn Williams, 2005 100m World champion sprinter and Olympic gold medalist and silver medalist


See also

*
List of cities and towns along the Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...


References

{{authority control 1799 establishments in Pennsylvania Boroughs in Beaver County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1799