West Pittston 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 the Greater Pittston area of

Luzerne County Luzerne County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeaste ...

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 located on the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

(opposite of Pittston City). In 2020, the population was 4,644. The town once produced mine screens,

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

, crackers, and many other goods. West Pittston rose to national attention in September 2011, when catastrophic flooding (caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee) left much of the borough under water.

History

West Pittston was settled in the 1770s. On July 1, 1778, during the Revolutionary War, Fort Jenkins (a patriot

stockade A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls, made of logs placed side by side vertically, with the tops sharpened as a defensive wall. Etymology ''Stockade'' is derived from the French word ''estocade''. The French word was derived f ...

in present-day West Pittston) surrendered to the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

(under Major John Butler). It was later burned to the ground. On July 3, the

Battle of Wyoming The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militia and a force of Loyalist soldiers and Iroquois warriors. The battle took place in the Wyoming Val ...

was fought only several miles outside of West Pittston. It was incorporated as a borough in 1857. The West Pittston Police Department was also established that same year. West Pittston was the home of Company D, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, which is part of the 28th Infantry Division. Two bridges were constructed over the

connecting Pittston City and West Pittston. In 1914, the Penn Bridge Company constructed the Water Street Bridge. Today, the Water Street Bridge (Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge) is illuminated by

fiber-optic cable A fiber-optic cable, also known as an optical-fiber cable, is an assembly similar to an electrical cable but containing one or more optical fibers that are used to carry light. The optical fiber elements are typically individually coated with p ...

. The colors of the lights can be changed manually to reflect holidays and local sporting rivalries. In 1928, a parallel bridge (the Fort Jenkins Bridge) was constructed north of the Water Street Bridge. The Fort Jenkins Bridge, which was later renamed the Dale J. Kridlo Memorial Bridge, is part of

U.S. Route 11 U.S. Route 11 or U.S. Highway 11 (US 11) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway extending across the eastern U.S. The southern terminus of the route is at US 90 in Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refu ...

. U.S. 11 runs through the heart of West Pittston. In June 1972,

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...

was responsible for massive flooding in and around the Greater Pittston area. From 1974 to 1989, alleged ghost hauntings took place in the home of Jack and Janet Smurl in West Pittston; it inspired the 1991 film '' The Haunted''. On September 8, 2011, the Susquehanna River, spurred by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Lee, crested at a record . It flooded more than a quarter of the town. This was considered to be a historic flooding event which displaced thousands of people and caused millions of dollars in damages to businesses and homes. Following record flooding, the non-profit organizatio
West Pittston Tomorrow
was founded. Its purpose was to improve the damaged community. It expanded the public library and created community gardens. Pittston, Pennsylvania (4111301389).jpg, Firefighters' Memorial Bridge facing West Pittston Pittston, Pennsylvania (4111301775).jpg, Specialist Dale J. Kridlo Memorial Bridge (

); West Pittston is on the left West Pittston Library LuzCp PA.jpg, West Pittston Library

Geography

West Pittston is located at (41.329265, -75.799048). 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 , of which is land and , or 15.10%, is water. West Pittston lies on the western side of the

in northern Luzerne County. The City of

Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( , alternatively or ) is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. ...

is located to the southwest. The City of

Pittston Pittston is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city lies in the Wyoming Valley on the east side of the Susquehanna River and on the south side of the Lackawanna River. It is approximately midway between Wilkes-Barre, Pen ...

is located directly across the river (to the east). The borough is situated within the Wyoming Area School District.

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 5,072 people, 2,243 households, and 1,397 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,381 housing units at an average density of . The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the borough was 98.8%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.00% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.00% from other races, and 0.3% 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 0.4% of the population. There were 2,243 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% 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, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.92. In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.5 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $33,030, and the median income for a family was $41,729. Males had a median income of $35,386 versus $20,656 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 $20,370. About 9.6% of families and 10.1% 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 20.5% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or ove

Education

It is in the Wyoming Area School District.

Culture

West Pittston has an annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The event usually consists of bands, food, and a parade. The parade includes the Wyoming Area Marching Band, Little League teams,

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

troops, and various local emergency service crews. The festival also includes musical concerts, skit shows, and a Miss Cherry Blossom contest. *

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 ...

Gualdo Tadino Gualdo Tadino (Latin: ''Tadinum'') is an ancient town of Italy, in the province of Perugia in northeastern Umbria, on the lower flanks of Monte Penna, a mountain of the Apennines. It is NE of Perugia. History Gualdo has a long history and was o ...

, Italy

Notable people

* Annabel Morris Holvey (1855–1910), newspaper editor, social reformer *

Marion Lorne Marion Lorne MacDougal or MacDougall (August 12, 1883 – May 9, 1968), known professionally as Marion Lorne, was an American actress on stage, film, and television. After a career in theatre in New York and London, Lorne made her first f ...

, actress, born in West Pittston *

Anne Sargent Anne Sargent (born Helen W. Thomas; November 18, 1923 – July 23, 2007) was a film and stage actress from West Pittston, Pennsylvania,''Hedda Hopper'', Los Angeles Times, July 27, 1950, pg. B10. who performed in theater under the directi ...

, actress * Susan E. Dickinson, journalist

References

External links

*
West Pittston Historical Society

West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival
{{authority control Pennsylvania populated places on the Susquehanna River Populated places established in 1778 Boroughs in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 1857 establishments in Pennsylvania