Zelienople () is a borough in western

Butler County, Pennsylvania Butler County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 193,763. Its county seat is Butler. Butler County was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named in honor of Gen ...

, United States, north 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 3,812 at the 2010 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

Zelienople was named for the eldest daughter of Baron Dettmar Basse (1762–1836), whose chosen name was Zelie (her given name was Fredericka) which she named herself after her favorite doll. Baron Basse arrived in 1802 from

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, and purchased a tract of of land in Butler and Beaver counties. He proceeded to lay out a village and build his own private residence, a three-story castle, complete with towers, turrets and battlements, named "The Bassenheim", which was destroyed by fire on July 29, 1841. At the time, Zelie was betrothed to Philip Louis Passavant, and was still in Germany. Extensive preparations were made by Baron Basse to establish the new home and town in America and prepare it for his daughter's arrival in September 1807. Baron Basse sold of his land to

George Rapp John George Rapp (; November 1, 1757 – August 7, 1847) was the founder of the religious sect called the Harmony Society and a number of associated communes. Born in Iptingen, Germany, Rapp became inspired by the philosophies of Jakob Böhme, ...

, a Bavarian

pietist Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life. Although the movement is ali ...

religious leader, who founded the village of

Harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

. Baron Basse came to be known as "Dr. Muller". Whether the title of "Doctor" was given to him due to a knowledge of medicine, or conferred upon him as a degree, is unknown. He was regarded as an intelligent man, and during the

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

ic era represented Frankfurt as an ambassador to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Basse returned to Germany in 1818, leaving his business to his son-in-law, Philipp Passavant. Philip Passavant opened the first store in 1807, and managed it for 41 years, until he gave it to his son, C. S. Passavant. By 1826, there were fifty houses in Zelienople, and three churches. The population in 1870 was 387, and in 1890, it had grown to 639. In 1879, the first passenger train arrived to the town, substantially increasing the growth and commerce. In 1880, the American Union Telegraph Company established an office in Zelienople. The

Federalists The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

appointed Andrew McClure, a local tavern-keeper, as the first postmaster of Zelienople in the first decade of 1800. Christian Buhl was named the first justice of the peace in 1840. Early Zelienople commerce supported the local agriculture community, as there was no viable means of transportation. In 1840 Zelienople was incorporated as 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 1878 a railroad was built through Zelienople. From this time there has been moderate expansion of industry, residences, and local government. There has been a volunteer fire department since about 1850. A full-time Borough Manager was hired in 1994. The growth of Pittsburgh to the south, along with the building of Interstate 79, provides a challenge to Zelienople in coping with these changes through the 21st century. Zelienople was linked to

Ellwood City Ellwood City is a borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a small district extending into Beaver County, it lies along the Connoquenessing Creek just east of its confluence with the Beaver River. The population ...

, Evans City and

in 1908 by the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway, an

interurban The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...

trolley line. The line closed on June 15, 1931, and the trolleys were replaced by buses.

Geography

Zelienople is located in southwestern Butler County, situated on the south bank of

Connoquenessing Creek Connoquenessing Creek is a tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 50 mi (80 km) long, in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. Course Connoquenessing Creek rises in eastern Butler County and flows southwest, through the ...

, in an area that is rich with coal and iron ore. The elevation is above sea level. The borough is bordered by Jackson Township on the north, southeast, and south, and by the borough of

on the northeast. The western border of Zelienople is the Beaver County line.

U.S. Route 19 U.S. Route 19 or U.S. Highway 19 (US 19) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Eastern United States. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul road, connecting the Gulf of Mex ...

(Perry Highway) is the main north–south road through the center of town.

Interstate 79 Interstate 79 (I-79) is an Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States, designated from I-77 in Charleston, West Virginia, north to Pennsylvania Route 5 (PA 5) and PA 290 in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a primary thoroughfare t ...

, running generally parallel to US 19, passes just to the east of the borough, with access from Exits 85, 87, and 88. Via I-79 and

I-279 Interstate 279 (I-279), locally referred to as Parkway North, is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway that lies entirely within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Its southern end is at I-376 at the Fort Pitt Bridge in Pittsburgh, a ...

it is south to downtown Pittsburgh. To the north I-79 leads to

Erie Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 ...

Pennsylvania Route 68 Pennsylvania Route 68 (PA 68) is a east–west state highway located in western Pennsylvania in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at the Ohio state line west of Glasgow, Pennsylvania, Glasgow, where PA 68 continues in ...

runs east from US 19 as East Grandview Avenue and southwest as West Beaver Street. Via PA 68 it is east to

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

, the county seat, and southwest to Rochester on 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 ...

. Routes

288 Year 288 ( CCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximian and Ianuarianus (or, less frequently, year 1041 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...

and

588 __NOTOC__ Year 588 ( DLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 588 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Euro ...

lead west from town on West New Castle Street, PA 288 turning northwest to lead to

, and PA 588 leading west to Beaver Falls. 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 , or 2.20%, is water.

Demographics

As of the census, there were 4,123 people, 1,956 households, and 1,054 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 2,113 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 97.91% White, 0.39% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population. There were 1,956 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 41.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.7% 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 2.87. In the borough the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $40,250, and the median income for a family was $52,426. 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 $23,555. About 0.2% of families and 0.7% 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 0.4% of those under age 18 and 0.3% of those age 65 or over.

Culture and events

Every year, Zelienople hosts a

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

parade through downtown. The Strand Theater is a performing arts center on Main Street that has been restored, and hosts concerts and films for the borough and surrounding area. For the past 44 years, one of the major annual events is the town's summer Horse Trading Days Arts and Music Festival. Crafters, vendors, entertainers and tourists are drawn from the entire tri-state area to participate in the family-oriented event that features concerts, games, contests, shopping, food, and a run/walk event. The festival funding comes from local residents, businesses, the police and fire department, Lancaster Township, and the Zelienople borough.

References

External links

Borough of Zelienople official websiteZelienople Historical SocietyZelienople-Harmony Area Chamber of CommerceZelienople & Harmony Annual Horse Trading DaysStrand Theater
*http://www.myzeliepark.org/ {{authority control Populated places established in 1802 Pittsburgh metropolitan area Boroughs in Butler County, Pennsylvania 1840 establishments in Pennsylvania