Burgettstown, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Burgettstown is a borough in Washington County
Washington County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,576 according to the 2000 census.

History

According to "A History of Washington County, Pennsylvania" by Earle R. Forrest (1926), the original plot of Burgettstown was surveyed February 28, 1795, by Peter Kidd, surveyor for George Burgett. Sebastian Burgett, the first settler there, built Burgett’s fort and grist mill about 1773, and this was an important point in the early settlement of that section of the county. The original name of the town laid out in 1795 was West Boston (named after Boston Burgett). The growth of the town was slow for many years, and until 1910 it was a country village, the center of a substantial farming community. A postoffice was opened January 1. 1811. with Thomas Miller as the first postmaster. The original section known as “Old Town,” was some distance from the railroad station, established when the Panhandle railway was completed in 1865, at which time another postoffice was established and conducted for many years. The intervening space between the two villages was gradually built until they formed one town. A movement to incorporate into a borough was started as early as 1854, but was not successful until March 23, 1881, when a charter was granted by the court.

Geography

Burgettstown is located at 40°22′51"N 80°23′28"W (40.380844, -80.391047).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.

Surrounding communities

Joffre, Bulger
Bulger, Pennsylvania
Bulger is an unincorporated community in Smith Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The ZIP Code is 15019. Bulger was a coal mining town and was the birthplace of football player Doug Russell...

, Cherry Valley
Cherry Valley, Pennsylvania
Cherry Valley is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. There is another Cherry Valley, PA located in Washington County, 5 miles from Burgettstown...

, Atlasburg, Slovan, Langeloth
Langeloth, Pennsylvania
Langeloth is an unincorporated community in Smith Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. Langeloth has been assigned the ZIP code 15054....

, Eldersville, Cross Creek, Studa
Studa, Pennsylvania
Studa, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in West Middletown, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States.It is home to the Pine Bank Covered Bridge....

.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 1,576 people, 656 households, and 429 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 2,531.8 people per square mile (981.4/km²). There were 703 housing units at an average density of 1,129.3 per square mile (437.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.26% White, 1.46% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.51% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.47% of the population.

There were 656 households out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 people and the average family size was 2.93.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $33,350, and the median income for a family was $39,271. Males had a median income of $32,885 versus $23,375 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the borough was $16,097. About 7.6% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

  • First Niagara Pavilion
    First Niagara Pavilion
    First Niagara Pavilion is an outdoor amphitheater in Hanover Township near Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, United States, 25 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh, via US 22...

     in adjacent Hanover Township
    Hanover Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania
    Hanover Township is a township in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,795 at the 2000 census. Hillman State Park, a Pennsylvania state park and the First Niagara Pavilion concert venue are located in Hanover Township....

    , a 23,000 seat outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts throughout the summer
  • Burgettstown Area Middle/High School
    Burgettstown Area School District
    The Burgettstown Area School District is a small, rural public school district located in Washington County, in southwestern Pennsylvania. It services the Borough of Burgettstown and Hanover Township, Jefferson Township, and Smith Township in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The Burgettstown Area...

    , local public school that recently completed renovations for new classrooms, gymnasium and auditorium
  • Burgettstown Community Library, 2 Kerr Street, home of the Ft. Vance Historical Society and the Washington-Greene County chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
  • Pepsi Roadhouse

Notable people

Robert Linn
Robert Linn
Robert P. Linn was the second longest serving mayor in the United States. Linn, a Republican, served 58 years as the mayor of Beaver, Pennsylvania, a borough around northwest of Pittsburgh.-Biography:...

, known for his record setting 58 years of service as a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

, was born in Burgettstown.

Former University of Wisconsin Head Football Coach (and current Director of Athletics) Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez is a former American football player and coach and currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons from 1990 to 2005, compiling a career college football record of 118–73–4...

grew up in adjacent Langeloth, Pennsylvania and attended Burgettstown Jr/Sr High School (formally known as Union High School).
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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