Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia.
Coatesville grew up around the Lukens Steel Company
. Lukens was bought by the Bethlehem Steel
Corporation in 1997. In 2002, Bethlehem was bought by the then Ohio-based International Steel Group
(ISG). Later, Mittal Steel bought ISG and then merged with Arcelor Steel to form the ArcelorMittal company.
William Fleming, originally from Scotland
, is one of the earliest landowners on record. He built a log cabin in the area of Harmony Street and 5th Avenue and owned about 207 acre (0.83770002 km²) of land bordering the Brandywine River.
Moses Coates, a prosperous farmer and the namesake of Coatesville, bought the Fleming house from Fleming's son in 1787. Moses Coates' son-in-law, Jesse Kersey, came up with a plan to develop the area by selling frontage on the recently completed Lancaster Turnpike which crossed through their land. The Lancaster Turnpike was the first toll road in the U.S., authorized in 1792 and completed in 1795. There was a tollgate located within the present day Coatesville city limits. Coatesville became a popular stopping point since it was located roughly halfway between Philadelphia and Lancaster
on the Turnpike.
Another of the earliest settlers in the Coatesville region was Pierre Bizallion. He was a French fur trader who settled in the area in the early 18th century, and was said to have been an interpreter between William Penn
and the Native Americans. The Veterans Administration Hospital now sits on a piece of the roughly 500 acres (2 km²) of land that was once owned by Bizallion.
Coatesville was able to capitalize on the natural energy available due to the Brandywine River running through the area. Jesse Kersey, Moses Coates' son-in-law, partnered with the ironmaster Isaac Pennock and purchased over 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) of Moses Coates' farm along both sides of the Brandywine River in 1810. The resulting company was named the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory, the forerunner of Lukens Steel
. Charles Lukens, MD, married Isaac Pennock's daughter Rebecca in 1813. Following her husband's death in 1825, Rebecca Pennock Lukens took over the operations of the mill, purchasing it from her mother and seeing it through turmoil and market panic into a prosperous mill. Rebecca was one of the first female operators of a major corporation in America.
the steel industry began a long decline and Lukens Steel was eventually sold again and again, forcing workplace reductions to 5,000 and eventually to 2,000.
In 1911, the lynching
in Coatesville of Zachariah Walker, a black man who killed a white mill policeman Edgar Rice, prompted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) to investigate and called for an end to lynching nationwide. The lynching was the last in Pennsylvania and is said to have left a stain on the city's image.
, building new single family and townhouse
developments, a regional recreation center, and most recently, mixed use
projects that would include retail, office, and condominium housing, as well as the renovation of the local Amtrak
station which has fallen into disrepair. A Marriott hotel began construction along Route 82 on the outskirts of Coatesville in 2011, and is slated for a March 2012 opening.
The redevelopment plans have not been without controversy, including a five-year eminent domain
dispute with a local landowner in neighboring Valley Township
. It has been resolved without the need to seize the property, but it caused the ouster of four incumbent city councilpersons in the November 2005 general elections. The four new councilpersons, two of whom are ordained Pentecostal and Methodist ministers, caused further controversy with the firing of the city solicitor, the resignation of the city manager (who negotiated with the Valley Township landowner), and the departure of the assistant manager, police chief, and city treasurer.
A series of arsons took place in the city from 2007 to early 2009. A December 2008 fire at a Strode Avenue home resulted in the death of 83-year-old World War II Holocaust survivor Irene Kempest. Another fire the following month on the 300 block of Fleetwood Street burned 17 row houses
, causing $2 million in damage and leaving dozens homeless.
By March of 2009, police had arrested six suspects in the fires. On June 8, 2010 one man, pleading no-contest due to mental illness
, was sentenced to a 60-year prison sentence for five of the fires, one of which resulted in Kempest's death. Another, who plead guilty to the Fleetwood Street fire and eight others, received a sentence of 12.5 to 25 years with order to pay $2.5 million in restitution. Twenty of the nearly 70 fires over the two-year span remain unsolved.
In 1969 Lukens Steel forged steel beams for the World Trade Center
in New York City
. Some of these beams, known as "trees", remained standing after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. Ten of the "trees" that remained were transported back to Coatesville on April 15, 2010, and are slated to be a part of the proposed National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum.
, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which 0.53% is water.
of 6,894.7 people per square mile (2,673.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.0% White, 46.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.9% from other races
, and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.0% of the population.
There were 4,498 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.3% were married couples
living together, 27.7% had a female householder with no spouse present, 8.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 35.8% were non-families. 42.4% of all households had individuals under 18 living in them and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.46.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18. The median age was 31 years. The population was 50.6% female and 49.4% male.
Coatesville had 4,998 housing units, of which 90.2% were occupied. Of the occupied housing units, 37.5% were owner-occupied.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $29,912, and the median income for a family was $36,375. Males had a median income of $31,782 versus $24,774 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,079. About 18.3% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
, which allows private and corporate aircraft to easily access the town, is located about 3 miles (4.8 km) west in neighboring Valley Township,
Coatesville is also served by the Coatesville Amtrak Station
, which until 1997 also served the Paoli/Thorndale Line
regional railroad from Philadelphia.
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
, 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...
. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia.
Coatesville grew up around the Lukens Steel Company
Lukens Steel Company
Lukens Steel Company is located in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Lukens is the oldest steel mill in commission within the United States. In 1995 it was one of the three largest producers of plate steel and the largest domestic manufacturer of alloy-plate. It is ranked fourth out of 24 public steel...
. Lukens was bought by the Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
Corporation in 1997. In 2002, Bethlehem was bought by the then Ohio-based International Steel Group
International Steel Group
International Steel Group was a steel company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2004 it was ranked #426 on the Fortune 500. It was created after the turn around fund, WL Ross & Co. LLC, purchased LTV Steel in February 2002...
(ISG). Later, Mittal Steel bought ISG and then merged with Arcelor Steel to form the ArcelorMittal company.
Beginnings
The first known settlement in the area which would be known as Coatesville was a Native American village built along the Brandywine River. This settlement was a post for fur trading with the earliest American settlers. The Brandywine River features prominently in the history of Coatesville.William Fleming, originally from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, is one of the earliest landowners on record. He built a log cabin in the area of Harmony Street and 5th Avenue and owned about 207 acre (0.83770002 km²) of land bordering the Brandywine River.
Moses Coates, a prosperous farmer and the namesake of Coatesville, bought the Fleming house from Fleming's son in 1787. Moses Coates' son-in-law, Jesse Kersey, came up with a plan to develop the area by selling frontage on the recently completed Lancaster Turnpike which crossed through their land. The Lancaster Turnpike was the first toll road in the U.S., authorized in 1792 and completed in 1795. There was a tollgate located within the present day Coatesville city limits. Coatesville became a popular stopping point since it was located roughly halfway between Philadelphia and Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
on the Turnpike.
Another of the earliest settlers in the Coatesville region was Pierre Bizallion. He was a French fur trader who settled in the area in the early 18th century, and was said to have been an interpreter between William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
and the Native Americans. The Veterans Administration Hospital now sits on a piece of the roughly 500 acres (2 km²) of land that was once owned by Bizallion.
19th century
Before Coatesville became the only city in Chester County, it was a town called Bridge-Town, because of the two bridges that were used to cross the Brandywine River. A village named "Midway", named after its station owned by the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad midway between Philadelphia and Lancaster, was also formed in 1834 on the western bank of the Brandywine. The village of Midway and the village of Bridge-Town merged to become the borough of Coatesville in 1867. Coatesville citizens voted to become a city in 1915.Coatesville was able to capitalize on the natural energy available due to the Brandywine River running through the area. Jesse Kersey, Moses Coates' son-in-law, partnered with the ironmaster Isaac Pennock and purchased over 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) of Moses Coates' farm along both sides of the Brandywine River in 1810. The resulting company was named the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory, the forerunner of Lukens Steel
Lukens Steel Company
Lukens Steel Company is located in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Lukens is the oldest steel mill in commission within the United States. In 1995 it was one of the three largest producers of plate steel and the largest domestic manufacturer of alloy-plate. It is ranked fourth out of 24 public steel...
. Charles Lukens, MD, married Isaac Pennock's daughter Rebecca in 1813. Following her husband's death in 1825, Rebecca Pennock Lukens took over the operations of the mill, purchasing it from her mother and seeing it through turmoil and market panic into a prosperous mill. Rebecca was one of the first female operators of a major corporation in America.
20th century
As Lukens Steel grew so did Coatesville, eventually becoming known as the "Pittsburgh of the East." By the beginning of the 20th century the population had grown to 6,000. Along with the growth, the school system expanded as well as the religious community. In 1932 Coatesville was the home to 22 churches and Chester County's only synagogue, Beth Israel Congregation. Lukens Steel was the largest employer in Chester County in the 1960s, with over 10,000 workers. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the steel industry began a long decline and Lukens Steel was eventually sold again and again, forcing workplace reductions to 5,000 and eventually to 2,000.
In 1911, the lynching
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
in Coatesville of Zachariah Walker, a black man who killed a white mill policeman Edgar Rice, prompted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP) to investigate and called for an end to lynching nationwide. The lynching was the last in Pennsylvania and is said to have left a stain on the city's image.
21st century
Coatesville recently began an ambitious redevelopment project which include tearing down abandoned and dangerous public housingPublic housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
, building new single family and townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
developments, a regional recreation center, and most recently, mixed use
Mixed-use development
Mixed-use development is the use of a building, set of buildings, or neighborhood for more than one purpose. Since the 1920s, zoning in some countries has required uses to be separated. However, when jobs, housing, and commercial activities are located close together, a community's transportation...
projects that would include retail, office, and condominium housing, as well as the renovation of the local Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station which has fallen into disrepair. A Marriott hotel began construction along Route 82 on the outskirts of Coatesville in 2011, and is slated for a March 2012 opening.
The redevelopment plans have not been without controversy, including a five-year eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
dispute with a local landowner in neighboring Valley Township
Valley Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Valley Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,794 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which 0.17% is water.-Demographics:...
. It has been resolved without the need to seize the property, but it caused the ouster of four incumbent city councilpersons in the November 2005 general elections. The four new councilpersons, two of whom are ordained Pentecostal and Methodist ministers, caused further controversy with the firing of the city solicitor, the resignation of the city manager (who negotiated with the Valley Township landowner), and the departure of the assistant manager, police chief, and city treasurer.
A series of arsons took place in the city from 2007 to early 2009. A December 2008 fire at a Strode Avenue home resulted in the death of 83-year-old World War II Holocaust survivor Irene Kempest. Another fire the following month on the 300 block of Fleetwood Street burned 17 row houses
Row houses
The Row at Stanford University is made up of 36 student-managed houses, from the Cowell Cluster to the Lake Houses and all along Mayfield Avenue, with a total population of a little over 1600 students. Houses range in occupancy from 22 to 59...
, causing $2 million in damage and leaving dozens homeless.
By March of 2009, police had arrested six suspects in the fires. On June 8, 2010 one man, pleading no-contest due to mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, was sentenced to a 60-year prison sentence for five of the fires, one of which resulted in Kempest's death. Another, who plead guilty to the Fleetwood Street fire and eight others, received a sentence of 12.5 to 25 years with order to pay $2.5 million in restitution. Twenty of the nearly 70 fires over the two-year span remain unsolved.
In 1969 Lukens Steel forged steel beams for the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Some of these beams, known as "trees", remained standing after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. Ten of the "trees" that remained were transported back to Coatesville on April 15, 2010, and are slated to be a part of the proposed National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), of which 0.53% is water.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census stated there were 13,100 people, 4,498 households, and 2,889 families residing in the city, with a population densityPopulation 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...
of 6,894.7 people per square mile (2,673.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 38.0% White, 46.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.9% 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 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.0% of the population.
There were 4,498 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.3% 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, 27.7% had a female householder with no spouse present, 8.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 35.8% were non-families. 42.4% of all households had individuals under 18 living in them and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.46.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18. The median age was 31 years. The population was 50.6% female and 49.4% male.
Coatesville had 4,998 housing units, of which 90.2% were occupied. Of the occupied housing units, 37.5% were owner-occupied.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $29,912, and the median income for a family was $36,375. Males had a median income of $31,782 versus $24,774 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 city was $14,079. About 18.3% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
A general aviation airport, Chester County G. O. Carlson AirportChester County G. O. Carlson Airport
Chester County G. O. Carlson Airport is a public-use airport located two miles west of the central business district of Coatesville, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by the Chester County Area Airport Authority....
, which allows private and corporate aircraft to easily access the town, is located about 3 miles (4.8 km) west in neighboring Valley Township,
Coatesville is also served by the Coatesville Amtrak Station
Coatesville (Amtrak station)
Coatesville Station is an Amtrak rail station located in the far western suburbs of Philadelphia at Third Avenue and Fleetwood Street in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. It is served by most Amtrak Keystone Service trains....
, which until 1997 also served the Paoli/Thorndale Line
Paoli/Thorndale Line
The Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...
regional railroad from Philadelphia.
Notable people
- Calvin GroveCalvin GroveCalvin Grove was a boxer in the Featherweight division. Grove turned pro in 1982 and in 1988 captured the IBF featherweight title with a TKO over Antonio Rivera. He defended the belt once before losing it to Jorge Páez later that same year...
, professional boxer who won the IBFIBFIBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...
Featherweight title in 1988 - Richard HamiltonRichard Hamilton (basketball)Richard "Rip" Hamilton is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton is 6'7" tall, weighs 193 lbs , and plays shooting guard. He currently is the Pistons' team captain....
, NBA All-Star guard for the Detroit PistonsDetroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... - Ralph HudsonRalph HudsonRalph Hudson was the last person to be executed by New Jersey.A native of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Hudson was tried and convicted of stabbing his estranged wife Myrtle Hudson to death as she worked at a Atlantic City, New Jersey restaurant on December 27, 1960...
, last person to be put to death by the state of New Jersey - Ray KeechRay KeechRay Keech was a board track and brick track racer in the 1920s. He is best remembered for winning the 1929 Indianapolis 500, and for setting a land speed record.-Land speed record:...
, American Racing Pioneer in the 1920's, Won the 1929 Indianapolis 5001929 Indianapolis 500Results of the 1929 Indianapolis 500 held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1929.*Ray Keech reigned as champion for only 17 days; he was killed at Altoona Speedway June 15, 1929....