Schellsburg, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Schellsburg is a borough
in Bedford County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 316 at the 2000 census.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
At an early age, John Schell, Jr. became possessed of considerable means after his patriotic service in the U.S. Revolutionary War and his father's death in 1777. For many years he traveled extensively on business through Bedford County, western Pennsylvania and Kentucky, which was admitted as a state in 1792. He was impressed by the climate and fertile soil in Kentucky, decided to remove there and select land to establish his own community for his family and friends. In the spring of 1800, John Schell and his family, consisting of his wife, eight young children and his widowed mother, left their home in Montgomery County and traveled west. When they arrived at the Ohio River, he realized that it would be unsafe for his family to traverse the river by boat due to the Indians. He returned through Napier Township in Bedford County and decided instead to settle in what is the present location of Schellsburg.
On May 1, 1800 John Schell purchased large tracts of land of more than 1500 acres (6.1 km²), which were later divided into farms and given to each of his sons with an equivalent in money and land to his daughters. His own homestead was constructed on property located outside the town of Schellsburg. John Schell generously donated land for schools, churches and town lots and granted parcels to the town and its citizens. In 1808 he laid out the town lots, developed the community and provided impetus for construction of the nearby turnpike as its first president. After he settled in Bedford County, relatives and neighbors in Montgomery County followed and settled in the area and the immediate vicinity. Schellsburg was incorporated as the second borough of Bedford County in 1838. The town was designated an the Schellsburg Historic District
in 2001 and included on the National Register of Historic Places
by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service, in recognition of the town's rich architectural heritage of buildings constructed of log and stone in the 19th century.
The first church in Schellsburg was Union Church. It was erected in 1806 and is the oldest church structure in Bedford County. John Schell died in 1825, his wife in 1842, and they are buried next to each other in the cemetery which encircles the church, surrounded by generations of family members who followed them. Now known as the Old Log Church, it was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 as the Chestnut Ridge and Schellsburg Union Church and Cemetery
. It was rededicated during the Bicentennial Celebration on June 24, 2006. During the celebration, a Founder's Stone was dedicated and placed at the grave of John Schell, which is further distinguished by a DAR marker and flag to commemorate his service in the U.S. Revolutionary War.
of 2000, there are 316 people, 129 households, and 91 families residing in the borough. The population density
is 793.6 people per square mile (305.0/km²). There are 148 housing units at an average density of 371.7 per square mile (142.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough is 98.42% White, 0.32% Native American, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 129 households out of which 27.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% are married couples
living together, 3.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% are non-families. 24.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.45 and the average family size is 2.86.
In the borough the population is spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $36,563, and the median income for a family is $38,750. Males have a median income of $27,386 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
for the borough is $16,303. 5.8% of the population and 2.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population,None of those under the age of 18 and 13.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
in Bedford County
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,762. The county seat is Bedford. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, 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 316 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Schellsburg is located at 40°2′55"N 78°38′38"W (40.048680, -78.643944). It lies at the south end of Chestnut RidgeChestnut Ridge, Bedford County
Chestnut Ridge is an elongate hill trending northeast-southwest in west-central Bedford County, Pennsylvania. It is partially forested with rural homes, farms, and notably apple orchards. Four small towns surround it: Schellsburg, New Paris, Fishertown, and Pleasantville...
.
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 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
History
Schellsburg was so named after John Schell who settled and founded this community. John Schell's grandfather Michael Schell, the progenitor of this branch of the Schell family in America, first arrived in Philadelphia from the Palatinate by way of Rotterdam in 1727, after which more family members arrived in 1732 and again in 1738. In 1732 when he returned with other members of his family, Michael Schell purchased a substantial tract of land where he settled with his family in the Perkiomen Valley northwest of Philadelphia, an area in Upper Hanover Township later known as East Greenville, in what was then Philadelphia County and became Montgomery County in 1760. The adjoining community of Hillegassville was named after its founder Johann Frederick Hillegass. His granddaughter Elizabeth Barbara Hillegass married John Schell, Jr., who was born in 1725 at the family homestead granted to his father John Schell, Sr., the youngest son of Michael Schell who died in 1770.At an early age, John Schell, Jr. became possessed of considerable means after his patriotic service in the U.S. Revolutionary War and his father's death in 1777. For many years he traveled extensively on business through Bedford County, western Pennsylvania and Kentucky, which was admitted as a state in 1792. He was impressed by the climate and fertile soil in Kentucky, decided to remove there and select land to establish his own community for his family and friends. In the spring of 1800, John Schell and his family, consisting of his wife, eight young children and his widowed mother, left their home in Montgomery County and traveled west. When they arrived at the Ohio River, he realized that it would be unsafe for his family to traverse the river by boat due to the Indians. He returned through Napier Township in Bedford County and decided instead to settle in what is the present location of Schellsburg.
On May 1, 1800 John Schell purchased large tracts of land of more than 1500 acres (6.1 km²), which were later divided into farms and given to each of his sons with an equivalent in money and land to his daughters. His own homestead was constructed on property located outside the town of Schellsburg. John Schell generously donated land for schools, churches and town lots and granted parcels to the town and its citizens. In 1808 he laid out the town lots, developed the community and provided impetus for construction of the nearby turnpike as its first president. After he settled in Bedford County, relatives and neighbors in Montgomery County followed and settled in the area and the immediate vicinity. Schellsburg was incorporated as the second borough of Bedford County in 1838. The town was designated an the Schellsburg Historic District
Schellsburg Historic District
Schellsburg Historic District is a national historic district located at Schellsburg, Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 92 contributing buildings in the crossroads community of Schellsburg. The buildings date between about 1810 and 1949, and include notable examples of Prairie...
in 2001 and included on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service, in recognition of the town's rich architectural heritage of buildings constructed of log and stone in the 19th century.
The first church in Schellsburg was Union Church. It was erected in 1806 and is the oldest church structure in Bedford County. John Schell died in 1825, his wife in 1842, and they are buried next to each other in the cemetery which encircles the church, surrounded by generations of family members who followed them. Now known as the Old Log Church, it was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 as the Chestnut Ridge and Schellsburg Union Church and Cemetery
Chestnut Ridge and Schellsburg Union Church and Cemetery
Chestnut Ridge and Schellsburg Union Church and Cemetery is a historic church and cemetery in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.-External links:* of the Old Log Church* at Find A Grave*...
. It was rededicated during the Bicentennial Celebration on June 24, 2006. During the celebration, a Founder's Stone was dedicated and placed at the grave of John Schell, which is further distinguished by a DAR marker and flag to commemorate his service in the U.S. Revolutionary War.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 are 316 people, 129 households, and 91 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...
is 793.6 people per square mile (305.0/km²). There are 148 housing units at an average density of 371.7 per square mile (142.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough is 98.42% White, 0.32% Native American, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.32% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 129 households out of which 27.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% are 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, 3.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% are non-families. 24.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.45 and the average family size is 2.86.
In the borough the population is spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $36,563, and the median income for a family is $38,750. Males have a median income of $27,386 versus $20,000 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 is $16,303. 5.8% of the population and 2.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population,None of those under the age of 18 and 13.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.