Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...

, 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 developed as a linear village
Linear village
In geography, a linear village, or linear settlement, is a small to medium-sized settlement that is formed around a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Wraysbury, a village in Berkshire, is one of the longest villages in England....

 along the Great Conestoga Road, stretching about two miles along path later known as the Strasburg Road
Strasburg Road
Strasburg Road was an early road in Pennsylvania connecting Philadelphia to Strasburg in Lancaster County. The route was surveyed by John Sellers and others in 1772-3 under the colonial administration of Governor Richard Penn and completed under the new administration of the independent state of...

. The population was 2,800 at the 2000 census.
The town was named by its early settlers in memory of the city
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

 in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...

 from which they had come.
The town is often called "Train Town USA" because of the many railroad attractions in and around town, including the Strasburg Rail Road
Strasburg Rail Road
The Strasburg Rail Road is a heritage railroad located near Strasburg, Pennsylvania. It operates excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.Across the street lies the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania...

 and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741...

. Much of the movie Witness
Witness (1985 film)
Witness is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. The screenplay by William Kelley, Pamela Wallace, and Earl W...

was filmed on a farm nearby. Much of the borough was listed as a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....

 by 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...

 in 1983.

History

The Old Conestoga Road was in use by 1714, and by 1750 a tavern and some log houses were built near the current site of Strasburg. Strasburg grew as the trade over the road with Philadelphia grew. By 1759, there were 32 taxable properties in the town, including about ten hotels. Many early settlers were Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...

s or Swiss or German Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...

s and several church congregations of various faiths formed during the 1760s. The first church was built in 1807 by Methodists.

The Old Conestoga Road was the main path connecting Philadelphia to the west, but in 1792 the new Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795, is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States, according to engineered plans and specifications. It links Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia at 34th Street, stretching for sixty-two miles. However, the western...

 was built, bypassing Strasburg four miles to the north. However, in 1793 construction on the new Strasburg Road
Strasburg Road
Strasburg Road was an early road in Pennsylvania connecting Philadelphia to Strasburg in Lancaster County. The route was surveyed by John Sellers and others in 1772-3 under the colonial administration of Governor Richard Penn and completed under the new administration of the independent state of...

 started, roughly following the old road, passing through West Chester
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...

 on the way to Philadelphia. It attracted traffic because it was not a toll-road, unlike the Philadelphia Turnpike. This road later developed into PA 741
Pennsylvania Route 741
Pennsylvania Route 741 is a long state highway that runs through western and southern Lancaster County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The eastern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 41 in Gap...

.

By 1815 there were 90 houses in Strasburg, about half of which were two stories, indicating a relatively well-off population. There were 53 log, 29 brick, and 4 limestone houses. About half of the log houses survive today, as well as 12 of the brick houses and all 4 of the stone houses. About 150 other houses stand in the historic district, nearly all built before 1900.

Geography

Strasburg is located at 39°58′56"N 76°10′58"W (39.982300, -76.182713).

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 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.

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 2,800 people, 1,110 households, and 798 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 2,714.1 people per square mile (1,049.6/km²). There were 1,135 housing units at an average density of 1,100.2 per square mile (425.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.64% White, 0.57% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.86% Asian, 0.11% 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 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.

There were 1,110 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% 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, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the borough the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $47,821, and the median income for a family was $56,829. Males had a median income of $38,946 versus $26,424 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 $23,346. About 2.0% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.

Fire Department

The Borough of Strasburg is protected by the Strasburg Volunteer Fire Company, Lancaster County Fire Company # 5-10, Zone 5. The Volunteer Fire Department is located at 203 Franklin Street in a brand new four garage bay facility. The Volunteer Fire Department operates an apparatus fleet of one rescue engine, one engine, one quint, one tanker, and one squad.

Attractions

  • Strasburg Railroad
  • Choo Choo Barn
    Choo Choo Barn
    The Choo Choo Barn, Traintown U.S.A. is a train display in Strasburg, Pennsylvania that features over 150 hand-built animated figures and vehicles and 22 operating trains.- History :...

  • Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
    Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
    The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741...

  • Sight & Sound Theatres
    Sight & Sound Theatres
    Sight & Sound Theatres is a Christian theater company based in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, operating the Millennium Theatre and Living Waters Theatre in Strasburg, Pennsylvania....


External links

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