Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Charleroi is a borough
in Washington County
, Pennsylvania
, along the Monongahela River
, 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. Charleroi was settled in 1890 and incorporated in 1891. The population
in 1900 stood at 5,930; in 1910, 9,615; in 1920, 11,516, and in 1940, 10,784. The population was 4,871 at the 2000 census.
There has been a large-scale cessation of industrial activities in the region. The decrease in the population is associated with the decline of the steel-making industry in the "Mon
Valley" which extends from Charleroi to the mouth of the Monongahela at Pittsburgh.
, Belgium
. The name is French
for "Charles [the] King" (referring to King Charles II of Spain
). Charleroi was home to one of the first movie theatres in the nation, the electric theatre which opened in October 1905.
The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, today PPG Industries
, had one of its major factories located at the current chamber plaza, at one point employing up to a thousand employees, making it one of the largest glass factories in the world at the time. For years it was the home to one of Corning Glass Companies leading employers. Today it is home to World Kitchen
, which makes pyrex
, giving it the distinction of being the only plant in the United States to make it.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it is water
. The total area is 10.47% water.
of 2000, there were 4,871 people, 2,258 households, and 1,208 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 6,308.6 people per square mile (2,442.5/km²). There were 2,656 housing units at an average density of 3,439.9 per square mile (1,331.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.3% White, 3.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% from other races
, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.
There were 2,258 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples
living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 41.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $23,593, and the median income for a family was $31,699. Males had a median income of $30,093 versus $23,873 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $13,752. About 16.1% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
novel The Two Georges
, by Harry Turtledove
and Richard Dreyfuss
, takes place in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. In the alternate history of this book, North America remains part of the British Empire
. Charleroi is described as a large coal-mining town filled with embittered coal miners of mainly Irish
descent living under conditions of poverty, exploitation and pollution, who end up supporting radical underground political movements.
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
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...
, along the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. Charleroi was settled in 1890 and incorporated in 1891. The population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
in 1900 stood at 5,930; in 1910, 9,615; in 1920, 11,516, and in 1940, 10,784. The population was 4,871 at the 2000 census.
There has been a large-scale cessation of industrial activities in the region. The decrease in the population is associated with the decline of the steel-making industry in the "Mon
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
Valley" which extends from Charleroi to the mouth of the Monongahela at Pittsburgh.
History
Charleroi is a namesake and Sister city of CharleroiCharleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The name is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for "Charles [the] King" (referring to King Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
). Charleroi was home to one of the first movie theatres in the nation, the electric theatre which opened in October 1905.
The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, today PPG Industries
PPG Industries
PPG Industries is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, chemicals, glass and fiber glass. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion...
, had one of its major factories located at the current chamber plaza, at one point employing up to a thousand employees, making it one of the largest glass factories in the world at the time. For years it was the home to one of Corning Glass Companies leading employers. Today it is home to World Kitchen
World Kitchen
World Kitchen, LLC is a kitchenware products maker and distributor based in Rosemont, Illinois. The company began as the Corning Consumer Products division of glassmaker Corning.-History:The division was spun off from Corning in 1998 and purchased by Borden...
, which makes pyrex
Pyrex
Pyrex is a brand name for glassware, introduced by Corning Incorporated in 1915.Originally, Pyrex was made from borosilicate glass. In the 1940s the composition was changed for some products to tempered soda-lime glass, which is the most common form of glass used in glass bakeware in the US and has...
, giving it the distinction of being the only plant in the United States to make it.
Geography
Charleroi is located at 40°8′17"N 79°54′5"W (40.138088, -79.901333).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 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it is water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. The total area is 10.47% water.
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 were 4,871 people, 2,258 households, and 1,208 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 6,308.6 people per square mile (2,442.5/km²). There were 2,656 housing units at an average density of 3,439.9 per square mile (1,331.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.3% White, 3.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% 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 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.
There were 2,258 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% 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, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 41.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $23,593, and the median income for a family was $31,699. Males had a median income of $30,093 versus $23,873 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 $13,752. About 16.1% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.2% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Olive ThomasOlive ThomasOlive Thomas was an American silent film actress and model. She is best remembered for her marriage to Jack Pickford and her death.-Early life:...
born Oliveretta Elaine Duffy. Ziegfeld Follies Girl and Silent Film Star, the original Flapper girl. (i.e. The FlapperThe FlapperThe Flapper is a 1920 American silent comedy film starring Olive Thomas. It was the first movie in the United States to portray the "flapper" lifestyle which would soon become a 1920's fad.-Plot:...
1920). She was billed as "Everybody's Sweetheart". She was married to Jack PickfordJack PickfordJack Pickford was a Canadian-born American actor. He was best known for his tabloid lifestyle, marriage to the top starlets of his day, and being of the famous Pickford acting family.-Early life:...
and died of accidental self-induced poisoning by Mercury Bichloride at the age of 25 while on vacation in Paris, the first of many fatal Hollywood scandals of the 1920s. - Craig McCrackenCraig McCrackenCraig McCracken is an American animator and creator of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends.-Biography:...
, animator and creator of The Powerpuff GirlsThe Powerpuff GirlsThe Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken and produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network...
and Foster's Home for Imaginary FriendsFoster's Home for Imaginary FriendsFoster's Home for Imaginary Friends is an American animated television series created and produced at Cartoon Network Studios by animator Craig McCracken, creator of The Powerpuff Girls. It first premiered on Cartoon Network on August 13, 2004, as a 90-minute television movie, which led to a series...
. - John K. TenerJohn K. TenerJohn Kinley Tener was a Major League baseball player and executive and, from 1911 to 1915, served as the 25th Governor of Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and former RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
governor of Pennsylvania from 1911 to 1915 - Frank MascaraFrank MascaraFrank Robert Mascara was a Democratic politician from Pennsylvania who served four terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. He was the uncle of St...
, former DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1995 to 2003 - Hardie AlbrightHardie AlbrightHardie Albright was an American actor and the son of travelling vaudevillians.Born as Hardie Hunter Albrecht, he made his stage debut in one of his parents' acts at the age of 7....
, actor - Lisa KirkLisa KirkLisa Kirk was an American actress and singer noted for her comic talents and rich contralto .-Career:...
, actress-singer - Deborah Jeane PalfreyDeborah Jeane PalfreyDeborah Jeane Palfrey operated Pamela Martin and Associates, an escort agency in Washington, D.C. Although she argued that the company's services were legal, she was convicted on April 15, 2008 of racketeering, using the mail for illegal purposes, and money laundering...
, a former Charleroi resident, and so-called "DC Madame" - Mitchell PaigeMitchell PaigeMitchell Paige was a recipient of the Medal of Honor from World War II...
, WWII Medal of Honor recipient - Shirley JonesShirley JonesShirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...
, actress The Partrige Family, and The Music ManThe Music ManThe Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
was born and lived in the nearby town of Smithton, Pennsylvania about 10 miles away - Myron PottiosMyron PottiosMyron Joseph Pottios is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, former national football league player, graduated from Charleroi High School - Barbara BossonBarbara BossonBarbara Bosson is an American actress who has starred on television and in film.-Biography:Bosson was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania to a tennis coach father. During her childhood, she lived in an American Craftsman Style house on Price Avenue in the borough of North Belle Vernon...
, actress Hill Street Blues; Hooperman; Cop Rock - Ron HughesRon Hughes (American football)Ron Hughes is the College Scouting Coordinator of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.-Biography:Hughes is a native of Charleroi, Pennsylvania. He was a standout football and basketball player at Charleroi High School. He matriculated to nearby California State College where he played center and...
, scout and executive with NFL'sNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... - Natalie RaitanoNatalie RaitanoNatalie Raitano is an American actress.Raitano was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. She is a 1984 graduate of Monongahela Valley Catholic High School, in Monongahela, Pennsylvania...
, actress, most known for her role on syndicated television show V.I.P. with Pamela Anderson. - Demi MooreDemi MooreDemi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
, actress, attended local school district. - Joe RudolphJoe RudolphJoe Rudolph is the Tight Ends Coach of the Wisconsin Badgers football team and former guard in the National Football League.-Biography:Rudolph was born on July 21, 1972 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. and is married to Dawn DeCaria Rudolph of Weirton West Virginia. Together they have two sons...
, NFL player
In popular culture
A large part of the plot of the alternate historyAlternate history (fiction)
Alternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...
novel The Two Georges
The Two Georges
The Two Georges is an alternate history novel co-written by science fiction author Harry Turtledove and Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss...
, by Harry Turtledove
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...
and Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
, takes place in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. In the alternate history of this book, North America remains part of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. Charleroi is described as a large coal-mining town filled with embittered coal miners of mainly Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent living under conditions of poverty, exploitation and pollution, who end up supporting radical underground political movements.