Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Harrison Township is a township
in Allegheny County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 10,461 at the 2010 census. Pennsylvania Route 28
passes through Harrison Township connecting Kittanning
to the northeast and Pittsburgh to the southwest. Allegheny Technologies
has extensive steel mill
facilities in Harrison Township, including its Allegheny Ludlum Brackenridge Works
. The Allegheny River
forms the township's eastern boundary with Westmoreland County
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 7.7 square miles (19.9 km²), of which 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), or 5.95%, is water.
:
of 2000, there were 10,934 people, 4,796 households, and 3,126 families residing in the township. The population density
was 1,503.6 people per square mile (580.7/km²). There were 5,246 housing units at an average density of 721.4/sq mi (278.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.81% White, 3.69% Black or African American
, 0.05% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.11% from other races
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.
There were 4,796 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the township, the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $33,482, and the median income for a family was $42,309. Males had a median income of $36,743 versus $22,111 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $18,011. About 9.6% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Harrison Hills Park
is a county park
located in the northeast area of the township. The Natrona neighborhood has a community playground and riverfront park.
. Highlands High School
(9–12), Highlands Middle School (6–8), Heights Early Childhood Center (Kindergarten, the Pre-K Counts Program, Head Start, and the YMCA Before/After Childcare Program), the district's Buildings and Grounds Complex (maintenance), and Highlands Administrative Center are in the township. Highlands Golden Rams Stadium (track and football), tennis courts, a soccer field, and the Highlands Community Center are adjacent to the middle school; and several baseball fields are next to the high school
Township (Pennsylvania)
A township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America, is one of four types of municipalities in the state . Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to forty square miles...
in Allegheny County
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
, 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 10,461 at the 2010 census. Pennsylvania Route 28
Pennsylvania Route 28
Pennsylvania Route 28 is a major state highway which runs for 97 miles from Interstate 279 and Interstate 579 at the Interstate 279 Interchange in Pittsburgh to U.S. Route 219 in Brockway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The expressway from Kittanning to Pittsburgh is called the Alexander H...
passes through Harrison Township connecting Kittanning
Kittanning, Pennsylvania
Kittanning is a borough and the county seat of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River. The name means "at the great stream" in the Delaware language...
to the northeast and Pittsburgh to the southwest. Allegheny Technologies
Allegheny Technologies
Allegheny Technologies, Inc. is a specialty metals company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. Allegheny Technologies is one of the largest and most diversified specialty metals producers in the world with revenue of $3.0 billion in 2009. ATI's key markets are...
has extensive steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
facilities in Harrison Township, including its Allegheny Ludlum Brackenridge Works
Brackenridge Works
Brackenridge Works is a steel mill facility owned by Allegheny Technologies and operated by subsidiary Allegheny Ludlum at Brackenridge and Natrona, Pennsylvania in the United States.-External links:**...
. The Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
forms the township's eastern boundary with Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
.
Geography
Harrison Township is located at 40°37′36"N 79°43′29"W (40.626826, -79.724797).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 township has a total area of 7.7 square miles (19.9 km²), of which 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²), or 5.95%, is water.
Communities
There are several distinct sections of Harrison Township that form communitiesCommunity
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
:
- Birdville
- Compton (Campton)
- KarnsKarns, PennsylvaniaKarns is an unincorporated community in Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA; it is located in Western Pennsylvania within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately northeast of Pittsburgh. Karns is situated along the Allegheny River at Pool 4 across from Jacks...
- NatronaNatrona, PennsylvaniaNatrona is an unincorporated community in Harrison Township, Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located in Western Pennsylvania within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh...
(known as East Tarentum until 1862)- West Natrona
- Natrona HeightsNatrona Heights, PennsylvaniaNatrona Heights is an unincorporated community in Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States; it is located in Western Pennsylvania within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, approximately northeast of Pittsburgh...
- Pleasantville
- Sligo, an unincorporated village—now a ghost townGhost townA ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
Streams
- Little Bull CreekLittle Bull Creek (Allegheny River)Little Bull Creek is a tributary of Bull Creek and part of the Allegheny River watershed located in both Allegheny and Butler counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.-Course:...
flows through Harrison Township. - The entire course of Rachel Carson RunRachel Carson RunRachel Carson Run is a long tributary of the Allegheny River located in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The stream is named after ecologist Rachel Carson.-Course:...
is within Harrison Township. The stream forms a series of falls in Harrison Hills ParkHarrison Hills ParkHarrison Hills Park is a county park in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a part of the county's network of nine distinct parks.It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh in Harrison Township...
.
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 10,934 people, 4,796 households, and 3,126 families residing in the township. 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 1,503.6 people per square mile (580.7/km²). There were 5,246 housing units at an average density of 721.4/sq mi (278.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.81% White, 3.69% Black or African American
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...
, 0.05% Native American, 0.41% 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 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.
There were 4,796 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% 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, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the township, the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $33,482, and the median income for a family was $42,309. Males had a median income of $36,743 versus $22,111 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 township was $18,011. About 9.6% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Museums and other points of interest
The Community Library of Allegheny Valley, Harrison Branch serves the township.Parks and recreation
Several parks are located throughout the township:Harrison Hills Park
Harrison Hills Park
Harrison Hills Park is a county park in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a part of the county's network of nine distinct parks.It is situated northeast of Pittsburgh in Harrison Township...
is a county park
County park
A county park is a park managed by a county. In the United States, county parks are lower in hierarchy than state parks. In the United Kingdom, similar parks for recreation are named country parks....
located in the northeast area of the township. The Natrona neighborhood has a community playground and riverfront park.
Current buildings
Harrison Township is within the Highlands School DistrictHighlands School District (Pennsylvania)
The Highlands School District is a small, suburban public school district covering Tarentum and Brackenridge boroughs, as well as Fawn and Harrison townships in Allegheny County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Highlands School District encompasses approximately 22 square miles. According to...
. Highlands High School
Highlands High School (Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania)
Highlands High School is a suburban, public secondary school in the Natrona Heights neighborhood of Harrison Township in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
(9–12), Highlands Middle School (6–8), Heights Early Childhood Center (Kindergarten, the Pre-K Counts Program, Head Start, and the YMCA Before/After Childcare Program), the district's Buildings and Grounds Complex (maintenance), and Highlands Administrative Center are in the township. Highlands Golden Rams Stadium (track and football), tennis courts, a soccer field, and the Highlands Community Center are adjacent to the middle school; and several baseball fields are next to the high school
Former buildings
Historical schools, which are now closed, include: Natrona High School, later used for the Wood Street Elementary School (K–6), then sold and converted into apartments; Riverview Elementary School, used for the administrative offices since the early 1980s, slated to be sold after January 2012; and Birdville Elementary School, which was converted into the Citizens Hose Volunteer Fire Department. Heights Elementary School (K–5) was reassigned as the Heights Early Childhood Center in late June 2011.Notable natives and residents
- Leon CzolgoszLeon CzolgoszLeon Czolgosz was the assassin of U.S. President William McKinley.In the last few years of his life, he claimed to have been heavily influenced by anarchists such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman.- Early life :...
, who assassinated U.S. President William McKinleyWilliam McKinleyWilliam McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
on September 6, 1901. He lived in Natrona while a teenager, from 1889 until 1892.