Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Hollidaysburg is a borough in Blair County
, Pennsylvania
, on the Juniata River
, 7 miles (11 km) south of Altoona
. It is the county seat
of Blair County
. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania
, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is one of the communities that comprises the Altoona Urban Area. In 1900, 2,998 people lived in the borough, in 1910, 3,734 lived there, and in 1940, 5,910 residents were counted. The population was 5,791 at the 2010 census. On the outskirts of Hollidaysburg are the Ant Hill Woods, famous for their colony of ants. Coal, iron ore, ganister
, and limestone are found in the vicinity. In the past, the borough had foundries and machine shops, a silk mill, car works and classification yard
s.
From 1834 to 1854, the borough was an important port on Pennsylvania Main Line Canal
, where the Juniata Division Canal connected to the Allegheny Portage Railroad
.
The famous toy known as the Slinky
is manufactured within Hollidaysburg by Poof-Slinky, Inc. (formerly James Industries, Inc.). More than a quarter billion Slinkys have been manufactured in the toy's history.
The center of Hollidaysburg is frequently referred to as "The Diamond," where the buildings and parking spaces form a diamond. This area serves as the hub for parades, festivals and other town celebrations.
and the Portage Railroad, a gateway to western Pennsylvania. The canal and Portage Railroad spurred industrial and commercial development in Hollidaysburg in the 1830s. In 1836, Hollidaysburg was established as a borough.
When Blair County was organized in 1846, the Borough of Hollidaysburg was designated the county seat. This designation allowed the borough to prosper when politicians and attorneys became attracted to the borough.
In 1903, the Pennsylvania Railroad constructed a large switching yard and US Route 22 was directed through the borough.
Council is a policy making board and the Manager is Chief Administrative Officer. The Mayor has limited powers. The roles of a Council are to adopt goals and objectives, establish priorities, approve programs, approve expenditures, approve contracts.
The Hollidaysburg Historic District
encompasses the central part of the Borough. There are roughly 400 structures in the District. These structures are classified as Significant, Contributing, and Non-Contributing.
The Historical and Architectural Review Board is responsible for the review and regulation of changes within the district. This advisory board consists of seven members. The process involves making an application to get a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). HARB Application. This application is then reviewed by the Board at its regular monthly meeting. HARB/HPC Meeting Agenda The HARB makes a recommendation to the Borough Council, who reviews the request and makes a final decision at its regular monthly meeting. If approved, a Certificate of Appropriateness is awarded and a zoning permit will be issued for the work. The charge for a COA is $10.00. There can be additional charges per the zoning permit, depending upon the type of project.
The Hollidaysburg Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1985. Located in the district and separately listed are the Blair County Courthouse
and Highland Hall
.
, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 5,368 people, 2,224 households, and 1,349 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 2,261.0 people per square mile (874.5/km²). There were 2,392 housing units at an average density of 1,007.5 per square mile (389.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.19% White, 0.82% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.06% from other races
, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.
There were 2,224 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $36,758, and the median income for a family was $43,209. Males had a median income of $33,315 versus $24,627 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $20,634. About 5.5% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Blair County, Pennsylvania
-Significant Topographic Features:*Brush Mountain*Logan Valley*Morrison Cove*Tussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061...
, 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...
, on the Juniata River
Juniata River
The Juniata River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long, in central Pennsylvania in the United States. The river is considered scenic along much of its route, having a broad and shallow course passing through several mountain ridges and steeply-lined water gaps...
, 7 miles (11 km) south of Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Blair County
Blair County, Pennsylvania
-Significant Topographic Features:*Brush Mountain*Logan Valley*Morrison Cove*Tussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061...
. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is one of the communities that comprises the Altoona Urban Area. In 1900, 2,998 people lived in the borough, in 1910, 3,734 lived there, and in 1940, 5,910 residents were counted. The population was 5,791 at the 2010 census. On the outskirts of Hollidaysburg are the Ant Hill Woods, famous for their colony of ants. Coal, iron ore, ganister
Ganister
A ganister is hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone, or orthoquartzite, used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces...
, and limestone are found in the vicinity. In the past, the borough had foundries and machine shops, a silk mill, car works and classification yard
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
s.
From 1834 to 1854, the borough was an important port on Pennsylvania Main Line Canal
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...
, where the Juniata Division Canal connected to the Allegheny Portage Railroad
Allegheny Portage Railroad
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania, United States. It was a series of 10 inclines, approximately long, and operated from 1834 to 1854...
.
The famous toy known as the Slinky
Slinky
Slinky or "Lazy Spring" is a toy consisting of a helical spring that stretches and can bounce up and down. It can perform a number of tricks, including traveling down a flight of steps end-over-end as it stretches and re-forms itself with the aid of gravity and its own momentum.-History:The toy was...
is manufactured within Hollidaysburg by Poof-Slinky, Inc. (formerly James Industries, Inc.). More than a quarter billion Slinkys have been manufactured in the toy's history.
The center of Hollidaysburg is frequently referred to as "The Diamond," where the buildings and parking spaces form a diamond. This area serves as the hub for parades, festivals and other town celebrations.
History
The borough of Hollidaysburg was first laid out in 1796 and was named after Adam and William Holliday, Irish immigrants who founded the settlement; by 1814 it consisted of several houses and a tavern. Hollidaysburg became the main transfer point between the Pennsylvania CanalPennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania Canal refers generally to a complex system of canals, dams, locks, tow paths, aqueducts, and other infrastructure including, in some cases, railroads in Pennsylvania...
and the Portage Railroad, a gateway to western Pennsylvania. The canal and Portage Railroad spurred industrial and commercial development in Hollidaysburg in the 1830s. In 1836, Hollidaysburg was established as a borough.
When Blair County was organized in 1846, the Borough of Hollidaysburg was designated the county seat. This designation allowed the borough to prosper when politicians and attorneys became attracted to the borough.
In 1903, the Pennsylvania Railroad constructed a large switching yard and US Route 22 was directed through the borough.
Government
The Borough of Hollidaysburg has a Council-Manager form of government. Voters elect a seven member Borough Council who serve four-year terms. The Borough Council is responsible for formulating policies, enacting ordinances, setting tax rates, approving the annual budget, and appointing the Borough Manager.Council is a policy making board and the Manager is Chief Administrative Officer. The Mayor has limited powers. The roles of a Council are to adopt goals and objectives, establish priorities, approve programs, approve expenditures, approve contracts.
Historic district
The Borough of Hollidaysburg established a local Historic District in 1989 and implemented a historic district ordinance. The purpose of the ordinance is to preserve the unique architectural and historical qualities of the borough. This ordinance regulates alterations, additions, new construction and demolition in the district.The Hollidaysburg Historic District
Hollidaysburg Historic District
Hollidaysburg Historic District is a national historic district located at Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 426 contributing buildings in the central business district and surrounding residential areas of Hollidaysburg. The buildings are primarily frame and brick,...
encompasses the central part of the Borough. There are roughly 400 structures in the District. These structures are classified as Significant, Contributing, and Non-Contributing.
The Historical and Architectural Review Board is responsible for the review and regulation of changes within the district. This advisory board consists of seven members. The process involves making an application to get a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). HARB Application. This application is then reviewed by the Board at its regular monthly meeting. HARB/HPC Meeting Agenda The HARB makes a recommendation to the Borough Council, who reviews the request and makes a final decision at its regular monthly meeting. If approved, a Certificate of Appropriateness is awarded and a zoning permit will be issued for the work. The charge for a COA is $10.00. There can be additional charges per the zoning permit, depending upon the type of project.
The Hollidaysburg Historic District was added to 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 1985. Located in the district and separately listed are the Blair County Courthouse
Blair County Courthouse
Blair County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1875-1876, and is a "T" shaped stone building in the Gothic Revival style. The entrance is flanked by two square, three-story towers with truncated pyramidal roofs...
and Highland Hall
Highland Hall (Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania)
Highland Hall, also known as the Courthouse Annex, is a historic school building located at Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. It was designed by noted Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan and built about 1865. It is a four-story, "T" shaped stone building measuring 150 feet wide and 160...
.
Geography
Hollidaysburg is located at 40°25′54"N 78°23′32"W (40.431772, -78.392085). 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 borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all land.
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 5,368 people, 2,224 households, and 1,349 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 2,261.0 people per square mile (874.5/km²). There were 2,392 housing units at an average density of 1,007.5 per square mile (389.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.19% White, 0.82% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.06% 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 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.
There were 2,224 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $36,758, and the median income for a family was $43,209. Males had a median income of $33,315 versus $24,627 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 $20,634. About 5.5% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Harry J. AnslingerHarry J. AnslingerHarry Jacob Anslinger held office as the Assistant Prohibition Commissioner in the Bureau of Prohibition, before being appointed as the first Commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics on August 12, 1930.Anslinger held office an unprecedented 32 years in his role...
-- widely considered to be the first United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
"drug czarDrug CzarDrug Czar is an informal name for the person who directs drug-control policies in the United States, following the U.S. use of the 'czar' term. The 'drug czar' title was first published in a 1982 news story by United Press International which reported that “Senators... voted 62–34 to establish a...
" - Charlie BrennemanCharlie BrennemanCharles "Charlie" Brenneman is an American mixed martial artist, who competes as a welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
-- mixed martial arts fighter - Hedda HopperHedda HopperHedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
-- gossip columnist - Samuel ReaSamuel ReaSamuel Rea was an American engineer and the 9th president of the Pennsylvania Railroad . He was awarded the Franklin Medal in 1926.-Early life and career:...
-- president of the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
from 1913–1925 - Red Whittaker -- roboticist
- Daniel Hale WilliamsDaniel Hale WilliamsDaniel Hale Williams was an American surgeon. He was the first African-American cardiologist,and performed one of the first successful open-heart surgeries in the United States. He also founded Provident Hospital, the first non-segregated hospital in the United States.-Career:Williams was among...
-- pioneering black surgeon