Zelienople, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Zelienople is a borough in Butler County
, Pennsylvania
, 28 miles (45.1 km) north of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,123 at the 2000 census.
, the borough has a total area of 2.2 mi2, of which 98% is land and 1.35% is water.
Zelienople is situated on the left bank of the Connoquenessing Creek
, in an area that is rich with coal and iron ore. The elevation is 935 feet (285 m) above sea level.
, and purchased a tract of 10000 acres (40.5 km²) of land in Butler and Beaver counties.
He proceeded to lay out a village, and build his own private residence, a three story castle, complete with towers, turrets and battlements, named "The Bassenheim", which was destroyed by fire in 1842. At the time, Zelie was betrothed to Philip Louis Passavant, and was still in Germany. Extensive preparations were made by Baron Basse, to establish the new home and town in America and prepare it for his daughter's arrival in September 1807.
Baron Basse sold 5000 acres (20 km²) of his land to George Rapp
, a Bavarian pietist
religious leader, who founded the village of Harmony
. Baron Basse came to be known as "Dr. Muller". Whether the title of "Doctor" was given to him due a knowledge of medicine, or conferred upon him as a degree, is unknown. He was regarded as an intelligent man, and during the Napoleon
ic era represented Frankfurt as an ambassador to Paris
. Basse returned to Germany in 1818, leaving his business to his son-in-law, Philipp Passavant.
Philip Passavant opened the first store in 1807, and managed it for 41 years, until he gave it to his son, C. S. Passavant. By 1826, there were fifty houses in Zelienople, and three churches. The population in 1870 was 387, and in 1890, it had grown to 639. In 1879, the first passenger train arrived to the town, substantially increasing the growth and commerce. In 1880, the American Union Telegraph Company established an office in Zelienople. The Federalists appointed Andrew McClure, a local tavern-keeper, as the first postmaster of Zelienople in the first decade of 1800. Christian Buhl was named the first justice of the peace in 1840.
Early Zelienople commerce supported the local agriculture community, as there was no viable means of transportation. In 1840 Zelienople was incorporated as a Borough. In 1878 a railroad was built through Zelienople. From this time there has been moderate expansion of industry, residences, and local government. There has been a Volunteer Fire Department since about 1850. A full-time Borough Manager was hired in 1994. The growth of Pittsburgh to the south along with the building of Interstate 79, provides a challenge to Zelienople in coping with these changes through the 21st century.
Zelienople was linked to Ellwood City
, Evans City
and Pittsburgh in 1908 by the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway
, an interurban
trolley line. The line closed on 15 June 1931 and the trolleys were replaced by buses. Zelienople is also known for its historical Eichholtz Building. The Eichholtz family played an historical and transformational role in Zelienople.
Every year, Zelienople hosts a Fourth of July parade through downtown. The Strand Theater
is a performing arts center on Main Street that has been restored, and hosts concerts and films for the borough and surrounding area.
For the past 44 years, one of the major annual events is the town's summer Horse Trading Days Arts and Music Festival. Crafters, vendors, entertainers and tourists are drawn from the entire tri-state area to participate in the family-oriented event that features concerts, games, contests, shopping, food, and a 5 miles (8 km) run/walk event. The festival funding comes from local residents, businesses, the police and fire department, Lancaster Township, and the Zelienople borough.
of 2000, there were 4,123 people, 1,956 households, and 1,054 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 1,938.1 people per square mile (747.4/km²). There were 2,113 housing units at an average density of 993.3 per square mile (383.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.91% White, 0.39% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.17% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.
There were 1,956 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 41.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 25.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $40,250, and the median income for a family was $52,426. The per capita income
for the borough was $23,555. About 0.2% of families and 0.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.4% of those under age 18 and 0.3% of those age 65 or over.
Butler County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile . There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile...
, 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...
, 28 miles (45.1 km) north of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,123 at the 2000 census.
Geography
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 2.2 mi2, of which 98% is land and 1.35% is water.
Zelienople is situated on the left bank of the Connoquenessing Creek
Connoquenessing Creek
Connoquenessing Creek is a tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 50 mi long, in Western Pennsylvania in the United States.-Course:...
, in an area that is rich with coal and iron ore. The elevation is 935 feet (285 m) above sea level.
History
Zelienople was named for the eldest daughter of Baron Dettmar Basse (1762–1836), whose given name was Zelie. Baron Basse arrived in 1802 from Frankfurt am Main, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and purchased a tract of 10000 acres (40.5 km²) of land in Butler and Beaver counties.
He proceeded to lay out a village, and build his own private residence, a three story castle, complete with towers, turrets and battlements, named "The Bassenheim", which was destroyed by fire in 1842. At the time, Zelie was betrothed to Philip Louis Passavant, and was still in Germany. Extensive preparations were made by Baron Basse, to establish the new home and town in America and prepare it for his daughter's arrival in September 1807.
Baron Basse sold 5000 acres (20 km²) of his land to George Rapp
George Rapp
Johann Georg Rapp was the founder of the religious sect called Harmonists, Harmonites, Rappites, or the Harmony Society....
, a Bavarian pietist
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
religious leader, who founded the village of Harmony
Harmony, Pennsylvania
Harmony is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 937 at the 2000 census. It is located about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
. Baron Basse came to be known as "Dr. Muller". Whether the title of "Doctor" was given to him due a knowledge of medicine, or conferred upon him as a degree, is unknown. He was regarded as an intelligent man, and during the Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
ic era represented Frankfurt as an ambassador to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Basse returned to Germany in 1818, leaving his business to his son-in-law, Philipp Passavant.
Philip Passavant opened the first store in 1807, and managed it for 41 years, until he gave it to his son, C. S. Passavant. By 1826, there were fifty houses in Zelienople, and three churches. The population in 1870 was 387, and in 1890, it had grown to 639. In 1879, the first passenger train arrived to the town, substantially increasing the growth and commerce. In 1880, the American Union Telegraph Company established an office in Zelienople. The Federalists appointed Andrew McClure, a local tavern-keeper, as the first postmaster of Zelienople in the first decade of 1800. Christian Buhl was named the first justice of the peace in 1840.
Early Zelienople commerce supported the local agriculture community, as there was no viable means of transportation. In 1840 Zelienople was incorporated as a Borough. In 1878 a railroad was built through Zelienople. From this time there has been moderate expansion of industry, residences, and local government. There has been a Volunteer Fire Department since about 1850. A full-time Borough Manager was hired in 1994. The growth of Pittsburgh to the south along with the building of Interstate 79, provides a challenge to Zelienople in coping with these changes through the 21st century.
Zelienople was linked to Ellwood City
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
Ellwood City is a borough in Beaver and Lawrence counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Ellwood City is 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and some 8 miles south by southeast of New Castle...
, Evans City
Evans City, Pennsylvania
Evans City is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,009 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Evans City is located at ....
and Pittsburgh in 1908 by the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway
Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway
The Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway, commonly called the Harmony Line, was a broad gauge interurban streetcar line connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States to Butler and New Castle via Harmony and a split at Evans City...
, an interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
trolley line. The line closed on 15 June 1931 and the trolleys were replaced by buses. Zelienople is also known for its historical Eichholtz Building. The Eichholtz family played an historical and transformational role in Zelienople.
Culture and events
Strand Theater (Zelienople)
The Strand Theater is a performing arts, film and community center in the borough of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States of America.- History :...
is a performing arts center on Main Street that has been restored, and hosts concerts and films for the borough and surrounding area.
For the past 44 years, one of the major annual events is the town's summer Horse Trading Days Arts and Music Festival. Crafters, vendors, entertainers and tourists are drawn from the entire tri-state area to participate in the family-oriented event that features concerts, games, contests, shopping, food, and a 5 miles (8 km) run/walk event. The festival funding comes from local residents, businesses, the police and fire department, Lancaster Township, and the Zelienople borough.
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 4,123 people, 1,956 households, and 1,054 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 1,938.1 people per square mile (747.4/km²). There were 2,113 housing units at an average density of 993.3 per square mile (383.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.91% White, 0.39% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.17% 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 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.
There were 1,956 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% 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, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 41.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 25.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $40,250, and the median income for a family was $52,426. 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 $23,555. About 0.2% of families and 0.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.4% of those under age 18 and 0.3% of those age 65 or over.
See also
- Harmony, PennsylvaniaHarmony, PennsylvaniaHarmony is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 937 at the 2000 census. It is located about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
- Baldinger's MarketBaldinger's MarketBaldinger's Market is a small store located along U.S. Route 19 in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The original store was built in 1933 and was located just south of Zelienople, and north of the retail centers in Cranberry Township....
- Universal Manufacturing Corporation, a scaffolding manufacturer
Other Reading
- Jennings, Zelie Some account of Dettmar Basse, the Passavant family and their arrival in America (Zelienople Historical Society. 1988)