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Hummelstown, Pennsylvania

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Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,535 as of the 2020 census.[6] It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
Fredrickstown
Borough
Hummelstown square
Hummelstown square
Motto: 
Your Kind of Town
Location in Dauphin County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Location in Dauphin County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Hummelstown is located in Pennsylvania
Hummelstown
Hummelstown
Location in Pennsylvania and the United States
Hummelstown is located in the United States
Hummelstown
Hummelstown
Hummelstown (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°15′55″N 76°42′31″W / 40.26528°N 76.70861°W / 40.26528; -76.70861
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyDauphin
Settled1762
Incorporated (borough)1874
Government
There are 12 seats on the borough council
 • TypeBorough Council
 • MayorDavid Roeting
Area
[1]
 • Total1.31 sq mi (3.39 km2)
 • Land1.24 sq mi (3.22 km2)
 • Water0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation
[2]
397 ft (121 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total4,544
 • Density3,658.62/sq mi (1,412.46/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
17036
Area code717
FIPS code42-36232[4]
GNIS feature ID1213972[5]
Websitewww.hummelstown.net

Originally named Fredrickstown, the town was established in 1762.[7] Hummelstown is a Tree City and is located in District 15 of the Pennsylvania State Senate. It is centrally located between Harrisburg and Hershey, making it a common tourist drive-through. It has several businesses and shops designed to capitalize on the tourist travel that passes through town.[8]

History

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The original Parish House, now the Hummelstown Historical Society Library & Museum

Hummelstown was founded as "Fredrickstown" in 1762 by two Germans, Frederick and Rosina Hummel.[7] They purchased the land for 200 pounds sterling, then divided the area into building lots, which were sold to German settlers. During the mid-19th century, the Union Canal along Swatara Creek was an important factor in the development of the local economy, promoting trade and transportation.

The town was located on the Berks-Dauphin Turnpike, and later it was served by the Union Canal[9] which paralleled Swatara Creek bordering the north and the west sides of the town, and was opened in 1827. The Lebanon Valley Railroad arrived in 1858. This brought about many jobs of stone cutting and shipyard work and helped facilitate the Hummelstown Brownstone Company which became the leading employer of Hummelstown residents.[9] The company mined Hummelstown brownstone at its quarries from 1867 until 1929. The company was the largest producer of brownstone on the East Coast.

Throughout the history of the town it has been a stopping point for tourists traveling to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, or to Hershey, the home of Hershey Foods, Hersheypark, and Chocolate World. At various times Hummelstown has been as close as 20 miles (32 km) from up to ten different professional sports teams, such as the Harrisburg Heat, Hershey Bears, Hershey Wildcats, and the Harrisburg City Islanders. The Calder Cup has had several ceremonies conducted in Hummelstown over the years.

The borough celebrated its semiquincentennial or 250-year anniversary in 2012.

The Dr. William Henderson House, Keystone Hotel, Enoch Matlack House, and Zion Lutheran Church and Graveyard are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[10] The Hummelstown Historical Society building is located at North Rosanna Street and North Alley Street in the original building for the Zion Lutheran Church, which is now the main brownstone church on Main Street of Hummelstown. The society has a library, museum, and genealogy section, and hosts numerous Native American relics, such as arrowheads, bones, and pottery.[9]

Hummelstown is within a thirty-minute drive of several colleges and educational institutions, such as HACC, Lebanon Valley College, Penn State Harrisburg, YTI Career Institute, Kepler Career Institute, and VoTech. Many residents of Hummelstown have jobs in Derry Township, mainly through Hershey Foods and its subsidiaries.

Hummelstown currently has three historical markers in the town, one for the town's oldest church, one for a former Revolutionary War gun factory, and the other for the Hummelstown Brownstone company.[11]

Geography

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Swatara Creek as seen from a park in Hummelstown, at the west end of town. The bridge supports U.S. 322.

Hummelstown is located in southern Dauphin County at 40°15′55″N 076°42′30″W / 40.26528°N 76.70833°W / 40.26528; -76.70833 (40.265168, −76.710995) at an elevation of 397 feet (121 m) above sea level.[2] According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), of which 1.2 square miles (3.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 6.31%, is water.[4] Swatara Creek, a southward-flowing tributary of the Susquehanna River, forms the northern and western border of Hummelstown,[12] and there is one unnamed pond by the Hummel Nature Trail east of the 7–11, at the end of town, next to the Tee Ball baseball field.

Climate

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The climate of Hummelstown is similar to Harrisburg's. The lows during winter reach about −5 °F (−21 °C), and the highs during summer reach about 95 °F (35 °C).

 
Hummelstown's climate during the year

Weather

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Few tornadoes or hurricanes striking Hummelstown over the years. In 1992 the borough was hit by a bow tornado. In past years the town has been hit by only several hurricanes, the most severe being Hurricane Agnes which knocked out two key bridges in the town.[13]

Hummelstown has had numerous blizzards. In 1996, a blizzard hit with 13 inches (330 mm); in 1997, a blizzard hit Hummelstown with 9 inches (230 mm) of snow. In 2004, a blizzard with 7 inches (180 mm) hit Hummelstown, and a blizzard hit Hummelstown in 2010 with a record-setting 21 inches (530 mm).[citation needed]

Highways

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U.S. Route 322 skirts the south side of the borough as the Hummelstown Bypass. U.S. Route 422 branches off US 322 just east of the borough limits. The center of Hershey is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of the center of Hummelstown, and Harrisburg is 11 miles (18 km) to the west.

East of the center of Hummelstown, Main Street ends at the Boro Bar and Walton Avenue (previously Main Street) turns into and becomes PA Route 39/Hersheypark Road. At the west end of Hummelstown, Fiddlers Elbow Road crosses the US 322 bypass without access to it, then leads south 3 miles (5 km) to the PA 283 expressway. Main Street, leaving Hummelstown to the west, joins U.S. Route 322. Going east Main Street turns into PA Route 39 at what part is known as Hersheypark Drive in Derry Township.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1840480—
185061929.0%
186080730.4%
18708373.7%
18801,04324.6%
18901,48542.4%
19001,72916.4%
19102,12823.1%
19202,65424.7%
19303,03614.4%
19403,2647.5%
19503,78916.1%
19604,47418.1%
19704,7235.6%
19804,267−9.7%
19903,981−6.7%
20004,3609.5%
20104,5384.1%
20204,535−0.1%
2021 (est.)4,523[6]−0.3%
Sources:[14][15][16][3]

According to the United States Census Bureau the median house value in Hummelstown is $99,400.[17] Directly within the main limits of the town, excluding those of the development of Graystone, as well as those that have Hummelstown addresses, there is a total of 1,953 housing units.[18]

Units in structure Number Percent[19]
1-Unit Detached 1,031 52.8%
1-Unit Attached 195 10%
2-Units 116 5.9%
3 or 4 Units 216 11.1%
5 to 9 Units 220 11.3%
10 to 19 Units 65 3.3%
20 or more Units 74 3.8%
Mobile Home 36 1.8%
Boat, RV, or Van (etc.) 0 0.00%

Hummelstown is home to many older homes; a large number were built in the earlier decades of the 1900s.

Year structure built Number Percent[20]
1999 to March 2000 21 1.1%
1995 to 1998 85 4.4%
1990 to 1994 33 1.7%
1980 to 1989 143 7.3%
1970 to 1979 239 12.2%
1960 to 1969 250 12.8%
1940 to 1959 531 27.2%
1939 or earlier 651 33.3%

According to the United States Census Bureau, the estimated upkeep cost and home improvement costs to percentage of house value in Hummelstown, has a median of less than 15% (which comes to a median cost of $14,910).[21]

2000 census records

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As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 4,360 people, 1,879 households, and 1,200 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,233.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,248.5/km2). There were 1,953 housing units at an average density of 1,448.4 per square mile (559.2/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.02% White, 0.32% African American, 0.02% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.

There were 1,879 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the borough, the population exhibited a varied distribution, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% aged 18 to 24, 32.0% aged 25 to 44, 21.1% aged 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years or older. The median age stood at 38 years. There were 95.0 males for every 100 females, and among those aged 18 and over, there were 93.4 males per 100 females.

The median income for a household in the borough was $41,625, and the median income for a family was $50,572. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $27,547 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,394. About 4.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

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Annual cultural events

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  • The Lollipop Drop – New Year's Eve (discontinued)
  • Movie Nights – at the Herbert A. Schaffner Memorial Park
  • Taste of Hummelstown – food sampling by restaurants along the Main Street
  • The Hummelstown Arts Festival – a non-profit annual arts festival held each September to raise money for scholarships for graduating seniors at Lower Dauphin High School continuing their education in the arts.
  • Hummelstown Winter Fling - January event featuring music, food, and drinks on the square. Established in 2014.
  • Trick or Treat – Halloween is the night used for the annual Trick or Treat. Houses with their porchlight on from 6 pm until 8 pm are houses participating.

Borough of Hummelstown: Calendar of Events

Museums and other points of interest

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Hummelstown has a historical society constructed with Hummelstown brownstone. The Hummelstown Historical Society is both a museum and visitor center. The town is home to a historical landmark, the Warwick Hotel, which is still a tavern reminiscent of its pre-Revolutionary War days. George Washington stayed a night there and drank from its bar.[citation needed]

Indian Echo Caverns, located one-half mile south of the borough limits, is one of the main attractions near Hummelstown. The caverns were originally used by the Susquehannock tribe, who lived and hunted in the nearby area until they vanished in the 1670s; it opened to the public in 1929.

The shortline Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad operates heritage and freight service between its namesake towns of Middletown and just south of Hummelstown proper, stopping in front of the Indian Echo Caverns entrance. The Hummelstown Borough Council has expressed concern around quality of life issues (noise, odor, safety) with having more trains passing through town. As such, trains stop just south of the busy four-lane U.S. Route 322 grade crossing on a regular basis, and are allowed to enter town exactly 12 times per year.[22] Norfolk Southern's busy Harrisburg Line traverses the northern section of Hummelstown, with up to 20 lengthy freight trains passing through daily.

In the town

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In the town there is an American Legion, a borough office building, and a post office. The legion and the post office are located on Walton Avenue (Main Street). The borough office building is located on South Hanover Street. The town also has several churches, most located on Main Street.

The Hummelstown Chemical Fire Department occasionally serves as a distribution center for Potassium Iodide pills supplied by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Hummelstown falls within a 10-mile radius of Three Mile Island.

Religion

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As much of Pennsylvania, in the initial days of its founding, Hummelstown had a large base of Quakers. As the town grew, other Protestant denominations such as Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian developed.

Parks and recreation

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See also: List of Pennsylvania state parks
 
The Pavilion at Herbert A. Schaffner Park

Several parks are located throughout the borough:[23]

 
The playground at Schaffner Park, the former Borough Park.
  • Barry E. Mehaffie Memorial Park (formerly West End Park)
  • Herbert A. Schaffner Memorial Park (formerly Borough Park)
  • Hummel Nature Trail
  • Marion F. Alexander Memorial Park
  • Shope's Field

Education

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Lower Dauphin High School, as taken from the Hershey Medical Center life lion

Hummelstown is located in Lower Dauphin School District. Lower Dauphin High School, Lower Dauphin Middle School, Nye Elementary School, and the Price Building are located within the borough, as is the school district's administration building.

 
The Lower Dauphin High School Falcons logo

Libraries

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Hummelstown's public library, the William H. and Marion C. Alexander Family Library, named for its major donors and local philanthropists, is located on the corner of 2nd and Railroad Streets.

HUM at a glance:[24]
2,821 square feet of net space
27,456 volumes
Opened in 1953.
Building constructed in 1957 as Hummelstown Teen Center, later Hummelstown Civic Center.
Library moved into building in 1965.
Became part of the Dauphin County Library System in 1975. Library took over entire building in 1983. (This address is the current location of the library but the building info pertains to the former location across from the NYE Elementary School.)

Media

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Hummelstown is home to The Sun newspaper, which covers Hummelstown, Hershey and Palmyra area (Lower Dauphin, Derry Township, Milton Hershey and Palmyra Area school districts). In early 2008, The Sun acquired the subscribers of the now-defunct Hershey Chronicle newspaper[25] making The Sun the largest paid-circulation weekly in Dauphin County. The Sun began in 1871.[9]

Other newspapers that cover Hummelstown include:

Radio stations

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This is a list of FM stations in the greater Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area.

Callsign MHz Band "Name", Format, Owner City of license
WDCV 88.3 FM Indie/College Rock, Dickinson College Carlisle
WXPH 88.7 FM WXPN relay, University of Pennsylvania Harrisburg
WSYC 88.7 FM Alternative, Shippensburg University Shippensburg
WITF-FM 89.5 FM NPR Harrisburg
WVMM 90.7 FM Indie/College Rock, Messiah College Grantham
WJAZ 91.7 FM WRTI relay, Classical/Jazz, Temple University Harrisburg
WKHL 92.1 FM "K-Love", Contemporary Christian Palmyra
WPPY 92.7 FM "Nu 92.7" Adult Contemporary Starview
WTPA-FM 93.5 FM "93.5 WTPA" Classic Rock Mechanicsburg
WRBT 94.9 FM "Bob" Country Harrisburg
WLAN 96.9 FM "FM 97" Top 40 Lancaster
WRVV 97.3 FM "The River" Classic Hits and the Best of Today's Rock Harrisburg
WYCR 98.5 FM 98.5 The Peak York
WQLV 98.9 FM "Love 99" Adult Contemporary Millersburg
WHKF 99.3 FM "Kiss-FM" CHR Harrisburg
WFVY 100.1 FM Adult Contemporary Lebanon
WROZ 101.3 FM "The Rose" Adult Contemporary Lancaster
WARM 103.3 FM "Warm 103" Adult Contemporary York
WNNK 104.1 FM "Wink 104" Hot AC Harrisburg
WQXA 105.7 FM "105.7 The X" Hard Rock York
WWKL 106.7 FM "Hot 106.7" CHR Hershey
WGTY 107.7 FM "Great Country" York

This is a list of AM stations in the Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area:

Callsign kHz Band Format City of license
WHP (AM) 580 AM Conservative News/Talk Harrisburg
WHYF 720 AM Contemporary Christian Shiremanstown
WSBA (AM) 910 AM News/Talk York
WADV 940 AM Gospel Lebanon
WHYL 960 AM Adult Standards Carlisle
WIOO 1000 AM Classic Country Carlisle
WKBO 1230 AM Christian Contemporary Harrisburg
WQXA 1250 AM Country York
WLBR 1270 AM Talk Lebanon
WHGB 1400 AM Now ESPN Radio (Formerly Adult R&B: The Touch) Harrisburg
WTKT 1460 AM sports: "The Ticket" Harrisburg
WRDD 1480 AM Country Shippensburg
WRKY 1490 AM Classic rock Lancaster
WPDC 1600 AM Spanish Elizabethtown

Folklore

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There is a great history to the area, with its fields, creek, and the caves nearby. The biggest case of folklore around the town is the case of the sister and brother duo of William "Amos" Wilson and Elizabeth "Harriot" Wilson. William would later be known as "the Pennsylvania Hermit".

Notable people

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Historic buildings and listings

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See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Dauphin_County, Pennsylvania
 
Henderson House

Native Americans

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There were several Native American tribes located around Hummelstown, including the Susquehannocks, the Iroquois, and several smaller tribes that would later be conquered or assimilated into the Iroquois.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Hummelstown". Geographic Names Information System. 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  3. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Hummelstown borough, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
  6. ^ a b Bureau, US Census. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved 13 July 2022. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  7. ^ a b Hopkins, Thomas Cramer (1896). "The building materials of Pennsylvania: I. Brownstones". Pennsylvania State College. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Clarence M. Busch, State Printer: 48. Retrieved 2009-05-01. place names Hummelstown.
  8. ^ Hummelstown profile, fizber.com; accessed December 3, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d Hummelstown Historical Society and Museum
  10. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  11. ^ Hummelstown Brownstone Quarries Marker, hmdb.org; accessed December 3, 2016.
  12. ^ "Swatara Creek". Geographic Names Information System. 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  13. ^ Fizber Hummelstown Climate, climate.fizber.com; accessed March 10, 2017.
  14. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  16. ^ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  17. ^ "United Census Bureau Page 2". Archived from the original on 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  18. ^ "UCB Page 2". Archived from the original on 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  19. ^ "United Census Bureau Housing Chart". Archived from the original on 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  20. ^ "United Census Bureau House Aging Chart". Archived from the original on 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  21. ^ "FactFinder.census.gov Hummelstown Housing Costs". Archived from the original on 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  22. ^ pennlive.com
  23. ^ "Borough of Hummelstown – Parks". Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  24. ^ "Hummelstown Community Library". Archived from the original on 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  25. ^ The Sun, February 4, 2009.
  26. ^ Bennett, Jessica (13 March 2021). "Kate Baer Is Speaking Truth. From Her Minivan". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  27. ^ Information on Native Americans – Indigenous to Pennsylvania, accessgenealogy.com; accessed March 10, 2017.
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