Hummelstown, Pennsylvania
Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,360 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Fredrickstown was the original village of present-day Hummelstown; it was established in 1762. The town is currently 247 years old. The borough's current mayor is Bradley Miller. Hummelstown is a Tree City; (List of Tree Cities USA). Hummelstown is in District 15 of the Pennsylvania Senate. Hummelstown is centrally located between both Harrisburg and Hershey; making it a common tourist drive-through, stopping point, or resting area. With numerous businesses, shops, restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and bars designed to capitalize on the amount of tourist travel through the small town. Coming into Hummelstown from Hershey, you can take Main Street through Hummelstown straight onto U.S. 322 which will lead directly into Harrisburg - making it a one-road town for many travelers looking to get from Hershey to Harrisburg.
History
Hummelstown was founded as Fredrickstown in 1762 by two Germans, Frederick and Rosina Hummel. 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 at Swatara Creek was an important factor in the development of the local economy, promoting trade and transportation.The town was located at the Burks-Dauphin Turnpike a toll road, later it was served by the Union Canal. The Union Canal which paralleled the Swatara Creek bordering the north and the west, was opened in 1827. The Lebanon Valley Railroad arrived in 1858. This brought about many jobs of stone cutting and shipyard work. This further helped facilitate the Hummelstown Brownstone Company which became the leading employer of Hummelstown residents.The Hummelstown Brownstone Company mined Hummelstown brownstone at its quarries from 1867 until 1929. These operations provided much growth and stability to the town. The company was the largest producer of brownstone on the East Coast.Throughout the history of the town it has been a common stopping point for people - predominantly tourists - traveling to either neighboring Harrisburg or Hershey. Harrisburg being the capital of Pennsylvania, and Hershey being the home of Hershey Foods, HersheyPark, Chocolate World, and a host of other events, happenings, and tourist related buildings. At various times Hummelstown has been as close as twenty miles (32 km) from up towards ten different professional sports teams, some such being the Harrisburg Heat, Hershey Impact, Hershey Bears, Harrisburg Hammerheads, Hershey Wildcats, Harrisburg City Islanders, etc. Due to this often the various championship teams parade, drive through, and do hosting and trophy related events in Hummelstown as well. The Calder Cup has had several ceremonies conducted in Hummelstown over the years.Hummelstown has often been listed in the top 500 towns to live in, not only in America, but in the entire North America. The highest ranking its ever received was 61st 'Best Town to Live in America'.The borough is planning to celebrate its semiquincentennial or 250 year anniversary in 2012.The Hummelstown Historical Society building is located North Rosanna St. and North Alley St (there is no street number). It was the original building for the Zion Lutheran Church; which is now the main brownstone church on Main Street of Hummelstown, in 1815. This removed the initial log structure used for the church built in the 1750s. The Hummelstown Historical Society has a library, museum, genealogy section, and hosts numerous Native American relics, such as arrowheads, bones, and pottery.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.A decent sized amount of the population of Hummelstown have jobs in Derry Township, mainly through the Hershey Chocolate Factory or Hershey's Food Company and subsidiaries such as the Hershey Bears, the GIANT Center, Hershey's Chocolate World, Hershey Hotel and other Hershey's Food owned companies and properties, which is all under the large corporate umbrella of HERCO.Hummelstown currently has two historical markers in the town, one for the town's oldest church and the other for the Hummelstown Brownstone company.
Geography
Hummelstown is located 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.According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²).1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (3.57%) is water.
Streams
The Swatara Creek runs through Hummelstown.
Ponds
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
The climate and weather of Hummelstown is very typical for most of Pennsylvania, with it most resembling that of Harrisburg. As do most of America, with Pennsylvania in particular, Hummelstown follows the seasons in normal progression (winter, spring, summer, fall, and back to winter). The lows during winter reach about −5 °F (−21 °C) and the highs during summer reach about 95 °F (35 °C). The weather generally stays in these norms without straying.
Weather
Hummelstown has been spared of most of the major weather issues, with relative few tornadoes or hurricanes over the years. In 1992 Hummelstown 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. Hummelstown has had numerous blizzards over the years. In 1994 a blizzard hit Hummelstown with 8' of snow, in 1996, a blizzard hit with 13', in 1997, a blizzard hit with 9', in 2004 a blizzard with 7' hit Hummelstown, and the latest blizzard to hit Hummelstown occurred in 2010 with a record setting 21'.
Highways
A few highways run through Hummelstown; such as U.S. Route 322 which by Hummelstown is the Hummelstown Bypass as well as U.S. Route 422. U.S. Routes 39, 22, and 11 are all nearby Hummelstown. Hummelstown main street ends at the Boro Bar and Walton Avenue (previously main street) turns into and becomes U.S. Route 39 / Hersheypark Road. At the west end of Hummelstown, the exit leaving Hummelstown - Fiddlers Elbow connects to U.S. Route 283.
Other major roads
The two main roads of Hummelstown is Main Street and South Hanover Street. Main Street of Hummelstown once leaving Hummelstown west joins into U.S. Route 322 after Hoss's and before Murphy's[disambiguation needed]. Going east Main Street turns into U.S. Route 39 at what part is known as Hersheypark Drive in Derry Township.South Hanover street is longer. Going north South Hanover street once crossing underneath the bridge at the end of town turns into Hoernerstown Road and Pleasentview Avenue; eventually ending in Union Deposit road. Going south, South Hanover street ends just past the Lower Dauphin High School when it crosses the bridge over U.S. Route 322. There it becomes Derry Township and is called Middletown Road. Once past the development and area beyond the Turkey Hill[disambiguation needed] and the plant nursery it becomes a part of Middletown in which case it is then known as Vine Street. The road ends at a juncture with E. Main Street of Middletown.
Demographics
According to the United States Census Bureau the median house value in Hummelstown is $99,400. 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.Hummelstown is home to many older homes; due to the town's age, much of the homes were built in the earlier decades of the 1900s.Again, according to the United 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).
Population
As of 2009, Hummelstown's total population is 18,826. 9,132 of which are male, and 9,694 female. The median age for the population is 38.3 years old. There is a total of 7,267 households in Hummelstown, with the median income per household being $56,063.
2000 census records
As of the census 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 people per square mile (1,247.0/km²). There were 1,953 housing units at an average density of 1,448.4 per square mile (558.6/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 was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.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.Money Magazine (via their website and magazine) lists the median household income for Hummelstown to be $60,666 as of 2005, compared to the average in the United States which is $68,053 in 2005. The sales tax is 6.00%, compared to that of 6.77% nation-wide. The median house price is $154,815 compared to that of the nation average of $315,351.In 2005, Hummelstown was named the 61st best town in the United States to live in, as voted on by The New York Times in association with Time, Life, and several other high-profile magazines on Money Magazine's website.
Annual cultural events
The Lollipop Drop –New Year's Eve
Movie Nights – at the Herbert A. Schaffner Memorial Park
Taste of Hummelstown – food sampling by restaurants along theMain Street
The Hummelstown Craftsfair – a craft fair held each September
Trick or Treat- the Thursday closest (before)Halloweenis the night used for the annual Trick or Treat. Houses with their porchlight on from 6PM until 8PM are houses participating.
Museums and other points of interest
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.Indian Echo Caverns 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 operator Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad operates heritage and freight service between its namesake towns of Middletown, Pennsylvania 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. Interestingly, 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
In the town there is an American Legion, a VFW, a boro office building, and a post office. The legion and the post office are located on Walton Avenue (main street). The VFW and the boro office building are located on South Hannover street.The town has numerous significant businesses, such as Chrysler, My Tea S'pot, the Chatterbox, The Sun, Trevz Funeral Home, the Buse Family Funeral Home, 7-11, Warwick Hotel, JoJo's Pizza, M&T Bank, Metro Bank, Sheetz, The Boro Bar, and numerous other offices, important buildings, businesses, and jobs, as well as use to have Omnidon's, located on Main Street.The town has several bars; including: The Warwick Hotel, The Boro Bar, Chicks, the new Gas Station, and (before the explosion that destroyed the building) Rosie's East End.The town also has several churches, most located on Main Street.
Religion
As much of Pennsylvania, in the initial days of its founding, Hummelstown had a large base of Quakers, which would later splinter and form the Amish and Mennonite of the surrounding towns and villages. As the town grew and became older it kept its Christian roots but became more of the orthodox protestant denominations, such as Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian. There are several churches in Hummelstown, one for each of these denominations.
Parks and recreation
Several parks are located throughout the borough: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
The borough is located within the Lower Dauphin School District. Lower Dauphin High School, Lower Dauphin Middle School, Nye Elementary School, and the Price Building are located in the community. The school district's administration building is also located in Hummelstown.
Libraries
Currently, Hummelstown has one public library, located on John St. across from the Nye Elementary School building. Construction is due to be finished on their larger library, the William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library, on the corner of 2nd and Railroad Streets. The library will be in size and in scope in comparison to that of the Hershey Public Library.The Hummelstown Public Library named for its major donors and local philanthropists, William H. and Marion C. Alexander, was planned to open the first week of July 2010 and the grand opening ceremony will be held during the last week of July 2010. Due to time issues involved in moving the large catalog of books from the previous library to its new home; as well as the acquisition of more books, the library's opening and grand opening ceremony will be held on July 27, 2010.
Media
Hummelstown is home to The Sun newspaper, which covers Hummelstown, Hershey, and the lower Dauphin County area. In early 2008, The Sun acquired the subscribers of the now-defunct Hershey Chronicle newspaper making The Sun the largest paid-circulation weekly in Dauphin County. The Sun began in 1871.1862– analternate historyof theAmerican Civil Warnovel byRobert Conroy.
List of newspapers based around Hummelstown
Hummelstown has had numerous newspapers located within the borough as well as many more located just outside (usually within Harrisburg or Hershey). Most newspapers based in Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Chambers Hill, Campbelltown and Palmyra cover the events of Hummelstown as well.The following is an incomplete list of newspapers that are based around the Hummelstown area and covers Hummelstown current events:The Sun
The Patriot-News
Press and Journal
Hershey Chronicle(defunct)
The Sentinel
Central Penn Business Journal
Radio stations
This is a list of FM stations in the greater Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area.This is a list of AM stations in the Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area:
Folklore
Hummelstown has a rich folklore, both of the town and especially concerning the local area. 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. Or as William would later be known as - The Pennsylvania Hermit. The Indian Echo Caverns uses the folklore of William to help attract tourists.
Notable natives and residents
Newt Gingrich- formerSpeaker of the Houseand futurepresident candidate, was raised by his mother and step-father (whoadoptedhim) onmain streetin an apartment above what is now acomputer storeMainFrame. There is a tree on main street dedicated to his step-father as well as a plague commemorating the sight as their place of residence.
Brian Baker– formerSprint Corporationspokesman
Terry Farrell– cast member ofBeckerandStar Trek: Deep Space Nine; wife of Brian Baker
Alexander Ramsey– second governor ofMinnesota
The music bandFull Moonoriginated in Hummelstown in 1974.
Chris Villarrial-American footballplayer, formerly for theBuffalo BillsandChicago Bears
Laurel Martin-field hockeyplayer formerly for theUS Olympic Team
Bill Gaudette-soccerplayer for thePuerto Rico Islanders
George M. Leader- formergovernorofPennsylvania
Dr. William K. Thierfelder-psychologist
William Simonton- aWhigmember of theUS House of Representatives
James M. Wallace- a member of the US House of Representatives
John D. Payne- aRepublicanmember of the US House of Representatives
Matthew Murray, mental health worker and photographer known for his pictures of abandoned buildings and other sites of urban decay
Lauren Alwine- current US women's national team soccer player
Bob Swank- head coach of theBuffalo State Collegefootball team
Robert Proietto- currentPGA Tourgolfer
Brett Anderson- current MLB pitcher
Grag Kratzer- former NFL linemen, currently Brett Anderson's personal assistant
Native Americans
There were several Native American tribes located around Hummelstown. The Susquehannocks, the Iroquois, and several smaller tribes that would later be conquered or assimilated into the Iroquois.
