Perry County, Pennsylvania

Perry County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 45,969.[1] The county seat is New Bloomfield.[2] The county was created on March 22, 1820, and was named for Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812, who had recently died.[3] It was originally part of Cumberland County and was created in part because residents did not want to travel over the mountain to Carlisle (the county seat of Cumberland County), and thus the temporary county seat became Landisburg (before New Bloomfield was chosen.)

Perry County
U.S. county
Saville Covered Bridge in Saville Township
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°24′N 77°16′W
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
Founded22 March 1820
Named forOliver Hazard Perry
SeatNew Bloomfield
Largest BoroughMarysville
Area
 • Total556 sq mi (1,440 km2)
 • Land551 sq mi (1,430 km2)
 • Water4.1 sq mi (11 km2)  0.7%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
46,139
 • Density83.7/sq mi (32.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district12th
Websitewww.perryco.org

Perry County is included in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is served by the 717/223 area codes.

In 2010, the center of population of Pennsylvania was located in the eastern end of Perry County.[4] Green Park, an incorporated village located in northeastern Tyrone Township, serves as Perry County's midpoint between the Conococheague Mountain in the west and the Susquehanna River to the east.[5]

Geography
Main article: Geography of Pennsylvania § The Mountains

The county terrain is formed by the folded Appalachian Mountain ridges which run from southwest to northeast across the county. The terrain slopes to the northeast,[6] with its highest point on the Blue Mountain Ridge, which delineates the border between Perry and Cumberland counties. The ridge peaks at 0.83 mile (1.33 km) NE from Perry County's southmost corner; it measures 2,269' (692m) ASL.[7] The county is drained by the south-flowing Susquehanna River, which forms almost all of its eastern boundary. The Juniata River enters Perry County from Juniata County near Millerstown, and flows southeast to its confluence with the Susquehanna River near Duncannon. The county also contains several creeks,[8] runs, and lakes,[9] which provide recreational and fishing[10] opportunities, formerly powered mills throughout the county[11] and provided transport venues. To this day, canoeing and kayaking are forms of recreation which utilise the Sherman Creek and other waters in the county.[12]

The county has a total area of 556 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 551 square miles (1,430 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (0.7%) is water.[13]

The Appalachian Trail runs through the town of Duncannon. The county is also famous for being the northern head of the Tuscarora Trail.

Perry County has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and average monthly temperatures in New Bloomfield range from 28.5 °F in January to 73.2 °F in July. The hardiness zone is 6b except in Marysville where it is 7a. Common trees include red maple,[14] Virginia pine, oak, eastern white pine,[15] eastern hemlock,[16] birch, shagbark hickory,[17] and juniper, though American sycamore, ironwood, sugar maple, black walnut, elm, alder, and sassafras are also fairly common.[18] Mosses of various species are common sights, especially on fallen tree logs, along streams, on tree trunks,[19] and in sidewalk cracks, usually growing in shaded areas. Ferns also grow along streams and in shaded areas, and are also commonly seen in Perry County woodlands.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
182011,342—
183014,26125.7%
184017,09619.9%
185020,08817.5%
186022,79313.5%
187025,44711.6%
188027,5228.2%
189026,276−4.5%
190026,2630.0%
191024,136−8.1%
192022,875−5.2%
193021,744−4.9%
194023,2136.8%
195024,7826.8%
196026,5827.3%
197028,6157.6%
198035,71824.8%
199041,17215.3%
200043,6095.9%
201045,9695.4%
Est. 201846,139[20]0.4%
US Decennial Census[21]
1790–1960[22] 1900–1990[23]
1990–2000[24] 2010–2017[1]

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families in the county. The population density was 79.1/sqmi (30.6/km²). There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34.4/sqmi (13.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.54% White, 0.43% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 45.8% were of German, 16.4% American, 7.8% Irish and 5.0% English ancestry. 96.8% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 16,695 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01. There is also a high population of Anabaptist communities, such as Amish and Mennonites.

The county population contained 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

A lake in Kennedy's Valley, Perry County PA
Birth rate

Perry County's live birth rate was 609 births in 1990.[25] The County's live birth rate in 2000 was 512 births, while in 2011 it rose to 555 babies.[26][27] From 1960 to 2010, rural Pennsylvania has experienced an ongoing decline in the number of residents under 18 years old.[28]

Teen Pregnancy rate

Perry County had 34 babies born to teens (age 15-19) in 2011. In 2016, the number of teen births in Perry County was 32.[29]

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget[30] has designated Perry County as the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 census[31] the metropolitan area ranked 6th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 96th most populous in the United States, with its population of 549,475. Perry County is also a part of the larger Harrisburg-York-Lebanon, PA Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Perry County as well as Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon and York Counties in Pennsylvania. The Combined Statistical Area ranked 5th in the State of Pennsylvania and 43rd most populous in the United States with a population of 1,219,422.

County Government

Commissioners
  • Brian S. Allen, Chair (R)
  • Gary R. Eby, Vice Chair (R)
  • Brenda L. Watson, Secretary (D)

(as of January 2020)

Sheriff
  • David Hammar, Republican

(as of January 2020)

State Senate[32]

State House of Representatives[32]

United States House of Representatives

United States Senate

Emergency services

Perry County 911, located in the basement of the Perry County Courthouse, is the county's public-safety answering point (PSAP). The 911 center's coverage area includes almost all of Perry County and portions of Juniata and Dauphin County.

Politics

In 2016, Donald J. Trump received 73.07% of the presidential vote, compared to 21.67% to Hillary Clinton, and 5.26% for candidates Gary Johnson, write-ins, Jill Stein, and Darrell L. Castle, respectively. The county has voted for the Republican in every presidential election since 1964. In 2006, Lynn Swann received 9,998 votes (69%) to 4,477 votes (31%) for Ed Rendell, making it Swann's strongest county in his defeat. Rick Santorum also received more than 60% of the Perry County vote in his defeat.[33]

Presidential election results
Presidential elections results[33]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 73.1% 15,616 21.7% 4,632 5.3% 1,123
2012 68.3% 13,120 29.6% 5,685 2.1% 410
2008 65.8% 13,058 32.2% 6,396 2.0% 394
2004 71.7% 13,919 27.9% 5,423 0.4% 85
2000 69.6% 11,184 27.7% 4,459 2.7% 436
1996 56.2% 8,156 31.8% 4,611 12.1% 1,748
1992 51.4% 7,871 26.7% 4,086 22.0% 3,370
1988 68.2% 8,545 31.2% 3,910 0.6% 78
1984 71.4% 9,365 28.2% 3,692 0.4% 56
1980 63.7% 8,026 29.2% 3,681 7.1% 892
1976 60.5% 7,454 37.4% 4,605 2.1% 261
1972 73.3% 8,082 24.8% 2,731 1.9% 212
1968 61.3% 6,655 27.1% 2,944 11.5% 1,250
1964 46.8% 5,364 52.9% 6,054 0.3% 34
1960 70.3% 8,134 29.5% 3,413 0.2% 23
1956 67.6% 7,511 32.2% 3,576 0.2% 25
1952 68.8% 6,733 31.1% 3,042 0.2% 17
1948 67.7% 5,444 32.3% 2,596
1944 63.4% 5,722 36.2% 3,265 0.5% 43
1940 56.0% 5,877 43.9% 4,601 0.1% 12
1936 49.7% 5,759 49.8% 5,780 0.5% 61
1932 53.2% 4,402 45.1% 3,733 1.6% 134
1928 77.7% 6,469 21.7% 1,807 0.7% 54
1924 57.5% 4,185 37.3% 2,710 5.2% 381
1920 60.6% 3,787 37.1% 2,314 2.3% 144
1916 51.5% 2,575 46.9% 2,348 1.6% 81
1912 23.5% 1,140 40.0% 1,941 36.5% 1,774
1908 58.8% 3,269 39.3% 2,184 1.9% 105
1904 60.7% 3,433 37.0% 2,094 2.3% 127
1900 57.4% 3,400 41.2% 2,440 1.4% 82
1896 57.2% 3,537 40.1% 2,477 2.7% 166
1892 52.2% 3,120 45.3% 2,705 2.6% 152
1888 53.0% 3,168 45.8% 2,738 1.1% 67

Education
Map of Perry County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts

Public School Districts

Intermediate unit

The Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 is a state approved education agency that offers to Perry County school districts, charter schools, private schools, and home school students, a variety of services including: a completely developed K-12 curriculum that is mapped and aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards (available online), shared services, a joint purchasing program and a wide variety of special education and special needs services.

Private schools

As reported on EdNA (ED Names and Addresses) by the Pennsylvania Department of Education:

  • Blue Goose Children's Learning Center, Inc – Newport
  • Carson Long Military Institute
  • Clarks Run Parochial School – Blain
  • Community Christian Academy – Newport
  • Farm Lane School – Ickesburg
  • Fowlers Hollow School – Blain
  • Heritage Christian School – West Perry
  • Honeysuckle Ridge School – Elliotsburg
  • Kuddly Bear Child Care Center Inc. – Duncannon
  • Loysville Youth Development Center – Loysville
  • Manassa School – Blain
  • Messiah Day Care Center – Elliottsburg
  • Mountain View Parochial School – Ickesburg
  • Perry View Parochial School – Landisburg
  • Raccoon Valley Amish School – Millerstown
  • Shermans View School – Loysville
  • Stony Point School – Loysville
  • Sunset Valley School – Millerstown

Trade schools
  • Central Pennsylvania Diesel Institute – Liverpool

Public libraries
  • New Bloomfield Public Library
  • Community Library of Western Perry County
  • Marysville-Rye Public Library
  • Newport Public Library

[34]

Media

Newspapers

The county is home to four weekly newspapers, three published by Advance Publications of Perry and Juniata Counties, Inc. associated with The Patriot-News of Harrisburg: Duncannon Record, The News-Sun, and Perry County Times.[35] The Perry County Weekly is published by The Sentinel in Carlisle, Cumberland County, by Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa.[36]

Books

There are numerous historical books written about the county, available at the Council of the Arts in Newport as well as other establishments. They cover various topics of the county's past, including an historical overview of the Blain area; an account of the life of the early settlers along the Shermans Creek in three townships;[37] and an account of a Civil War battle on Sterrett's Gap.[38]

Communities
Map of Perry County, with Boroughs (red) and Townships (white)

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Perry County:

Boroughs

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Perry County.[31]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Marysville Borough 2,534
2 Newport Borough 1,574
3 Duncannon Borough 1,522
4 † New Bloomfield Borough 1,247
5 Liverpool Borough 955
6 Millerstown Borough 673
7 Blain Borough 263
8 Landisburg Borough 218
9 New Buffalo Borough 129

Economy
A barn near Duncannon

Perry County's economy is primarily agricultural.[43] Various farmers markets,[44] roadside stands, farm produce stands,[45] food festivals,[46] resale farm stands, meat stores, and plant nurseries[47][48] are present throughout the county. Two farms in Perry County are particularly well known, which are Spiral Path Farm and Yeehaw Farm, with the latter having been spotlighted by the Washington Post.[49] The county's area is 38.3% farmland, of which 11.09% (thus 4.24% of all land in the county) is pastureland.[50]

Perry County also hosts a wide range of non-agricultural businesses. Historically, mills were prevalent, and the county currently has 21 known non-operational mills still standing.[51] Settlement was not allowed until 1755, and when settlement was allowed, it was not safe: in June 1755, Native Americans chased nearly all of the pioneers out, until it was considered safe to return in 1762. The first mill was taxed in 1763, though the exact date of its completion is not known.[52]

Nearly every stream's basin hosted a sawmill, providing wood for early buildings and boardwalks.[52]

Marcellus shale impact fee

Act 13 of 2012,[53] which levied a Marcellus Shale Impact Fee, was signed into law by Governor Tom Corbett on February 14, 2012.[54][55] The top county recipient was Washington County which received $6,512,570.65 in 2014.[56] All Pennsylvania counties receive a marcellus shale fee disbursement, including those counties that have no shale wells.

  • 2013 – no shale wells, impact fee revenues to Perry County – $43,793.65[57]
  • 2014 – no shale wells, Perry County received an impact fee disbursement of $43,677.42.[58][59]
  • 2015 – no shale wells, impact fee revenues to Perry County – $35,957.82.[60] The funds were used for rehabilitation of greenways.

Recreation

The county has a variety of recreation facilities. There are three state parks: Fowlers Hollow State Park, Little Buffalo State Park, and Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area. The Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area is found near New Bloomfield along Huckleberry Road. Carroll Township Park also offers a wide variety of athletic facilities.[61]

Pools: Liverpool Pool (Jann Deitzler Memorial Pool), Millerstown Pool, New Bloomfield Pool, and Little Buffalo State Park Pool

Trails: Hawk Rock Trail and Iron Horse Trail

State Game Lands: #170 Dellville, #254 New Buffalo, #256-Mecks Corner and #281 Miller Township. Hunting requires licenses from the PA Game Commission.

  • Duncannon, downtown view showing the Doyle.
  • New Bloomfield in 1913.
  • Books Covered Bridge.
  • New Bloomfield.
  • Blain Depot in Blain.
  • South High Street Bridge, Duncannon.
  • Little Buffalo State Park, near New Bloomfield.
  • An old building in Dellville (formerly a store.)
  • Downtown Newport.
  • Presbyterian church in Duncannon.
  • Landisburg.
  • A shagbark hickory tree near Dellville.

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  3. Early History of Perry County Archived July 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Centers of Population by State: 2010". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  5. Hain, H. H. "History of Perry County, Pennsylvania". Hain-Moore Co. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  6. ""Find an Altitude/Perry County PA" - Google Maps (accessed 25 May 2019)". Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  7. Blue Mountain-Perry/Cumberland High Point, Pennsylvania (PeakBagger.com, accessed 25 May 2019)
  8. "Sherman Creek (Pennsylvania)" Check |url= value (help). 11 September 2016. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. SusquehannaMan (7 February 2018), English: A lake., archived from the original on 10 May 2018, retrieved 10 March 2018
  10. Inc., Fishidy. "Sherman Creek PA Fishing Reports, Map & Hot Spots". www.fishidy.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  11. "Roddy/Waggoner's Mill - Perry Co. - Pennsylvania". millpictures.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  12. "Kayaking Shermans Creek, PA". Vimeo. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  13. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  14. SusquehannaMan (24 October 2017), English: Maple, archived from the original on 10 May 2018, retrieved 10 March 2018
  15. SusquehannaMan (21 November 2017), English: Pinus strobus, Pennsylvania., archived from the original on 10 May 2018, retrieved 10 March 2018
  16. "A hemlock tree in Perry County, PA".
  17. SusquehannaMan (26 October 2017), English: Hickory., archived from the original on 10 May 2018, retrieved 10 March 2018
  18. "Table of Contents: Trees of Pennsylvania". www.upenn.edu. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  19. SusquehannaMan (2 July 2015), English: Moss, retrieved 10 March 2018
  20. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  21. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  22. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  23. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  24. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  25. Pennsylvania Department of Health, Birth Age County Reports 1990, 1990
  26. Pennsylvania Department of Health, Birth Age County Reports 2000, 2000
  27. Pennsylvania Department of Health, Birth Age County Reports 2011, 2011
  28. Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Number of Children Decreasing in Rural Pennsylvania, 2011
  29. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2016). "Pennsylvania Teen Births 2015".
  30. "Office of Management and Budget". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018.
  31. CNMP, US Census Bureau. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  32. Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Archived from the original on 6 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  33. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018.
  34. "Public Libraries of Perry County, Pennsylvania". pecoinfo.org. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012.
  35. Archived 10 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine Perry County Times and "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 11, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  36. Cumberlink
  37. "Life Along the Shermans". www.perryheritage.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  38. "The Wind-Down of Photo Season". Emerging Civil War. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  39. Alinda PA - Google Maps (accessed 25 May 2019)
  40. Couchtown PA - Google Maps (accessed 25 May 2019)
  41. Elliottsburg PA - Google Maps (accessed 25 May 2019)
  42. Wila PA - Google Maps (accessed 25 May 2019)
  43. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) State Name: Pennsylvania/County Name: Perry/NASS County Code: 42099: Acres of Land in Farms as Percent of Land Area in Acres: 2012, 38.3%
  44. Services, Audra Jon Hoover Creative. "Butcher's Farm Market : Newport, PA : Fresh Produce, Fruits, Vegetables, Baked Goods, Flowers". www.butchersfarmmarket.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  45. "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  46. "Home | Sherman's Valley Heritage Days". www.svheritagedays.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  47. "Perennial Gardens". perennialgardens.name. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  48. Connect, Garden. "Perennials range of Ashcombe Garden Center in Shermans Dale". www.gardencenterguide.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  49. Horton, Emily C. (10 September 2013). "Want your own personal farmer? Try a whole-diet CSA". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  50. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) State Name: Pennsylvania/County Name: Perry/NASS County Code: 42099: Acres of All Types of Pastureland as Percent of Land in Farms Acreage: 2012 (Text),"11.09"
  51. "Pennsylvania - Perry Co. Mills". millpictures.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  52. Hain, Harry Harrison (1922). History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement. The Library of Congress. Hain-Moore Co., Harrisburg PA. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017.
  53. Pennsylvania House of Representatives (February 8, 2012). "HB1950 of Session 2011 OIL AND GAS (58 PA.C.S.) – OMNIBUS AMENDMENTS". Archived from the original on March 20, 2014.
  54. Pennsylvania General Assembly, Act 13 of 2012, February 14, 2012.
  55. Pennsylvania Utility Commission (2012). "Act 13 (Impact Fee)". Archived from the original on 15 March 2016.
  56. Pennsylvania Utility Commission (2015). "Disbursements and Impact Fees 2014". Archived from the original on 15 November 2016.
  57. Pennsylvania Utility Commission (2013). "Perry County Total distribution for year 2013". Archived from the original on 12 November 2017.
  58. Pennsylvania Utility Commission (2015). "County Well Count Breakdown for 2014". Archived from the original on 15 November 2016.
  59. Nick Malawskey (April 3, 2014). "Drilling Across Pennsylvania". Pennlive.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016.
  60. Pennsylvania Utility Commission (2015). "County Total distribution for year 2015". Archived from the original on 12 November 2017.
  61. Perry County Administration, Services available in Perry County, 2015

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