Canonsburg, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
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Borough
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West Pike Street near the intersection of North Jefferson Avenue
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| Etymology: John Canon | |
| Nickname(s):
Guntown
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| Motto(s):
"America's Small Town Music Capital"
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Location of Canonsburg in Washington County, Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Washington |
| Established | 1791 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.31 sq mi (5.98 km2) |
| • Land | 2.31 sq mi (5.98 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,744 |
| • Density | 4,218.18/sq mi (1,628.63/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
15317
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| Area code(s) | 724/412 |
| School District | Canon-McMillan |
| Website | www.canonsburgboro.com |
Canonsburg is a small town, called a borough, in Washington County, Pennsylvania. It is about 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. In 2020, about 9,735 people lived there.
Colonel John Canon first planned the town in 1789. It officially became a borough in 1802. Canonsburg is in an area rich with coal. Many people used to work in local steel mills or coal mines. Major roads like Interstate 79 and U.S. Route 19 go through the town. A trolley once connected Canonsburg to Washington, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh until 1953.
Today, Canonsburg is home to Sarris Candies, a famous candy maker, and All-Clad Metalcrafters, which makes cookware. It is also near Southpointe, a large business park. The town was once home to Yenko Chevrolet, a famous shop that built custom muscle cars. Canonsburg also has the Pittsburgh Cougars junior hockey league team.
Canonsburg hosts the second-largest Fourth of July parade in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia. People often put out chairs days before the parade to save their spots! The town also has an annual Oktoberfest celebration. Canonsburg was even featured in an episode of the TV show Supernatural during its Oktoberfest.
Contents
History of Canonsburg
How Canonsburg Began
Before 1780, Colonel John Canon bought land near Chartiers Creek. He was a miller and a judge. In 1781, Washington County was created. A road was planned from Canon's mill to Pittsburgh. This road, called Pitt Street, still exists in parts today.
The first map of the town is from 1788. Lots of land were sold around Canon's property. Soon after, the growing town was named Canonsburg.
In July 1794, many people from this area were involved in the Whiskey Rebellion. Some of them may have met at the Black Horse Tavern in Canonsburg. However, it's not clear if any Canonsburg residents took part in the violent parts of the rebellion.
Canonsburg in the 1800s
Canonsburg was home to Jefferson College, the first school for higher learning west of the Allegheny Mountains. It started in 1802 and was the eleventh such school in the United States. Two well-known fraternities, Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Psi, were founded there in the 1840s and 1850s. Famous people like President Calvin Coolidge and President Woodrow Wilson were members of these groups.
In 1868, Jefferson College moved to nearby Washington, Pennsylvania. It became part of Washington & Jefferson College. This move left many empty buildings in Canonsburg.
The town needed something new to help it grow. The railroad system arrived in 1871. This brought new life and business to Canonsburg. The first train arrived on May 18, 1871, bringing many important people from Pittsburgh. Crowds cheered as the train passed through, and many people joined the ride to Washington.
Canonsburg in the 1900s
In 1903, a trolley line connected Canonsburg to Washington. By 1909, it was part of a larger system that linked to Pittsburgh. This trolley line closed on August 29, 1953.
In 1911, South Canonsburg became part of the town. On August 26, 1911, a sad event happened at the Canonsburg Opera House. A false shout of "fire" caused a panic, and 26 people died.
Some important buildings in Canonsburg are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Canonsburg Armory, Hawthorne School, and Roberts House.
From 1911 to 1957, a company in Canonsburg processed certain metals from ores. Waste materials built up over the years. In 1978, a law was passed to clean up such sites. Canonsburg was the only site east of the Mississippi River to get federal money for cleanup. A $48 million project cleaned up the mill site and 163 nearby properties. The remaining materials were safely stored in a special area at the mill site.
Geography of Canonsburg
Canonsburg is located at 40°15′43″N 80°11′6″W / 40.26194°N 80.18500°W. The town covers about 2.3 square miles (5.98 square kilometers) of land. Canonsburg Lake, a lake used for fun activities, is just east of the town.
Canonsburg shares its borders with four other areas:
- Cecil Township to the north and northeast
- North Strabane Township to the east and south
- Houston to the southwest
- Chartiers Township to the west and northwest
Population of Canonsburg
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 440 | — | |
| 1830 | 792 | 80.0% | |
| 1840 | 687 | −13.3% | |
| 1850 | 627 | −8.7% | |
| 1860 | 650 | 3.7% | |
| 1870 | 641 | −1.4% | |
| 1880 | 699 | 9.0% | |
| 1890 | 2,113 | 202.3% | |
| 1900 | 2,714 | 28.4% | |
| 1910 | 3,891 | 43.4% | |
| 1920 | 10,632 | 173.2% | |
| 1930 | 12,558 | 18.1% | |
| 1940 | 12,599 | 0.3% | |
| 1950 | 12,072 | −4.2% | |
| 1960 | 11,877 | −1.6% | |
| 1970 | 11,439 | −3.7% | |
| 1980 | 10,459 | −8.6% | |
| 1990 | 9,200 | −12.0% | |
| 2000 | 8,607 | −6.4% | |
| 2010 | 8,992 | 4.5% | |
| 2020 | 9,735 | 8.3% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 9,677 | 7.6% | |
| Sources: | |||
As of the 2010 census, Canonsburg had 8,992 people living there. There were 3,809 households. The population density was about 3,703.5 people per square mile (1,429.9 per square kilometer).
Most residents (91.01%) were White. About 6.53% were African American. Other groups included Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander people. About 0.72% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average household had 2.23 people. The average family had 2.88 people. The median age in Canonsburg was 42 years old.
Culture in Canonsburg
Fourth of July Parade
The Canonsburg Fourth of July Parade celebrates Independence Day. It is the second-largest Fourth of July parade in Pennsylvania. Only Philadelphia has a bigger one! Even though Canonsburg has fewer than 9,000 residents, 50,000 to 60,000 people usually come to watch.
The parade starts at 10:00 AM on July 4th. It goes down Pike Street for about 1.5 miles. You can see high school marching bands, local sports teams, cheerleaders, fire trucks, emergency responders, and many other groups. Some groups throw candy to kids, and others hand out water.
After the parade, the fun continues with food, concerts, and family entertainment at Canonsburg Town Park. The day ends with fireworks near Canon-McMillan Memorial Stadium.
The parade is famous for a special tradition: people put out chairs and benches along the parade route to save their spots. They do this sometimes a week or more before the parade! This tradition has even been featured on TV shows like CNN, Jay Leno, and David Letterman.
Black Horse Tavern
The Black Horse Tavern was built in 1794. It was on a road between two ferries. Some people say it was where the Whiskey Rebellion started. Others say this is just a local story. By 1795, a "nailing business" was there. In 1910, the tavern was taken down to make space for the new Canonsburg High School.
Notable People from Canonsburg
Canonsburg has been home to many interesting people:
- Bob Baker, a boxer
- John Canon, the founder of Canonsburg
- Perry Como, a popular singer and TV star
- All four members of The Four Coins, a pop vocal group from the 1950s-1960s
- Robert Patterson Hughes, a U.S. Army major general
- Mike Hull, an NFL linebacker for the Miami Dolphins
- H. Ross Hume and Robert H. Hume, famous distance runners
- Hal Hunter, a football coach
- Welcome Turner Jones, the first African American graduate of Washington & Jefferson College
- Wiz Khalifa, a rapper
- Doug Kotar, an NFL running back for the New York Giants
- Jonathan Letterman, a Civil War surgeon who created the field ambulance system
- Delvin Miller, who owned Meadowcroft Rockshelter (an ancient cave site) and founded "the Meadows" Harness Horse Race Track
- Demi Moore, an actress
- Dorian O'Daniel, an NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Bill Schmidt, an Olympic bronze medalist in javelin
- Marty Schottenheimer, an NFL football coach
- Bobby Vinton, a pop singer
- Donald Yenko, a race car driver and creator of the Yenko Camaro
Gallery
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Roberts House, built between 1802 and 1808, at 225 North Central Avenue.
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Canonsburg Armory, built in 1938, at West College Street and North Central Avenue.
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Sarris Candies Inc. store located at 511 Adams Avenue.
See also
In Spanish: Canonsburg (Pensilvania) para niños
