Fredonia, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fredonia, Pennsylvania
Borough
Main Street
Location of Fredonia in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Mercer
Established	1876
Area
• Total	0.36 sq mi (0.92 km2)
• Land	0.36 sq mi (0.92 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation (center of town)	1,175 ft (358 m)
Highest elevation (southwest end of township)	1,280 ft (390 m)
Lowest elevation (Mill Run)	1,125 ft (343 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	436
• Density	1,221.29/sq mi (471.54/km2)
Time zone	UTC-4 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (EDT)
Zip code	16124
Area code(s)	724

Fredonia is a small town, called a borough, located in the middle of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. In 2020, about 435 people lived there. It's part of the wider Hermitage area.

History of Fredonia

Early Settlers and Town Beginnings

The very first person to live in the area that became Fredonia was Levi Arnold. He built a grist mill, which is a mill for grinding grain, between 1837 and 1838. Over time, other businesses and homes joined him.

William Simmons built the first store in this small village. He saw how well his business was doing and thought even more growth could happen if a railroad was built nearby. So, Simmons bought the land that would become Fredonia. He had it measured and divided into smaller pieces, called lots.

How Fredonia Got Its Name

The land Simmons bought came from two "Donation tracts." These were special pieces of land given to soldiers from the American Revolutionary War to encourage them to keep fighting. The name "Fredonia" comes from Simmons' "free" donation of land for the town square. It also honored the "Donation" tracts where the land came from.

The first post office in Fredonia opened in 1870. The town officially became a borough in August 1876.

Transportation and Community Life

Fredonia was served by Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad passenger trains from 1869 to 1955. This helped people travel and goods move in and out of the town.

The Fredonia Volunteer Fire Department started in 1934. Since 1935, they have hosted their "Old Home Week" festival every summer. It's a fun community event that brings people together.

Education in Fredonia

Fredonia was once home to the Fredonia Institute. This was a special school, sometimes called a "normal academy" or "select school." It was a place for higher education. People who studied there went on to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, and ministers, among other jobs. The institute was officially recognized in 1874. It even had a library that was started with help from Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman and giver of money.

Fredonia During the Great Depression

During the Great Depression, a tough economic time in the 1930s, Fredonia received money from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was a government program that created jobs.

These funds were used to pave streets and build a water system for the town. Before this, people got their water from streams, private wells, or large tanks called cisterns. The WPA also provided workers who helped build the Fredonia-Delaware High School. This stone building was finished in 1942. It was first a high school until 1960. After that, it became an elementary school within the Reynolds School District. The elementary school closed in the mid-1990s. Later, the building was bought and turned into a place for older adults to live.

Unique Diner and Cheese Factory

Since the 1940s, Fredonia has had a diner made from an old trolley car. This trolley car came from the Harmony Line, which was an "interurban" trolley line. This means it connected cities like New Castle, PA, to Pittsburgh, PA. The diner has had different owners over the years, but it's still open today in its original spot!

Fredonia is also home to Pennsylvania's largest Swiss cheese maker. Fairview Swiss Cheese opened in 1955. It's run by John Koller and Son Inc. This company makes over 7 million pounds of Swiss cheese every year!

Geography of Fredonia

Fredonia is located at 41°19′17″N 80°15′31″W / 41.32139°N 80.25861°W / 41.32139; -80.25861. It is also known as the exact geographic center of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. You can find a brass marker showing this spot at "Fredonia Stainless Exhaust," which is at the corner of Main and 1st Streets.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough covers about 0.4 square miles (0.92 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the borough limits.

Population Information

As of the census in 2020, Fredonia had a population of 435 people.

See also

In Spanish: Fredonia (Pensilvania) para niños