Gordonville, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gordonville, Pennsylvania
Census-designated place
Gordonville, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Gordonville, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Lancaster
Township	Leacock
Area
• Total	0.95 sq mi (2.46 km2)
• Land	0.95 sq mi (2.46 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	400 ft (100 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	523
• Density	550.53/sq mi (212.67/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	17529
Area code(s)	717
FIPS code	42-30136
GNIS feature ID	1175839

Gordonville is a small community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It's known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area the government counts for population. In 2020, about 523 people lived here.

Even though Gordonville itself is not very famous, the area around it is often shown in books and magazines. A big part of the culture here is the Old Order Amish community. They live a traditional lifestyle, often without modern technology. The writer Wendell Berry even mentioned Gordonville in some of his essays.

Where is Gordonville?

Gordonville is located in the eastern part of Lancaster County. It's about 10 miles (16 km) east of Lancaster, which is the county seat. The village is also close to other interesting places:

• About 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Intercourse.
• Less than a mile (1.1 km) north of Paradise.
• About 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Bird-in-Hand.

Gordonville is also next to Soudersburg to its southwest and south.

Land and Water

The Gordonville area covers about 2.5 square kilometers (about 1 square mile) of land. There's no water area within the community itself. All the water from Gordonville flows south into Pequea Creek. This creek then flows southwest and joins the Susquehanna River.

Farms and Transportation

The area around Gordonville, especially in Leacock Township, has many farms. Out of 153 farms, almost all are owned by Amish families. These farms are usually small and often have little shops.

Even though Gordonville feels very rural, it's connected to bigger cities. Amtrak Keystone Service trains pass through the village every day. These trains travel to cities like Lancaster and Harrisburg to the west. They also go to Philadelphia and New York City to the east.

Long ago, Gordonville had a train station. But trains haven't officially stopped there since the 1950s. On the smaller roads, you might see horse-drawn buggies sharing space with cars. You might also see Amish youth on rollerblades or Amish men on scooters going to work.

How Many People Live Here?

In 2010, the population of Gordonville was 508 people. By 2020, it had grown slightly to 523 people.

Gordonville's Story

Gordonville is built on land that was once a large grant of 2,300 acres (9.3 square kilometers). This land was given to the Mary Feree family by the sons of William Penn. The town started to grow because of a new railroad planned for the area.

The Railroad Arrives

Around 1829, people began surveying land for the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. This railroad was meant to connect Philadelphia and Columbia. Columbia was a growing city along the Susquehanna River.

The first house in what is now Gordonville was built in 1832 (some say 1834) by Daniel Gordon. It was a large brick farmhouse that is still used today, though it's now divided into apartments.

Early trains on the railroad were not like modern trains. They were wagons that ran on tracks and were pulled by horses. The first steam locomotive made in the U.S. was built in 1832. On April 17, 1834, the first long-distance steam train traveled through Gordonville. The 60-mile (97 km) trip from Lancaster to Philadelphia took about eight and a half hours!

By 1836, Daniel Gordon had built a house, a warehouse, and a storehouse near the railway. The town began to grow. In 1857, the Pennsylvania Railroad bought this railway line. It became known as the "Main Line."

Famous Visitors and Changes

Many important events happened along this railway. Abraham Lincoln spoke from his train at a nearby junction in 1861, just a mile east of Gordonville. Over 5,000 people came to see him! Later, in 1968, presidential candidate Hubert H. Humphrey also spoke at the same spot.

In 1870, two barns in Gordonville were destroyed by fires caused by sparks from locomotives. By 1895, Gordonville had a population of 413, a train station, and a post office. The railway grew, and by the early 1900s, 200 trains passed through the town every day!

Later, a new railway was built in the southern part of Lancaster County in 1906. This greatly reduced train traffic through Gordonville. In 1938, the railway line was electrified, meaning trains could run on electricity.

Today, Amtrak trains still travel through Gordonville on the same railway that helped the town begin. There's even talk of building a new station nearby at Leaman Place.

The Big Spring Auction

One of the most exciting events in Gordonville is the Annual Spring Sale and Auction. It's held by the Gordonville Fire Company and Ambulance Association. This huge event takes place on the second Saturday of March. It's the biggest auction of its kind on the East Coast!

Since 1969, this tradition has brought about 12,000 people to Gordonville. Around 4,500 people register to bid on all sorts of items. You can find farm machinery, horses, beautiful quilts, carriages, old items, and antiques.

When people aren't bidding, they socialize and tourists watch the action. You might even see Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite youth playing "cornerball." This is a traditional and "acrobatic" game played with a small hard ball on a field that can be muddy or straw-covered. While other "mud sale" auctions happen in Lancaster County in the spring, none are as big as Gordonville's. The money raised from the auction helps pay for the fire company's equipment.

A Snowy Surprise

On March 13, 1993, the fire company auction had to close early. State police announced that a heavy snowfall would block the roads. Most people left by 11:00 am. However, some people who volunteered with the fire company found the roads impassable by noon. They had to stay with friends in town overnight.

Only 24 inches (61 cm) of snow fell in the next 24 hours. But strong winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour (80 to 97 km/h) caused huge snow drifts. These drifts blocked the roads. During the blizzard, the fire company's ambulance crew helped with several emergencies. They used snowmobiles to take people to Bird-in-Hand. From there, people could still travel to Lancaster city because the highway was continuously plowed.

The next morning, the auction field was covered in snow. Farm machinery and over a hundred carriages were buried! It took at least a week for things to return to normal. Some people called it the "snowfall of the century." However, a similar two-foot snowfall in 1996 closed all roads in 47 Pennsylvania counties by the governor's order.

See also

In Spanish: Gordonville (Pensilvania) para niños