Juniata Terrace, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Juniata Terrace, Pennsylvania
Borough
Location of Juniata Terrace in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.
Juniata Terrace, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Juniata Terrace, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Mifflin
Government
• Type	Borough Council
Area
• Total	0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2)
• Land	0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	558 ft (170 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	564
• Density	3,357.14/sq mi (1,297.76/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code	17044
Area code(s)	717
FIPS code	42-38640

Juniata Terrace is a small town, called a borough, located in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, USA. It used to be a village built for workers of a big factory. In 2020, about 567 people lived here. Juniata Terrace is special because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 2024. This means it's an important place with a rich history.

History of Juniata Terrace

During the Industrial Revolution, new inventions in chemistry made many products cheaper and easier to get. One important product was rayon, a type of artificial silk. A British company, George Courtauld & Co., bought the patent to make 'viscose' rayon in 1906.

The American Viscose Company

After making their rayon manufacturing process better, Courtauld decided to expand to the United States. In 1909, they started the American Viscose Co. in Philadelphia. Their first rayon factory was built in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. This factory was very successful.

Because rayon, also called "artificial silk," was so popular, demand was much higher than what they could make. So, a second factory was built in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1916.

Building the Lewistown Factory

The demand for rayon kept growing. So, American Viscose decided to build a third factory in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. The first part of this factory opened in 1921. It employed over 1,400 people.

The company needed even more workers. In May 1922, they started to double the factory's size. By 1928, nearly 5,000 people worked there. More than 40% of these workers were women.

American Viscose had to find workers from other parts of Pennsylvania. Many people working in coal mines found the rayon factory jobs better. The Lewistown area was also a nice place to live. So, the company decided to build a special village to house its new employees.

The Birth of Juniata Terrace

The company found a 150-acre farm south of the factory. It was owned by Dr. Henry Sweigart of Lewistown. American Viscose bought almost half of the farm for $45,000 on May 17, 1922.

Dr. Sweigart was given the honor of naming the new village. He chose "Juniata Terrace." The Shade family was renting the farm at the time. American Viscose let them continue to rent about 80 acres. They promised the Shades could stay as long as they wanted. Bill Shade lived and worked on the farm for 51 more years, even after the Lewistown factory closed. The company kept its promise.

Designing the Village Homes

The Philadelphia architecture firm Bellinger & Perrot designed the American Viscose factories. Emile Perrot, one of the architects, later started his own firm. He was known for designing buildings for universities and churches. American Viscose asked him to design the new community of Juniata Terrace.

Perrot traveled a lot to find good design ideas for the villages he worked on. He had already designed a village near the Marcus Hook factory and a larger one in Wilmington, Delaware. To make sure the new village didn't feel too crowded, he used an idea from the "Garden Cities" movement. This idea included open spaces and green areas within a community of homes built close together. Perrot thought this was the best plan for Juniata Terrace.

Perrot chose a red brick style for the houses, common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This style allowed him to use similar designs for many homes, which saved money. Yet, the homes still fit well into the Garden City plan. The simple features, like front porches, bay windows, and slanted roofs, created a nice, unified look for the whole village.

Layout of Juniata Terrace

The village was planned around a large, central green area called Terrace Boulevard. Four blocks of homes lined each side of this boulevard. These eight blocks of homes faced the central green space.

There was also another block of homes behind the first block of Terrace Boulevard. These homes faced north, along Hudson Avenue. Two more blocks were behind the south side of the first two blocks of Terrace Boulevard. These homes faced south, along Delaware Avenue. The fourth block of Terrace Boulevard was set at an angle, which added some variety to the straight lines of the layout.

Village Features and Modern Comforts

Juniata Terrace had 250 homes, an elementary school, and a store building. The store had a grocery store, originally run by Weis Pure Foods, and a drug store. A playground was built for the school and the village children. In 1950, American Viscose gave land for a church, which opened in 1952. Today, the village is mostly the same, though only 52 of the original 112 garages remain, and the school is being used for new purposes.

The village was very modern for its time. The homes had full plumbing, a coal furnace for central heating, and all electrical wires hidden inside the walls. Sewage from each home went underground to a treatment plant. Residents could also get telephone service. The homes had many windows, providing lots of natural light and fresh air. The original design and features are still good for living today.

Each home had a living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor. On the second floor, there was a full bathroom, three bedrooms, and closets. The front porches are still a key feature. The second-floor bay windows and sloping roofs give the homes character. The backyards had a special iron fence with a gate. The homes were painted with "Green and Cream" trim, a uniform look that is still used today.

Building the Village

The Ballinger Company was hired to manage the construction. They also designed the storm drainage and sewer system, including a modern sewage treatment plant. The H.C. Ambler Co. did the digging, and the Brocklehurst Co. was the main builder. Both were from Philadelphia. Hundreds of skilled workers were hired. Other companies did things like wallpapering, installing furnaces, and landscaping. Many local businesses also helped with construction and supplied materials.

A special train track was built up the hill from the Pennsylvania Rail Road. This track went to the corner of what is now Delaware Avenue and Route 103. It was needed to bring in heavy digging equipment and tons of building supplies. Over two years, the project used millions of feet of lumber, bricks, and wallboard. It also needed over 3,000 windows and 3,000 doors, pipes for drainage and sewers, and kitchen and bathroom fixtures.

Construction began on Monday, June 25, 1923. A large area was dug out to create the terraced space for the community. The dirt removed was used to create space for the school, playground, and stores. The first home was occupied by the Allen family in December 1924. Sandy Allen, a daughter from that family, still lives in Juniata Terrace today. The last home was occupied in December 1925. The streets and sidewalks were finished in early 1926. That fall, the boulevards were planted with grass, bushes, trees, and flowers. The stores opened in 1927. The school was given to the School District of Granville Township on August 30, 1928, just before it opened.

Life for the Residents

As landlords, the American Viscose Co. required at least one person in each home to work at the Lewistown factory. Sometimes, a wife or even adult children also worked there. Rent was initially only $1.00 a week, taken directly from their weekly pay. Since workers earned about $1,100 to $1,300 a year, this low rent was a huge help to families. By May 1944, the weekly rent increased to $4.60, but it was still a great benefit. Many employees wanted to live in Juniata Terrace, and there was a long waiting list.

The 1930 census showed 1,710 residents in the village. About 610 of them worked for American Viscose. Some homes had as many as 13 people living in them. Many homes took in "boarders," usually family members or close friends. These boarders were often on the waiting list to get their own homes in Juniata Terrace.

American Viscose also employed a maintenance person who lived on site. If anything needed fixing, it was their job to repair it. Homes were repainted and re-wallpapered when needed. All outdoor areas were also maintained by the company.

Some people called Juniata Terrace a "company town," but this isn't quite right. The only requirement was that someone in the home worked for American Viscose. There were no company-owned stores where people had to buy things, and no other harsh conditions often found in company towns. American Viscose was correct to call it an "industrial village."

Through the Years

In 1949, American Viscose was sold. The new owner didn't want to own and maintain housing for workers. So, all the homes were offered for sale to the people renting them. The last home was bought in December 1950.

After this, the streets and public lands of Juniata Terrace became the responsibility of Granville Township. A new group called the Juniata Terrace Civic Association was formed. This group made many improvements over the years. They built a cable TV system in 1954, a second playground around 1959, and a new community building in 1961. They also put up a War Memorial to honor residents who died serving their country.

In 1967, Juniata Terrace became its own borough, separate from Granville Township. It now had its own Mayor and Borough Council to govern it. More improvements continued, like street lighting and paving alleys. In 1972, the Viscose factory closed after being damaged by Hurricane Agnes. Many Juniata Terrace residents lost their jobs.

However, unlike many industrial towns that struggled, Juniata Terrace survived. Even after a big fire in 2014 that affected 25 homes, the community quickly recovered. The Garden City design of Juniata Terrace helped create a great environment for its residents. It helped the community stay strong and connected. Residents also participated in activities in Lewistown, blending the two communities.

Juniata Terrace has overcome many challenges. These include the Great Depression, major wars, the sale of the factory, the factory's closing, and a big fire. Today, it continues to thrive because of the strong will of its residents. It's a great example of what makes America special.

Geography

Juniata Terrace is located at 40°35′5″N 77°34′49″W / 40.58472°N 77.58028°W / 40.58472; -77.58028. This means it's at a specific spot on the Earth's surface, like a GPS coordinate.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough covers a total area of about 0.1 square miles (0.43 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Demographics

Demographics is the study of a population, like how many people live somewhere and what groups they belong to.

Based on the census of 2000, there were 502 people living in Juniata Terrace. These people lived in 223 households, and 148 of those were families. The population density was about 3,939.8 people per square mile (1,521.2 people per square kilometer). There were 233 housing units, meaning homes or apartments.

Most of the people in the borough were White (97.61%). A smaller number were African American (1.39%), Native American (0.20%), or from two or more races (0.80%). About 0.40% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Strange object on Terrace Boulevard

Out of the 223 households, 28.3% had children under 18 living with them. About 49.8% were married couples living together. In 12.6% of households, a female was the head of the house with no husband present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of single individuals. And 17.0% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The average household had 2.25 people, and the average family had 2.77 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 23.3% were under 18 years old. 5.8% were between 18 and 24. 29.7% were between 25 and 44. 20.1% were between 45 and 64. And 21.1% were 65 years or older. The average age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were about 89.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were about 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $29,286. The median income for a family was $33,750. Males earned a median income of $25,694, while females earned $18,864. The per capita income for the borough was $14,398. About 2.6% of families and 7.8% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 12.3% of those under 18 and 4.5% of those aged 65 or over.

See also

In Spanish: Juniata Terrace para niños