New Castle, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids New Castle, Pennsylvania
City
Zambelli Plaza in New Castle
Nicknames: Fireworks Capital of America, Hot Dog Capital of the World, Little New York City
Location of New Castle in Lawrence County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Lawrence
Established	1798
Incorporated	1869 (city)
Government
• Type	Home Rule Charter
Area
• Total	8.54 sq mi (22.13 km²)
• Land	8.31 sq mi (21.52 km²)
• Water	0.24 sq mi (0.62 km²) 2.81%
Highest elevation	1,204 ft (367 m)
Lowest elevation	758 ft (231 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	21,926
• Density	2,639.46/sq mi (1,019.09/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	6 total ZIP codes: 16101, 16102, 16103, 16105, 16107, 16108
Area code(s)	724, 878
FIPS code	42-53368

New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the main city of the county. New Castle is located along the Shenango River and Neshannock Creek. It is about 43 miles (69 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. The city is also close to the Pennsylvania–Ohio border. In 2020, about 21,926 people lived there. New Castle is known as the "Fireworks Capital of America" and the "Hot Dog Capital of the World."

History of New Castle

Early Beginnings: 18th Century

In 1798, a civil engineer named John Carlysle Stewart explored western Pennsylvania. He found about 50 acres (20 ha) of land that no one had claimed. This land was where the Shenango River and Neshannock Creek meet. An old Native American town called Kuskusky was once located here. Stewart claimed this land for himself. In April 1798, he planned out what would become the town of New Castle.

Growing into a City: 19th Century

New Castle became a borough in 1825, with about 300 people. Later, it became part of Mercer County. On April 5, 1849, Lawrence County was created. It was named after U.S. Navy Captain James Lawrence. New Castle became a city in 1869. Its first mayor was Thomas B. Morgan. By then, the population had grown to about 6,000 people.

Around 1849, some Amish families from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, moved north of New Castle to New Wilmington. More Amish families came later from Holmes County, Ohio. Today, about 2,000 Amish people live and work in the areas north of New Castle.

Businesses in New Castle grew in the early 1800s. This happened when the Beaver and Erie Canal system was built through the city. Many factories opened in New Castle because it was easy to transport goods and get raw materials. Later, railroads took over from the canals. They were faster and could carry more goods all year.

By the 1870s, New Castle was a big center for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. The city's population grew very fast. It went from 11,600 in 1890 to 28,339 in 1900. By 1910, it reached 38,280. Many immigrants, especially from Italy, came to work in the mills and limestone quarries. New Castle became one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. It built the largest tin plate mill in America, becoming the "tin plate capital of the world."

New Castle in the 20th Century

The Scottish Rite Cathedral was built in 1925.

In 1908, a trolley line connected New Castle to Pittsburgh. Steel and paper mills, foundries, and car factories helped the local economy. Shenango China, a local company, made dishes for the White House.

The 1920s were a very good time for New Castle. Many beautiful buildings were built, like the Scottish Rite Cathedral and St. Mary's Church. The city also became known for its unique features. New Castle is called the "hot dog capital of the world" because of Greek immigrants. They came in the early 1900s and opened restaurants serving chili dogs.

New Castle is also famous as the "fireworks capital of America." This is thanks to two big fireworks companies: Pyrotecnico and Zambelli Internationale. The first fireworks maker in New Castle was Leopold Fazzoni. He came from Italy in 1886. Many people who worked with the Fazzoni family later started their own fireworks businesses.

Today, Pyrotecnico Fireworks is still based in New Castle. It was started by Constantino Vitale in Italy in 1889. His family brought the business to New Castle in the 1920s. Pyrotecnico is now a world leader in fireworks. Zambelli Fireworks was also founded in New Castle. Both companies have created fireworks for big events like presidential celebrations and Super Bowls. In 2007, Zambelli Plaza was opened in New Castle to honor the Zambelli family.

In the 1930s, the city faced hard times during the Great Depression. The government created programs like the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). These programs gave jobs to many people. You can still see stone walls built by the WPA and CCC today. In the 1940s, industries grew again because of World War II.

New Castle's population reached its highest point in 1950, with 48,834 people. But like many industrial cities, it later became part of the "Rust Belt." The population slowly went down to 28,334 by 1990. In 1998, New Castle celebrated its 200th birthday with a big fireworks festival.

The Lawrence County Courthouse, North Hill Historic District, and Scottish Rite Cathedral are important historic places in the city.

Geography and Climate

Where is New Castle?

New Castle is in the middle of Lawrence County. It is located at 40°58′50″N 80°20′40″W / 40.98056°N 80.34444°W / 40.98056; -80.34444. The city sits along the Shenango River where it meets Neshannock Creek.

The city covers about 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²) of land and water. Most of it is land (8.3 square miles (21.5 km²)), and a small part is water (0.2 square miles (0.6 km²)). The Shenango River flows into the Beaver River, which then flows into the Ohio River.

Weather in New Castle

New Castle has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and mild winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in New Castle was 105 °F (40.6 °C) on July 23, 2011. The coldest temperature was −27 °F (−32.8 °C) on January 19, 1994.

Climate data for New Castle, Pennsylvania, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–2020
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	75 (24)	75 (24)	85 (29)	95 (35)	95 (35)	99 (37)	105 (41)	104 (40)	100 (38)	91 (33)	83 (28)	76 (24)	105 (41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	60.9 (16.1)	62.7 (17.1)	73.8 (23.2)	82.5 (28.1)	87.7 (30.9)	92.4 (33.6)	94.2 (34.6)	93.1 (33.9)	90.6 (32.6)	83.0 (28.3)	73.1 (22.8)	61.4 (16.3)	95.5 (35.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	36.9 (2.7)	39.7 (4.3)	49.2 (9.6)	62.9 (17.2)	73.3 (22.9)	81.5 (27.5)	85.9 (29.9)	84.8 (29.3)	78.6 (25.9)	66.3 (19.1)	53.1 (11.7)	41.8 (5.4)	62.8 (17.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	27.9 (−2.3)	29.6 (−1.3)	37.8 (3.2)	49.4 (9.7)	60.1 (15.6)	68.8 (20.4)	73.1 (22.8)	71.9 (22.2)	65.4 (18.6)	53.8 (12.1)	42.4 (5.8)	33.3 (0.7)	51.1 (10.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	19.0 (−7.2)	19.5 (−6.9)	26.5 (−3.1)	35.9 (2.2)	46.8 (8.2)	56.1 (13.4)	60.4 (15.8)	58.9 (14.9)	52.2 (11.2)	41.2 (5.1)	37.9 (3.3)	24.9 (−3.9)	39.9 (4.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−1.2 (−18.4)	2.7 (−16.3)	8.7 (−12.9)	23.0 (−5.0)	33.0 (0.6)	42.7 (5.9)	49.1 (9.5)	48.1 (8.9)	39.9 (4.4)	28.8 (−1.8)	19.6 (−6.9)	9.7 (−12.4)	−4.1 (−20.1)
Record low °F (°C)	−27 (−33)	−23 (−31)	−19 (−28)	3 (−16)	21 (−6)	30 (−1)	38 (3)	32 (0)	26 (−3)	17 (−8)	−1 (−18)	−17 (−27)	−27 (−33)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.86 (73)	2.20 (56)	3.08 (78)	3.65 (93)	3.89 (99)	4.47 (114)	4.55 (116)	3.91 (99)	3.86 (98)	3.22 (82)	2.96 (75)	3.13 (80)	41.78 (1,063)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	10.1 (26)	7.7 (20)	3.7 (9.4)	0.3 (0.76)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.8 (2.0)	4.9 (12)	27.5 (70.16)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	15.9	12.3	12.3	14.7	14.4	13.0	11.9	11.3	10.6	12.4	12.9	14.0	155.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	7.9	5.6	2.8	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	4.3	21.9
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service

Neighboring Areas

New Castle shares borders with several townships. These include Neshannock Township to the north and Shenango Township to the southeast. To the south is South New Castle.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	611	—
1850	1,614	164.2%
1860	1,882	16.6%
1870	6,164	227.5%
1880	8,418	36.6%
1890	11,600	37.8%
1900	28,339	144.3%
1910	36,280	28.0%
1920	44,938	23.9%
1930	48,674	8.3%
1940	47,638	−2.1%
1950	48,834	2.5%
1960	44,790	−8.3%
1970	38,559	−13.9%
1980	33,621	−12.8%
1990	28,334	−15.7%
2000	26,309	−7.1%
2010	23,273	−11.5%
2020	21,926	−5.8%

In 2010, New Castle had 23,273 people living in 9,765 households. The city had about 2,725 people per square mile. Most residents (83.2%) were White, and 12.2% were African American. About 1.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 24.5% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.3 people. The average family had 2.98 people. The median age in the city was 40.8 years old.

In 2017, the average income for a household in New Castle was about $31,044. For families, it was about $42,807. The average income per person was $13,730. About 27.2% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 40.8% of those under age 18.

Economy and Jobs

The Pier I Complex Building in downtown New Castle.

Downtown New Castle has been rebuilt and improved. Streets and sidewalks were updated in the early 2000s. Major roads like Pennsylvania Route 65 and U.S. Route 224 were extended into downtown in 2007.

InfoCision, a company that provides telephone services, moved its offices into the old New Castle Dry Goods Co. building. This building is now called the Pier I Complex Building.

The downtown area also has many bank offices. These include regional offices for Huntington and First Commonwealth. There are also branches for PNC Bank and First National Bank.

In 2018, New Castle had 8,677 people working. The most common jobs were in healthcare, social assistance, utilities, transportation, and warehouses. Healthcare and social assistance employed 1,724 people. Retail trade had 1,172 employees, and manufacturing had 1,012 employees. The highest paying jobs were in utilities, with an average income of $72,917.

New Castle's economy has changed over the last 40 years. It used to be mainly industrial. Now, it has a mix of manufacturing, retail, and service businesses. Many old buildings and homes are being fixed up by new residents.

Arts and Culture

Waterfall at Cascade Park. A roller coaster once crossed the waterway just downstream from the falls.

New Castle is important in the history of Warner Bros.. The first Warner Brothers' theater, the Cascade, opened here in 1907. Warner Bros. helped pay to restore the building's front. City leaders are working to improve the area around this historic site. The Cascade Center now has restaurants and a local theater.

The Cascade Center is named after Cascade Park. This park is located outside the city in Shenango Township. It used to be a trolley park. In the 1980s, it was restored and became a regular outdoor park. It has some historic buildings and hosts the yearly "Back to the 50s Weekend" car show.

The New Castle Playhouse is a community theater. It puts on several shows each year. It is one of the few theaters like it between Youngstown and Pittsburgh.

New Castle is mentioned in the 2011 movie Super 8. It is called the "fireworks capital of the world" in the movie.

New Castle has a large population of Arab-Americans. Their culture is seen throughout the community. Many Lebanese and Syrian immigrants came to the city long ago. Their culture is especially seen in the local food. Popular dishes include stuffed grape leaves, lamb on the rod, kibbe, and garlic sauce. The city's Muslim community has a mosque on the East Side.

North Hill Historic District

In 2000, almost 450 acres (180 ha) in northern New Castle became a historic district. This area has 91 blocks with buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of these buildings have been taken down for new constructions, like the New Castle High School.

Newcastles of the World

New Castle is part of a group of towns and cities around the world named Newcastle. These include places in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Representatives from New Castle attend a meeting called Newcastles of the World every two years.

Education in New Castle

George Washington Intermediate School.

Schools for Kids and Teens

The city is served by the New Castle Area School District. This district also includes nearby Taylor Township. The Lawrence County Career and Technical Center is located in the city. As of 2017, the school district includes:

Croton Pre-Kindergarten Center
Harry W. Lockley Early Learning Center (Kindergarten to 2nd grade)
George Washington Intermediate School (3rd to 5th grade)
New Castle Junior/Senior High School (6th to 12th grade)

There are also private schools like New Castle Christian Academy (Pre-K to 9th grade) and St. Vitus Catholic School (Pre-K to 8th grade).

Higher Education

New Castle has several places for education after high school:

The New Castle Beauty School for cosmetology students.
The New Castle School of Trades for learning technical skills.
The Jameson School of Nursing, run by UPMC Jameson.
A branch of Butler County Community College, which opened in 2008.

Media and Communication

Newspapers

The city has a local newspaper called the New Castle News. It is published every day except Tuesdays and Sundays.

Television and Radio

New Castle gets TV channels from both Pittsburgh and Youngstown. New Castle was home to the first ABC TV station in western Pennsylvania, WKST-TV, which started in 1953.

NCTV45 is an internet-based TV channel on YouTube that operates in New Castle. There is also a radio and cable TV channel at Westminster College in New Wilmington.

For radio, New Castle is part of the Youngstown radio market. The city has two commercial AM radio stations: talk radio station WKST 1200 and sports talk station WUZZ AM 1280. For FM radio, WKPL FM 92.1, which plays classic rock, is licensed nearby and includes New Castle in its local community. There is also a non-profit community radio station called WLDJ.

Transportation and Healthcare

Getting Around New Castle

New Castle Transit Authority bus.

New Castle has public transportation with the New Castle Transit Authority. They provide bus service around the city and have daily trips to Pittsburgh.

Many highways serve the city. Pennsylvania Route 18 and U.S. Route 422 are the main roads. Interstate 376 passes west of the city. Other routes like Pennsylvania Route 65, U.S. Route 224, Pennsylvania Route 108, and Pennsylvania Route 168 also run through New Castle.

The closest airport is the New Castle Municipal Airport, but it does not have commercial flights. Most people use Pittsburgh International Airport, which is about 42 miles (68 km) south of downtown.