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Paxtonville, Pennsylvania facts for kids

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Paxtonville
Post office
Post office
Paxtonville is located in Pennsylvania
Paxtonville
Paxtonville
Location in Pennsylvania
Paxtonville is located in the United States
Paxtonville
Paxtonville
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Snyder
Township Franklin
Area
 • Total 0.88 sq mi (2.27 km2)
 • Land 0.87 sq mi (2.26 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 314
 • Density 359.68/sq mi (138.94/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code 42-58536

Paxtonville is a small community in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it is an area that the United States Census Bureau defines for counting people. In 2020, about 314 people lived in Paxtonville.

Map of Snyder County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Snyder County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue). Paxtonville is located in the center.

Paxtonville's Location and Size

Paxtonville is located in Franklin Township. Its exact location is 40°46′14″N 77°5′8″W / 40.77056°N 77.08556°W / 40.77056; -77.08556.

The community covers a total area of about 0.9 square miles (2.27 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

People Living in Paxtonville

Historical population
Census Pop.
2020 314
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 221 people living in Paxtonville. By 2020, the population had grown to 314 people.

Most of the people living in Paxtonville in 2000 were White. There were 92 households, and 64 of these were families. About 29% of households had children under 18 years old. Many households were married couples living together.

The average age of people in Paxtonville in 2000 was 39 years old. The population included people of all ages, from children to older adults.

Paxtonville's Past

Paxtonville is located near Middle Creek. It is connected to other towns like Middleburg and Beavertown by Paxtonville Road.

Early Days and Name Change

This area was first settled in the late 1700s. It was originally known as Kern's Mill. Later, the community was renamed Paxtonville after a person named Robert Paxton.

Old Industries and Businesses

After the American Civil War, an iron furnace was built in Paxtonville. However, it did not last long because better iron sources were found elsewhere.

In the early 1900s, making bricks was a big industry here. The Paxton Brick Company operated until 1963, when a fire destroyed it. There was also a sawmill and a cider press that used water power around 1900.

Over the years, Paxtonville had many different businesses. These included a creamery, a restaurant, a cigar factory, and a shirt factory. There were also general stores, a movie house, a barbershop, a grist mill, and a gunsmith.

Community Life and Buildings

As of 2007, Paxtonville had a church, a feed mill, and a community center. The building that is now the community center used to be a two-room schoolhouse. Students in grades 1 through 8 learned there until 1955. After that, students went to school in Middleburg.

Around 1890, another school building stood near Mill Street and Paxtonville Road.

Railroad Connections

In the 1870s, the Sunbury and Lewistown Railroad was completed. This connected Paxtonville to the cities of Sunbury and Lewistown. For many years, passenger trains stopped daily at the Paxtonville station. Passenger train service ended in the late 1920s. Freight trains continued to serve the area until the 1960s. For a short time in the late 1800s, railroad maps called Paxtonville "Benfer."

Old Homes and Ancestry

Many of the oldest houses in Paxtonville are made of logs. However, you cannot see the logs because they are covered with wood frames or shingles. These homes date back to the early 1800s.

Most residents over the years have been of Pennsylvania-Dutch ancestry. This can be seen in many family names like Gill, Gift, and Hassinger.

Community Hall and Cemetery

After World War I, people in the town donated money to build Memorial Hall. This hall was used for many things, including showing movies. When silent films were shown, the Paxtonville Orchestra played music to go along with them.

Around 1900, the town cemetery was moved. Coffins were carried on horse-drawn wagons to its new location on the southwestern edge of town.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Paxtonville para niños

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