Penngrove, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Penngrove
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Main Street in Penngrove
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 Penngrove, California
Location in California
Penngrove, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Sonoma |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.024 sq mi (10.423 km2) |
| • Land | 4.024 sq mi (10.423 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 85 ft (26 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,172 |
| • Density | 1,036.78/sq mi (400.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
94951
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| Area code(s) | 707 |
| FIPS code | 06-56476 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 230491, 2583110 |
Penngrove is a small community in Sonoma County, California. It's located between the cities of Petaluma and Cotati. Penngrove sits at the base of Sonoma Mountain. It's part of the Bay Area's North Bay region. In 2010, about 2,522 people lived here.
This area was once known as Penn's Grove. It used to be a busy stop for trains carrying goods. Penngrove was also a big center for raising chickens and producing eggs.
Contents
Exploring Penngrove's Location
Penngrove is a place with interesting natural features. Its main street, called Main Street, is about 0.3 miles long. It connects Old Redwood Highway to Adobe Road. Penngrove School is found where Adobe Road meets Main Street.
Waterways and Natural Resources
Lichau Creek flows south through Penngrove, next to the railway tracks. This creek eventually flows into the Petaluma River. The Petaluma River then leads to San Pablo Bay.
Because of old volcanoes on Sonoma Mountain, Penngrove has cool natural treasures. You can find obsidian (volcanic glass) and petrified wood here. The soil is mostly a clay-like material called adobe. People have used adobe for building for hundreds of years. A great example is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a historic park nearby.
Penngrove has a nice, mild Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The community covers about 4 square miles of land.
Who Lives in Penngrove?
In 2010, Penngrove had a population of 2,522 people. Most of the people living there were White (87.7%). About 11.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Most people (99.6%) lived in homes with their families or roommates. There were 1,040 households in total. About 25% of these homes had children under 18 living in them. The average household had about 2.42 people.
The population included people of all ages. About 17.5% were under 18 years old. Around 14.4% were 65 years or older. The average age in Penngrove was 44.8 years.
Most homes (61.5%) were owned by the people living in them. The rest (38.5%) were rented.
Penngrove's Past
The land where Penngrove is today was once part of a large area called Rancho Cotate. In 1844, the Mexican government gave this land to Captain Juan Castaneda. This grant included what is now Penngrove, Cotati, and Rohnert Park.
In 1849, Rancho Cotate was sold to Dr. Thomas S. Page. Over time, the land was divided and sold to new settlers. The first European settlers arrived in the Penngrove area in 1852. These early settlers were David Wharff, W.J. Hardin, and J.M. Palmer.
The Railroad Arrives
In October 1870, the Northwestern Pacific Railroad built a train line. It ran from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, passing right through Penngrove. This railroad was very important for the town's growth.
Fun in Penngrove: Culture and Events
Every summer, Penngrove has a special celebration for the 4th of July. It's usually on the Sunday closest to July 4th. The Penngrove Social Firemen sponsor a parade. On the Saturday before, the Rancho Adobe Firefighters' Association hosts a breakfast. This happens at the Penngrove Fire Station.
How Penngrove Got Its Name
The exact story of how Penngrove got its name isn't fully clear. There are a few different ideas about it.
One story comes from Ruth Anderson, a well-known local. She said that in the late 1860s, two brothers named Penn came from Pennsylvania. They bought 80 acres of land and planted olive trees. The olives weren't good to eat, so the brothers removed the trees and sold the land. But they had named their property "Penn's Grove." Later, the name changed to "Penn Grove." The U.S. Post Office then changed it to "Penngrove" as one word. This was to avoid confusion with "Pine Grove," which was the old name for Sebastopol.
Another idea is that the Post Office changed the name because there was already a town called Penn's Grove in New Jersey. Some also say that the Woodward family, who were from Pennsylvania, named their property "Penn's Grove" to honor their home state.
Penngrove's Development and Industries
Besides chicken and egg farming, Penngrove was also known for its basalt paving stones. These stones were used to pave streets in big cities like San Francisco. At the end of the 1800s, about 200 men worked in three large stone quarries here. You can still see marks from these quarries on the hills today.
When the Northwestern Pacific Railroad opened in 1870, the paving stone business kept the Penngrove station very busy. After 1900, Penngrove became the second largest area for egg and poultry farming in the country. Only Petaluma produced more. People even said that chickens paid better than gold mines! You can still see old, run-down chicken houses on farms in the area.
Important Places in Penngrove
Penngrove Community Church
The Penngrove Community Church is one of the oldest buildings in town. The original part, a Methodist Episcopal Church, was built in 1898. It was first located on Formschlag Lane and Petaluma Hill Road. In 1910, the church was moved on wooden rollers to its current spot at 9970 Oak Street.
The old building is now used as a fellowship hall. A newer building, built in the 1950s, is the main church. The original building is still used by groups like Girl Scouts of the USA, Boy Scouts of America, and 4-H.
Penngrove School
The first school classes in Penngrove were taught in a small building on Peters' Ranch. In 1876, the first school building was built. It was called the Eagle School. It was named after the Eagle Hotel across Main Street.
A second Eagle School was built in 1906. The old school building was then used as a teacher's home. The original structure no longer exists, but you can still see the steps that led to it from Main Street. In 1926, a beautiful mission-style school was built and named Penngrove School. It joined the Petaluma City School District in 1962. The school has grown over the years with new additions. The 1926 building now holds offices and the school library.
Penngrove Post Office
The Post Office in Penngrove was first set up on October 30, 1882. Its name changed a few times because mail got mixed up with other places. These included Penn's Grove, New Jersey, and Pine Grove (which later became Sebastopol). In 1908, the name was officially changed to Penngrove, and it has stayed that way since.
The first Post Office was in the Edwards Building. Then it moved to the Terribilini Building. Later, it moved next to Penngrove Market. A new Post Office building was built in the 1980s on Main Street.
Penngrove Fire Department
Around 1900, Penngrove had three fire chemical carts for fire protection. The first fire department was started in 1928. In 1929, the first fire engine began service. In 1938, an art deco style firehouse was built. This building is now a private home.
The current firehouse was built in 1975. It's located at the corner of Old Redwood Highway and Main Street. Until the 1990s, a siren on top of the building would sound to alert volunteer firefighters. This siren could be heard for over 1.5 miles. Today, firefighters use pagers instead. The Penngrove Firehouse is now part of the Rancho Adobe Fire District.
Penngrove Community Club House
During World War I, a group of women in Penngrove met to do Red Cross work. After the war, they wanted to stay together and have their own club house. In 1922, the community worked together to build the Community Club House. It cost $9,000 to build.
It was first called the "Penngrove Social Welfare Club House." Later, it was shortened to Penngrove Women's Club House. After a fire in the late 1970s, the Penngrove Social Firemen bought the building. It is now used for community events like voting and fundraisers.
Bank Building
The Bank Building was built in 1922. It was for the Central Commercial and Savings Bank. However, the bank only lasted for about two or three years. The bank manager and his family lived on the second floor.
Penngrove Rail Station
The Penngrove Rail Station burned down in 1980. Nothing of the original station remains today. However, the old poultry loading docks are still there. They are behind Penngrove Market, next to Penngrove Park. These docks now house different businesses.
Images for kids
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Main Street in Penngrove
See also
In Spanish: Penngrove (California) para niños
