Picture Rocks, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Picture Rocks, Pennsylvania
Borough
Heading north on US Route 220 into Picture Rocks
Location of Picture Rocks in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lycoming County
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Lycoming
Settled	1848
Incorporated	1875
Area
• Total	1.00 sq mi (2.59 km2)
• Land	0.97 sq mi (2.52 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation	646 ft (197 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	643
• Density	660.16/sq mi (254.77/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	17762
Area code(s)	570
FIPS code	42-60136
GNIS feature ID	1193116
Website	https://picturerocksborough.com

Picture Rocks is a small town, called a borough, located in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. In 2020, about 640 people lived there. It is part of the larger Williamsport, Pennsylvania area.

History of Picture Rocks

Picture Rocks became an official borough on September 27, 1875. Before that, it was part of Wolf Township. Its story began much earlier, around 1773. Early settlers saw special drawings, called pictographs, made by Native Americans in the Muncy Creek valley. These drawings are not there anymore. The town is built on what used to be a village of the Munsee Indian tribe. People have found arrowheads and other old items near the creek, showing that Native Americans lived there a long time ago.

The borough hall in Picture Rocks

How the Town Started

The first official permission to own land in Picture Rocks was given to Henry Rody on June 3, 1773. For many years, the land was not developed much. Then, in 1848, A. R. Sprout and Amos Burrows bought the land. They are known as the founders of Picture Rocks.

Sprout and Burrows worked hard to clear the land of rocks, logs, and bushes. They also fixed up an old sawmill. They started a factory that made parts for houses, like window frames, doors, and window blinds. This was the first factory of its kind in the area. Some local carpenters were worried that these ready-made parts would make their jobs harder.

Later, this factory was used by the Burrows Brothers Furniture Company. After that, it became the Handle and Excelsior Company. Another factory in town made ladders. Even today, Picture Rocks is known for its wood processing industry.

Growth and Special Rules

The town grew as more factories came to use the water power from Muncy Creek. The people who planned the town had a special rule: anyone who bought land in Picture Rocks had to agree not to open a place that sold alcoholic drinks. Because of this, Picture Rocks is still a "dry" town, meaning it does not allow the sale of alcohol.

Early Churches and Homes

The Baptists in Picture Rocks started meeting in the school house around 1840. One Saturday, a traveling minister arrived and thought the school was not good enough for Sunday services. After preaching the next morning, he encouraged everyone to build a proper church. With his help, the Baptist Church members built a church out of logs. About 25 years later, they built a bigger church.

When Picture Rocks first became a borough, Center Street was the main road. The large, fancy homes built by the Burrows and Sprout families were on Center Street. These homes were often square-shaped with low roofs, and some even had a "widow's watch" on top.

Local Artists and Schools

A resident of Picture Rocks named John Wesley Little became famous around the world for his beautiful watercolor paintings. He painted landscapes and pictures of farms and animals. His old studio and home are on Water Street. His paintings are still very popular in the area.

Today, Picture Rocks has two churches: a Baptist Church on Elm Street and a United Methodist Church on Laurel Street.

The town is part of the East Lycoming School District. Picture Rocks is home to George A. Ferrell Elementary School, which teaches students from kindergarten to sixth grade. This school has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, which is a special award for excellent schools. The school used to teach students from first to twelfth grade and had its own sports teams. In 1946, it joined with schools in nearby Hughesville and Lairdsville to form the East Lycoming School District.

Geography and Location

Picture Rocks is located at 41°16′48″N 76°42′42″W / 41.28000°N 76.71167°W / 41.28000; -76.71167 in the southeastern part of Lycoming County. It is surrounded by other townships: Wolf Township to the west, Shrewsbury Township to the north, and Penn Township to the east and south.

If you were to fly like a bird, Picture Rocks is about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 165 miles (266 km) east-northeast of Pittsburgh.

The United States Census Bureau says that the borough covers about 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) of land.

Population Information

As of the census in 2000, there were 693 people living in Picture Rocks. There were 274 households, and 198 of them were families. The population density was about 740 people per square mile (286 people per km²).

Most of the people living in Picture Rocks were White (98.41%). A small number were Native American (0.29%), Asian (0.43%), or from two or more races (0.87%).

About 35.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (60.2%) were married couples living together. The average household had 2.53 people, and the average family had 2.99 people.

The median age of people in the borough was 37 years old. About 25.4% of the population was under 18, and 13.1% was 65 or older.

The median income for a household in Picture Rocks was $36,375. For families, the median income was $45,568. About 11.4% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 16.7% of those under 18 and 12.0% of those aged 65 or over.

Notable People

Picture Rocks is the hometown of Warren Sprout. He was an amazing shooter who won a gold medal at the 1912 Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Picture Rocks (Pensilvania) para niños