Rainsburg, Pennsylvania Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Rainsburg, Pennsylvania
Borough
Early stone house on Main Road
Location of Rainsburg in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Rainsburg, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Bedford
Incorporated	September 1, 1856
Government
• Type	Borough Council
Area
• Total	0.16 sq mi (0.42 km²)
• Land	0.16 sq mi (0.42 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	2,031 ft (619 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	141
• Density	865.03/sq mi (334.97/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s)	814
FIPS code	42-63312

Rainsburg is a small town, called a borough, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2020, about 141 people lived there.

History of Rainsburg
- Rainsburg Seminary
- Churches in Rainsburg
Geography of Rainsburg
Population of Rainsburg
Images for kids
See also

History of Rainsburg

Rainsburg is named after its first settler, Conrad Rain. He arrived sometime before 1786 and lived in a log building. Later, Captain Jacob Adams and his wife Loretta Dustimer joined him. They came from Loudoun County, Virginia, after Jacob fought in the Revolutionary War. Jacob built the first house made of cut logs in Rainsburg. This log house was later replaced by a frame house in 1854.

Another early settler was James Donahoe, who arrived before 1800. He ran a tannery (a place that makes leather), a store, and a hotel. More merchants came to town over time. Elias Gump arrived in 1818 from Maryland. He started a carpentry business and became a justice of the peace. His relative, John Gump, also opened a tannery. By 1825, Rainsburg had about a dozen houses. It continued to grow and became a borough in 1856.

Rainsburg Seminary

Rainsburg was once home to the Allegheny Male and Female Seminary. Samuel Williams started this school in 1844. He raised money by selling shares of stock. The school, also known as Rainsburg Seminary, was officially recognized in 1853. It was connected to the Methodist Church.

The school was very successful for a while. However, many students came from the Southern United States. As tensions grew before the Civil War, the school faced problems. When the Civil War began, students from Maryland and Virginia left. Others joined the military. The school then closed down. The building was sold after 1867.

In 1875, the local community school moved into the seminary building. Later, it housed the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge #730. Today, the old seminary building is a home. It still has unique features like a special window and a large oak staircase inside.

Churches in Rainsburg

Rainsburg has had many churches for its size. It was the only town in Central Pennsylvania to have buildings for three different Methodist groups. These were the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Protestant Church.

At first, they all shared a log church built around 1810. But over time, each group built its own church. The Methodist Protestant Church built its first church in 1837. The Methodist Episcopal Church built its stone church in 1849. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, bought a stone school building in 1875. They later built their own frame church in 1877.

Throughout its history, Rainsburg has had many churches, stores, a hotel, and other businesses. The original post office counter from Rainsburg can now be seen at the Bedford Village Archeological Site in nearby Bedford. Many Pennsylvania German families, including Lutheran, German Reformed, and Mennonite communities, have lived in Rainsburg and the Friends Cove valley. Mennonite farms and businesses are still found in the area today.

The following is a list of churches that have been in or around Rainsburg:

Yeager Memorial Lutheran Church
Friends Cove Mennonite Church
Rainsburg Evangelical & Reformed Church (also called "Cove Evangelical & Reformed Church")
Rainsburg Methodist Episcopal Church (also called "Cove Methodist Episcopal Church" & "Woods Methodist Episcopal Church")
Rainsburg Methodist Protestant Church
Rainsburg United Methodist Church
Rainsburg Community Church
Rainsburg Assembly of God Church

Yeager Memorial Lutheran Church
Rainsburg Evangelical & Reformed Church

Geography of Rainsburg

Rainsburg is located in the southern part of Bedford County. It is in Colerain Township. The town sits at the southern end of a valley called Friends Cove. This valley is between Tussey Mountain to the east and Evitts Mountain to the west. Rainsburg is also next to the Buchanan State Forest.

Pennsylvania Route 326 goes through the borough. This road leads north about 11 miles (18 km) to Bedford, which is the county seat. It also goes south about 16 miles (26 km) to Flintstone, Maryland.

The United States Census Bureau says that Rainsburg covers a total area of 0.16 square miles (0.42 km2). All of this area is land.

Population of Rainsburg

Rainsburg has always been a small community. Here's how its population has changed over the years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	250	—
1880	280	12.0%
1890	247	−11.8%
1900	219	−11.3%
1910	203	−7.3%
1920	186	−8.4%
1930	222	19.4%
1940	211	−5.0%
1950	189	−10.4%
1960	209	10.6%
1970	179	−14.4%
1980	201	12.3%
1990	175	−12.9%
2000	146	−16.6%
2010	133	−8.9%
2020	141	6.0%
2021 (est.)	138	3.8%
Sources:

In 2000, there were 146 people living in Rainsburg. Most of the people living there were White. The average age of people in Rainsburg was 54 years old.