Sharon, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sharon, Pennsylvania
City
Downtown Sharon
Location of Sharon in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Mercer
Established	1795
Incorporated (borough)	October 6, 1841
Incorporated (city)	December 17, 1917
Government
• Type	Home Rule
Area
• Total	3.77 sq mi (9.77 km2)
• Land	3.77 sq mi (9.77 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation	1,000 ft (300 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,147
• Density	3,487.27/sq mi (1,345.65/km2)
Time zone	UTC-4 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (EDT)
Zip Code	16146
Area code(s)	724, 878
FIPS code	42-69720
Website	www.cityofsharon.net

Sharon is a city located in western Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. It sits along the Shenango River, right on the border with Ohio. Sharon is about 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Youngstown and 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. In 2020, the city had a population of 13,147 people. It is part of the Hermitage micropolitan area.

History of Sharon

Frank H. Buhl Mansion

The first settlers arrived in the Sharon area in 1795. It officially became a borough on October 6, 1841, and then a city on December 17, 1918. For many years, Sharon followed the rules for a "third-class city" in Pennsylvania. However, in 2008, it changed to a "home rule charter." This meant that instead of an elected mayor, the city hired a city manager and a financial officer to run things.

The first families who founded Sharon settled on a flat area next to the Shenango River. This spot was between two hills on the edge of what is now downtown Sharon. A local story says that a settler who loved reading the Bible named the community "Sharon" because it reminded him of the Plain of Sharon in Israel.

Sharon's Changing Economy

At first, Sharon was a big center for coal mining. But when the Erie Extension Canal arrived in the 1840s, the city's economy shifted. It became known for making iron and steel, along with other heavy industries.

Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, many factories in the U.S. closed down. This was called deindustrialization. Sharon's economy changed again. Now, it focuses on lighter industries, education, healthcare, and social services.

Before Prohibition started in 1919, Sharon had a large beer brewery called Union Brewing Co. Like many breweries at that time, it had to close. During World War II, the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Sharon played an important role by making 10,000 torpedoes for the U.S. Navy.

Idea for a New City

In 2004, some local leaders suggested creating a new, bigger city called Shenango Valley. This new city would have included Sharon, along with Hermitage, Sharpsville, Farrell, and Wheatland. People voted on this idea, and even the Governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, supported it. He visited the area to encourage people to vote yes.

The plan was that Hermitage's city government would stay in charge, including its mayor and city council. The different school districts would also remain separate. However, the idea was voted down. Because of this vote, the topic of merging cities could not be brought up again until 2009.

Geography of Sharon

Sharon is located at 41°13′48″N 80°29′56″W / 41.23000°N 80.49889°W / 41.23000; -80.49889 in the southwestern part of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The city shares its borders with Hermitage to the north and east, and Farrell to the south. To the west, it borders the areas of Masury and West Hill, Ohio.

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Sharon covers a total area of about 3.8 square miles (9.8 square kilometers). All of this area is land. The Shenango River flows through the city. This river is a very important source of drinking water for Sharon and many nearby communities.

People of Sharon

In 2000, there were 16,328 people living in Sharon. There were 6,791 households and 4,189 families. The population density was about 4,343 people per square mile (1,677 people per square kilometer).

Most of the people in Sharon are White (86.44%), and about 10.85% are African American. Other groups make up smaller parts of the population. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 0.88% of the population.

Many people in Sharon have German (21%), Irish (14%), or Italian (11%) roots. The city also has a Jewish community, which is served by the Reform Jewish Temple Beth Israel.

In 2000, about 28.1% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 40.7% were married couples. The average household had 2.33 people, and the average family had 2.97 people.

The median age in the city was 38 years old. This means half the people were younger than 38, and half were older. About 24.4% of the population was under 18 years old.

Arts and Culture in Sharon

The Frank H. Buhl Mansion is a beautiful old house built in 1891. It was made for the Buhl family, who owned the Sharon Iron Works. The mansion is made of sandstone and has two and a half stories. It was designed in a style called Richardsonian Romanesque and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Shenango River Lake is a large reservoir on the Shenango River. It's one of 16 projects managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to help control floods in the Pittsburgh area. It's a popular place for camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities.

Sharon has been hosting annual WaterFire festivals since 2013. This is a free public art event created by Barnaby Evans. It features 80 burning fires (braziers) floating along the Shenango River in downtown Sharon. On average, about 40,000 visitors come to WaterFire Sharon events.

Sharon is also famous for being the home of the very first Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant, which opened in 1974. It was also once home to The Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Education in Sharon

Science Building and Forker Laboratory on the Penn State Shenango Campus in Sharon

Children in Sharon attend schools in the Sharon City School District. The school colors are black and orange, and their mascot is the Tiger.

Here are the schools that serve Sharon:

• Case Avenue Elementary School – for grades K-6
• C.M. Musser Elementary School – for grades K-6
• West Hill Elementary School – for grades K-6
• Sharon Middle School – for grades 7-8
• Sharon High School – for grades 9-12

St. Joseph's School used to be a Catholic school in Sharon. It closed in 2011 as part of a merger. Now, Catholic school students from Sharon go to St. John Paul II Elementary School, Kennedy Catholic Middle School, and Kennedy Catholic High School in nearby Hermitage.

Sharon is also home to the Shenango campus of Pennsylvania State University. This campus offers different two-year and four-year college degrees. Other schools in Sharon include Laurel Technical Institute, which is a trade school, and the Sharon Regional Health System School of Nursing.

Media in Sharon

Because Sharon is so close to the Pennsylvania/Ohio border, people in Sharon can watch TV stations from nearby Youngstown, OH. These include WKBN-TV (CBS), WFMJ-TV (NBC), WYTV (ABC), WYFX-LD (Fox), and WBCB (CW).

Sharon also has access to several radio stations.

Notable People from Sharon

See also

In Spanish: Sharon (Pensilvania) para niños