Summerhill, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Summerhill, Pennsylvania
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Borough
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St. John's Lutheran Church in Summerhill
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Location of Summerhill in Cambria County, Pennsylvania
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 Summerhill, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Cambria |
| Settled | 1810 |
| Incorporated | 1892 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Borough council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.33 sq mi (0.86 km2) |
| • Land | 0.33 sq mi (0.85 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,588 ft (484 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 490 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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444 |
| • Density | 1,353.66/sq mi (522.79/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
15958
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| Area code(s) | 814 |
| FIPS code | 42-75136 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2086657 |
Summerhill is a small town, called a borough, located in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. In 2010, about 490 people lived there.
Contents
History of Summerhill
Summerhill is a small borough found in the Allegheny Mountains in southwestern Pennsylvania. It was settled in the early 1800s. The town grew a lot because of the Allegheny Portage Railroad and the Pennsylvania Railroad in the area.
Early Settlers and a Strong Home
In 1794, the Croyle family, Thomas, Barbara, and their children, were among the first people to settle in Summerhill. Their home was a two-story stone building that is still standing today. This strong house helped protect the family from attacks.
Some stories say that Native Americans burned the Croyles' first cabin. This made the family seek safety at Fort Bedford. By 1800, Barbara Croyle decided to rebuild their home using stone. She made sure the house had only a few windows on two sides. This design made the house stronger if it was ever attacked again.
The Croyle's Mill and First Road
The Croyle family also built a grist mill, which was a place to grind grain into flour. This mill was known as Croyle's Mill. They built a dam on the Little Conemaugh River to make the mill work.
The mill was so important that the county decided to fund its first public works project. This was a dirt road built from Ebensburg to Croyle's Mill. The mill continued to operate for many years, even into the 1900s.
How Summerhill Got Its Name
In February 1810, Summerhill Township was created. It was separated from a larger area called Conemaugh Township. Conemaugh Township was one of the first three townships in Cambria County.
The name "Somerhill" was likely chosen after Joseph and David Somers. They were important landowners in the early days. In the 1820s, Summerhill Township covered a very large area. This included parts of what are now Jackson, Munster, Washington, Portage, and Blacklick townships. The current borough of Summerhill took its name from this larger township. Records from 1926 show the current spelling, Summerhill.
Geography of Summerhill
Summerhill is located in the southern-central part of Cambria County. It is in the Laurel Highlands area of the Allegheny Mountains. The north branch of the Little Conemaugh River and Laurel Run flow through the community. These are smaller rivers that feed into the Conemaugh River. Summerhill shares a border with the borough of Ehrenfeld to its west.
Major Roads and Nearby Cities
U.S. Route 219 is a four-lane highway that goes through the northwestern part of Summerhill. You can get onto US 219 from an exit with Pennsylvania Route 53 just southwest of the borough.
- US 219 goes north about 10 miles (16 km) to Ebensburg. Ebensburg is the county seat, which means it's the main town for the county government.
- Johnstown is about 14 miles (23 km) to the southwest. You can reach it by taking US 219 and then Pennsylvania Route 56.
Size and Water Areas
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Summerhill borough covers a total area of about 0.33 square miles (0.86 square kilometers).
- Most of this area, about 0.33 square miles (0.85 square kilometers), is land.
- A very small part, about 0.01 square miles (0.01 square kilometers), is water. This means about 1.53% of Summerhill is water.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 343 | — | |
| 1900 | 591 | — | |
| 1910 | 863 | 46.0% | |
| 1920 | 890 | 3.1% | |
| 1930 | 785 | −11.8% | |
| 1940 | 861 | 9.7% | |
| 1950 | 849 | −1.4% | |
| 1960 | 870 | 2.5% | |
| 1970 | 726 | −16.6% | |
| 1980 | 725 | −0.1% | |
| 1990 | 614 | −15.3% | |
| 2000 | 521 | −15.1% | |
| 2010 | 490 | −6.0% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 444 | −9.4% | |
| Sources: | |||
In the year 2000, there were 521 people living in Summerhill. These people lived in 220 households, and 146 of those were families. The population density was about 1,647.5 people per square mile. There were 227 housing units, which are places where people live.
Most of the people in Summerhill were White (99.81%). A very small number (0.19%) were Asian. About 0.58% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
Households and Families
Out of the 220 households:
- 27.7% had children under 18 living with them.
- 55.5% were married couples living together.
- 10.9% had a female head of household with no husband present.
- 33.2% were not families (meaning people living alone or with roommates).
About 32.7% of all households were made up of just one person. Also, 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. On average, there were 2.36 people in each household and 3.00 people in each family.
Age Groups
The population of Summerhill was spread out across different age groups:
- 25.7% were under 18 years old.
- 8.3% were between 18 and 24 years old.
- 25.1% were between 25 and 44 years old.
- 20.3% were between 45 and 64 years old.
- 20.5% were 65 years old or older.
The average age of people in the borough was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were about 86.1 males. If you only looked at females 18 and over, there were about 76.7 males for every 100 females.
See also
In Spanish: Summerhill (Pensilvania) para niños
