Sharon, Pennsylvania
| Sharon | |
| City | |
| Nickname: The Friendly City | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Mercer |
| Elevation | 1,000 ft (305 m) |
| Coordinates | 41°14′N 80°30′W / 41.233°N 80.500°W |
| Area | 3.8 sq mi (10 km2) |
| Population | 14,038 (2010) |
| Density | 4,342.6 / sq mi (1,677 / km2) |
| Established | 1795 |
| - Incorporated (borough) | 1841-10-06 |
| - Incorporated (city) | 1917-12-17 |
| Timezone | EST (UTC-4) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-5) |
| Zip code | 16146 |
| Area code | 724 |
| School district | Sharon City School District (3 Elementary:West Hill, Case Ave., and C.M Musser, High School:Sharon Middle/High School |
 Location of Sharon in Mercer County
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  Location of Sharon within Pennsylvania
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 Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
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| Website: www.cityofsharon.net | |
Sharon is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents |
History [edit]
Sharon was settled in 1795, incorporated as a borough on October 6, 1841, and incorporated as a city on December 17, 1918. The city operated under the PA third-class city charter until 2008, at which point it adopted a home rule charter under which the elected position of mayor was replaced with a hired city manager and financial officer.
The founding families of Sharon first settled on a flat plain bordering the Shenango River (this area is situated between two hills and is the current location of Sharon's downtown business district). According to local legend, the community received its name from a Bible-reading settler who likened the location to the Plain of Sharon in Israel.
Initially a center of coal mining, Sharon's economy transitioned to steelmaking and other heavy industry following the Industrial Revolution. Following the extensive national deindustrialization of the 1970s and 80's, the city's economy diversified and is now based primarily on light industry, education, health care, and social services.
The Frank H. Buhl Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.[1]
Sharon is the home of Quaker Steak & Lube and The Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Geography [edit]
Sharon is located at 41°13′48″N 80°29′56″W / 41.23000°N 80.49889°W (41.230106, -80.498960)[2] in southwest Mercer County, the city borders the city of Hermitage to the north and east, the city of Farrell to the south, and on the west the census-designated places of Masury and West Hill, Ohio.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), all land. However, the Shenango River runs through the city and provides drinking water to Sharon and several surrounding communities.
Demography [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 541 |
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| 1860 | 900 | 66.4% | |
| 1870 | 4,221 | 369.0% | |
| 1880 | 5,684 | 34.7% | |
| 1890 | 7,459 | 31.2% | |
| 1900 | 8,916 | 19.5% | |
| 1910 | 15,270 | 71.3% | |
| 1920 | 21,747 | 42.4% | |
| 1930 | 25,908 | 19.1% | |
| 1940 | 25,622 | −1.1% | |
| 1950 | 26,454 | 3.2% | |
| 1960 | 25,267 | −4.5% | |
| 1970 | 22,653 | −10.3% | |
| 1980 | 19,057 | −15.9% | |
| 1990 | 17,493 | −8.2% | |
| 2000 | 16,328 | −6.7% | |
| 2010 | 14,038 | −14.0% | |
In 1900, the population was 8,916 persons; in 1910, 15,270 persons; in 1920, 21,747 persons; and 25,622 people lived in Sharon in 1940. Today, Sharon, along with Mercer County, is counted by the US Census Bureau as part of the Youngstown-Warren, OH Metropolitan Area.
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 16,328 people, 6,791 households, and 4,189 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,342.6 people per square mile (1,676.7/km²). There were 7,388 housing units at an average density of 1,964.9 per square mile (758.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.44% White, 10.85% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population.
From the Census Ancestry Question, Sharon has the following ethnic make-up: German 21%, Irish 14%, Italian 11%, Black or African American 11%, English 8%, Polish 5%, Slovak 5%, Welsh - 3%, Scots-Irish 2%, Hungarian 2%, Dutch 2%, French (except Basque) 2%, Croatian 1%, Scottish 1%, Russian 1%, Swedish 1%, Arab 1%, Slavic 1%, American Indian tribes, specified 1%. Sharon's Jewish community is served by the Reform Jewish Temple Beth Israel.
There were 6,791 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was distributed with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,945, and the median income for a family was $34,581. Males had a median income of $30,072 versus $20,988 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,913. About 14.0% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education [edit]
The Sharon City School District comprises three K-6 elementary schools (Case Avenue, C.M. Musser, and West Hill) and the 7-12 Sharon Middle/High School. The city is also home to St. Joseph's Parish School, a K-8 school affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, and Shenango Valley Faith Academy, a nondenominational Christian school with heavy emphasis on individualized education.
Post secondary education and training opportunities can be pursued at Sharon's Penn State Shenango campus (the only urban campus in the Penn State system), Laurel Technical Institute, the Schools of Nursing and Radiography at Sharon Regional Health System, and a branch campus of Meadville-based Precision Manufacturing Institute.
Notable people [edit]
- Mike Archie - former National Football League running back
- Carmen Argenziano - actor Stargate SG-1
- Teryl Austin - National Football League coach, Arizona Cardinals
- Jane J. Boyle - judge
- Tony Butala - founder, lead vocalist, The Lettermen, president Vocal Group Hall of Fame
- John Daverio - professor of music
- Nate Dunn - artist, Pennsylvania Impressionism School
- John H. Garvey - President, The Catholic University of America (2010-present)
- Bob Golub - stand-up comedian, actor, writer, filmmaker
- Mick Goodrick - jazz guitarist
- Erwin Hahn - physicist
- Randy Holloway - former National Football League defensive end
- Marc Howard - former Philadelphia news anchor
- Marlin Jackson - National Football League cornerback
- Benjamin Jarrett - Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- John Kiriakou - former CIA officer convicted of violation of Intelligence Identities Protection Act ;key figure in waterboarding debate.
- Ty Longley - guitarist, Great White
- John D. MacDonald - author, The Executioners
- Eric Bombeck - Publisher and Radio talk show host
- Jack Marin - former National Basketball Association player
- Grover Norquist - founder and president, Americans for Tax Reform
- Lester Rawlins - actor
- Mike Sebastian - former halfback in the National Football League and second American Football League
- Hershel Shanks - founder, Biblical Archaeology Society, editor, Biblical Archaeology Review
- James Henry Taylor - professor of mathematics
- Leo Yankevich - poet, translator, editor of The New Formalist
Broadcast media [edit]
Television [edit]
Because of Sharon's location on the Pennsylvania/Ohio border, it is served by NBC affiliate WFMJ, CBS affiliate WKBN-TV, Fox affiliate WYFX-LD, ABC affiliate WYTV, and CW affiliate, WBCB, all broadcast from nearby Youngstown.
Radio [edit]
Sharon is served by radio stations such as WPIC (790 AM), WKBN (570 AM), The River (96.7 FM), and Youngstown stations such as Froggy 95 (95.1 FM), Mix 98.9, and Y-103 (102.9 FM).
References [edit]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1940.html
- ^ http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1960cenpopv1.html
- ^ http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-1-1.pdf
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links [edit]
- Official Website of the City of Sharon
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sharon". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
