Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Kutztown is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km) west southwest of Allentown and 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Reading. As of the 2000 census, the borough has a total population of 5,067. It is the site of Kutztown University and is home to the Kutztown Pennsylvania Dutch Festival.
History
A Brief History of Kutztown, as told by the Kutztown Historical Society
The seeds of Kutztown were sown on June 16, 1755 when George (Coots) Kutz purchased 130 acres from Peter Wentz (who patented much of what is now known as Maxatawny Township on December 1, 1724). Kutz first laid out his plans for the town in 1779. The first lots in the new town of Cootstown (later named Kutztown) were purchased in 1785 by Adam Dietrich and Henry Schweier. The town was located on the Easton Road, a main road in colonial Pennsylvania, and was a lodging place for many travelers as it was a one-day ride from both Reading and Allentown.
Kutztown grew throughout the colonial period and during the early years of the United States. It was incorporated as a borough on April 7, 1815. It is the second oldest borough in Berks County. (Reading became a borough in 1783, then became a city in 1847).
As with the rest of Berks County, Kutztown was settled mainly by Germans, most of whom came from an area in southwest Germany called the Palatinate, which borders the Rhine River.
The Kutztown area, broadly defined, encompasses an area of land also known as the East Penn Valley, a broad limestone valley situated in northern and eastern Berks County, bounded by the Blue Mountain and South Mountain ranges to the north and south, respectively, by the Lehigh County border to the east, and by the Ontelaunee Creek (or Maiden Creek) to the west. The Crystal Cave was discovered in the town in 1871.
Geography
Kutztown is located at 40°31'11" North, 75°46'31" West (40.519798, -75.775260)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 5,067 people, 1,874 households, and 886 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,191.4 people per square mile (1,230.4/km²). There were 1,940 housing units at an average density of 1,221.9/sq mi (471.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.00% White, 0.99% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.53% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population. Historically there is a large Pennsylvania Dutch population.
There are 1,874 households out of which 18.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 52.7% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size is 2.80.
In the borough the population was spread out with 12.4% under the age of 18, 38.7% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 24 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $35,677, and the median income for a family is $49,653. Males had a median income of $33,438 versus $28,669 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,803. About 3.8% of families and 29.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Ethnicities
Ethnicities in Kutztown: Caucasian (96.6%) Black (1.0%) Hispanic (1.0%) Other race (0.5%) Ancestries: German (91.6%), Irish (11.8%), Italian (8.1%), English (6.0%), Polish (5.7%), United States (4.6%).
Economy
Kutztown's economy is strong and diverse, with workers employed by McConway and Torley, a major maker of steel railcar fittings, Radius Toothbrush, and at one time, the brand of athletic shoe known as the Saucony.
Notable natives
- Keith Haring, artist.
- Andre Reed played football for Kutztown University and then went on to play for the Buffalo Bills for many years.
- Ryan Vogelsong played baseball for Kutztown University moved onto Major League Baseball now playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball league for the for the Hanshin Tigers.
References
External links
- Official Kutztown Borough
- Picture Gallery of Kutztown, PA
- Kutztown Community Partnership
- Kutztown Chamber of Commerce
- Kutztown Area Historical Society
- Kutztown Area Patriot
- Kutztown Area School District
- Kutztown Airport
- Kutztown Pennsylvania German Festival
- Rotary Club of Kutztown
- Kutztown Folk Music Society
- Kutztown Volunteer Fire Company
