Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,535 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area.
Originally named Fredrickstown, the town was established in 1762. Hummelstown is a Tree City and is located in District 15 of the Pennsylvania State Senate. It is centrally located between Harrisburg and Hershey. It has several businesses and shops designed to capitalize on the tourist traffic that passes through town.
History
thumb|left|The original Parish House, now the Hummelstown Historical Society Library & Museum
Hummelstown was founded as "Fredrickstown" in 1762 by two Germans, Frederick and Rosina Hummel. which paralleled Swatara Creek bordering the north and the west sides of the town, and was opened in 1827. The Lebanon Valley Railroad arrived in 1858. This brought about many jobs of stone cutting and shipyard work and helped facilitate the Hummelstown Brownstone Company which became the leading employer of Hummelstown residents. The Hummelstown Historical Society building is located at North Rosanna Street and North Alley Street in the original building for the Zion Lutheran Church, which is now the main brownstone church on Main Street of Hummelstown. The society has a library, museum, and genealogy section, and hosts numerous Native American relics, such as arrowheads, bones, and pottery.
Geography
thumb|right|240px|[[Swatara Creek as seen from a park in Hummelstown, at the west end of town. The bridge supports U.S. 322.]]
Hummelstown is located in southern Dauphin County at (40.265168, −76.710995) at an elevation of above sea level. Swatara Creek, a southward-flowing tributary of the Susquehanna River, forms the northern and western border of Hummelstown, and there is one unnamed pond by the Hummel Nature Trail east of the 7–11, at the end of town, next to the Tee Ball baseball field.
Climate
The climate of Hummelstown is similar to Harrisburg's. The lows during winter reach about , and the highs during summer reach about .
center|Hummelstown's climate during the year
Weather
Few tornadoes or hurricanes have struck Hummelstown over the years. In 1992, the borough was hit by a bow tornado. In past years the town has been hit by only several hurricanes, the most severe being Hurricane Agnes which knocked out two key bridges in the town.
Hummelstown has had numerous blizzards. In 1996, a blizzard hit with ; in 1997, a blizzard hit Hummelstown with of snow. In 2004, a blizzard with hit Hummelstown, and a blizzard hit Hummelstown in 2010 with a record-setting .
Highways
U.S. Route 322 skirts the south side of the borough as the Hummelstown Bypass. U.S. Route 422 branches off US 322 just east of the borough limits. The center of Hershey is east of the center of Hummelstown, and Harrisburg is to the west.
East of the center of Hummelstown, Main Street ends at the Boro Bar and Walton Avenue (previously Main Street) turns into and becomes PA Route 39/Hersheypark Road. At the west end of Hummelstown, Fiddlers Elbow Road crosses the US 322 bypass without access to it, then leads south to the PA 283 expressway. Main Street, leaving Hummelstown to the west, joins U.S. Route 322. Going east Main Street turns into PA Route 39 at what part is known as Hersheypark Drive in Derry Township.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Hummelstown had a population of 4,544. The median age was 40.4 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.3 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,074 households in Hummelstown, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.0% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Units in structure || Number || Percent
|-
| 1-Unit Detached
| align=right | 1,031
| 52.8%
|-
| 1-Unit Attached
| align=right | 195
| 10%
|-
| 2-Units
| align=right | 116
| 5.9%
|-
| 3 or 4 Units
| align=right | 216
| 11.1%
|-
| 5 to 9 Units
| align=right | 220
| 11.3%
|-
| 10 to 19 Units
| align=right | 65
| 3.3%
|-
| 20 or more Units
| align=right | 74
| 3.8%
|-
| Mobile Home
| align=right | 36
| 1.8%
|-
| Boat, RV, or Van (etc.)
| align=right | 0
| 0.00%
|-
|}
Hummelstown is home to many older homes; a large number were built in the earlier decades of the 1900s.
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Year structure built || Number || Percent
|-
| 1999 to March 2000
| align=right | 21
| 1.1%
|-
| 1995 to 1998
| align=right | 85
| 4.4%
|-
| 1990 to 1994
| align=right | 33
| 1.7%
|-
| 1980 to 1989
| align=right | 143
| 7.3%
|-
| 1970 to 1979
| align=right | 239
| 12.2%
|-
| 1960 to 1969
| align=right | 250
| 12.8%
|-
| 1940 to 1959
| align=right | 531
| 27.2%
|-
| 1939 or earlier
| align=right | 651
| 33.3%
|-
|}
According to the United States Census Bureau, the estimated upkeep cost and home improvement costs to percentage of house value in Hummelstown, has a median of less than 15% (which comes to a median cost of $14,910).
As of the census The racial makeup of the borough was 97.02% White, 0.32% African American, 0.02% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
There were 1,879 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the borough, the population exhibited a varied distribution, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% aged 18 to 24, 32.0% aged 25 to 44, 21.1% aged 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years or older. The median age stood at 38 years. There were 95.0 males for every 100 females, and among those aged 18 and over, there were 93.4 males per 100 females.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,625, and the median income for a family was $50,572. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $27,547 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,394. About 4.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Annual cultural events
- The Lollipop Drop – New Year's Eve (discontinued)
- Movie Nights – at the Herbert A. Schaffner Memorial Park
- Taste of Hummelstown – food sampling by restaurants along the Main Street
- The Hummelstown Arts Festival – a non-profit annual arts festival held each September to raise money for scholarships for graduating seniors at Lower Dauphin High School continuing their education in the arts.
- Hummelstown Winter Fling - January event featuring music, food, and drinks on the square. Established in 2014.
- Trick or Treat – Halloween is the night used for the annual Trick or Treat. Houses with their porchlight on from 6 pm until 8 pm are houses participating.
Borough of Hummelstown: Calendar of Events
Museums and other points of interest
Hummelstown has a historical society constructed with Hummelstown brownstone. The Hummelstown Historical Society is both a museum and visitor center. The town is home to a historical landmark, the Warwick Hotel, which is still a tavern reminiscent of its pre-Revolutionary War days. George Washington stayed a night there and drank from its bar.
Indian Echo Caverns, located one-half mile south of the borough limits, is one of the main attractions near Hummelstown. The caverns were originally used by the Susquehannock tribe, who lived and hunted in the nearby area until they vanished in the 1670s; it opened to the public in 1929.
The shortline Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad operates heritage and freight service between its namesake towns of Middletown and just south of Hummelstown proper, stopping in front of the Indian Echo Caverns entrance. The Hummelstown Borough Council has expressed concern around quality of life issues (noise, odor, safety) with having more trains passing through town. As such, trains stop just south of the busy four-lane U.S. Route 322 grade crossing on a regular basis, and are allowed to enter town exactly 12 times per year. Norfolk Southern's busy Harrisburg Line traverses the northern section of Hummelstown, with up to 20 lengthy freight trains passing through daily.
In the town
In the town there is an American Legion, a borough office building, and a post office. The legion and the post office are located on Walton Avenue (Main Street). The borough office building is located on South Hanover Street. The town also has several churches, most located on Main Street.
The Hummelstown Chemical Fire Department occasionally serves as a distribution center for Potassium Iodide pills supplied by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Hummelstown falls within a 10-mile radius of Three Mile Island.
Religion
As much of Pennsylvania, in the initial days of its founding, Hummelstown had a large base of Quakers. As the town grew, other Protestant denominations such as Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian developed.
Parks and recreation
left|thumb|The Pavilion at Herbert A. Schaffner Park
Several parks are located throughout the borough:
right|thumb|The playground at Schaffner Park, the former Borough Park.
- Barry E. Mehaffie Memorial Park (formerly West End Park)
- Herbert A. Schaffner Memorial Park (formerly Borough Park)
- Hummel Nature Trail
- Marion F. Alexander Memorial Park
- Shope's Field
Education
right|thumb|[[Lower Dauphin High School, as taken from the Hershey Medical Center life lion]]
Hummelstown is located in Lower Dauphin School District. Lower Dauphin High School, Lower Dauphin Middle School, Nye Elementary School, and the Price Building are located within the borough, as is the school district's administration building.
left|thumb|The Lower Dauphin High School Falcons logo
Libraries
Hummelstown's public library, the William H. and Marion C. Alexander Family Library, named for its major donors and local philanthropists, is located on the corner of 2nd and Railroad Streets.
::HUM at a glance:
:2,821 square feet of net space
:27,456 volumes
:Opened in 1953.
:Building constructed in 1957 as Hummelstown Teen Center, later Hummelstown Civic Center.
:Library moved into building in 1965.
:Became part of the Dauphin County Library System in 1975. Library took over entire building in 1983. (This address is the current location of the library but the building info pertains to the former location across from the NYE Elementary School.)
Media
Hummelstown is home to The Sun newspaper, which covers Hummelstown, Hershey and Palmyra area (Lower Dauphin, Derry Township, Milton Hershey and Palmyra Area school districts). In early 2008, The Sun acquired the subscribers of the now-defunct Hershey Chronicle newspaper making The Sun the largest paid-circulation weekly in Dauphin County. The Sun began in 1871.
- Brian Baker, actor
- Jerry G. Beck Jr., US Army brigadier general
- Terry Farrell, model and actress
- Bill Gaudette, soccer player for the New York Red Bulls
- Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and presidential candidate, was raised by his mother and step-father on Main Street in an apartment above what is now a computer store. There is a tree on Main Street dedicated to his step-father as well as a plaque commemorating the site as their place of residence.
- George M. Leader, former governor of Pennsylvania
- Laurel Martin, field hockey player formerly for the US Olympic Team
- John D. Payne, Republican member of the US House of Representatives
- Alexander Ramsey, second governor of Minnesota
- William Simonton, Whig member of the US House of Representatives
- Bob Swank, head coach of the Buffalo State College football team
- William K. Thierfelder, psychologist
- Chris Villarrial, American football player, formerly for the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears
- James M. Wallace, member of the US House of Representatives
- Richard Winters, WWII veteran best known for his direction in "Band of Brothers"
Historic buildings and listings
thumb|Henderson House
- Dr. William Henderson House – 31 East Main Street
- Keystone Hotel – 40 East Main Street
- Enoch Matlack House – 250 East Main Street
- John Todd House – South Meadow Lane
- Zion Lutheran Church and Graveyard – Rosana Street, home of the Hummelstown Historical Society
- Brownstone Station - 320 E 2nd St
Native Americans
There were several Native American tribes located around Hummelstown, including the Susquehannocks, the Iroquois, and several smaller tribes that would later be conquered or assimilated into the Iroquois.
See also
- Hummelstown Brownstone
- Indian Echo Caverns
- List of museums in Pennsylvania
- List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania
- Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad
References
External links
- Borough website
- The Sun newspaper
- Indian Echo Caverns