Mount Union is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately southeast of Altoona and southeast of Huntingdon, on the Juniata River. In the vicinity are found bituminous coal, ganister rock, fire clay, and some timber. A major Easter grass factory is located in the northern quadrant of the borough limits; until May 2007, the facility was owned by Bleyer Industries. As of the 2020 census, Mount Union had a population of 2,308.
History
Mount Union was largely influenced by industry. It was at one time the world's largest producer of refractory material (silica brick), with three plants – General Refractories, United States Refractories, and Harbison Walker. The refractory business in Mount Union lasted from 1899 to about 1972, with limited production into the early 1990s. Other industries included two tanneries, a tanning extract plant, coal yards, an explosives and munitions plant (Aetna), and foundry and machine shops.
Mount Union was the northern terminus for the narrow gauge East Broad Top Railroad, connecting to the Main Line of the Middle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad (now Norfolk Southern). The EBT maintained a large dual-gauge yard and coal cleaning plant in Mount Union and supplied coal to the Refractory plants. The EBT ceased operations in 1956 but the track is still in place and owned by the railroad. From 1998 to 2010, the Mount Union Connecting Railroad attempted to reactivate the EBT main track through Mount Union and rehabilitated it, but only a couple of cars were serviced and none moved over the EBT trackage.
The Mount Union Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, with 300 significant historic structures, buildings, and homes. The population in 1900 was 1,086 and tripled to 3,338 in 1910.
Today
The culturally significant Thousand Steps of the Standing Stone Trail are located in the Jacks Narrows, approximately two miles west of the town along U.S. Route 22. The annual Creation Festival was hosted locally (in Shirleysburg) from 1984 to 2022, drawing thousands of visitors in late June. Mount Union is the site of the Pennsylvania Lions Beacon Lodge Camp, a summer camp for people with visual impairments and special needs, founded by Carl Shoemaker in 1948. Today, Mount Union has 3 subsidized housing developments, Hartman Village, Chestnut Terrace, and Taylor Apartments, the later of which is a 7-story building for senior-citizens. The industries in Mount Unions include Bleyer Industries which produces plastic products, Containment Solutions which makes large tanks for gas stations, and Bonney Forge which manufactures steel valves and fittings. Bleyer Industries is located in the borough, southeast of the Industrial and Chestnut Street intersection, while Bonney Forge and Containment Solutions are located outside the borough, near or within the Riverview Business Center along US 522.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and (2.59%) is water.
Education
Vocational/Technical education
- Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center – shared with the three other school districts
Public education
- Mount Union Area School District
- Mount Union Area Senior High School
- Mount Union Area Junior High School
- Shirley Township Elementary School
- Kister Elementary School
Public services
Emergency services
The Mount Union Borough has its own police department providing law enforcement services to the borough with around a dozen officers. Mount Union Volunteer Fire Department provides fire, rescue and ambulance services to the borough and to Shirley Township. The fire department has three ambulances, a fire engine, Engine-Rescue, ladder truck, brush truck and a boat.
Health care
Mount Union Area Medical Center which provides preventive health services to the community. The closest hospitals are Penn Highlands Huntingdon, formerly JC Blair Hospital, in Huntingdon and Geisinger Lewistown Hospital in Lewistown.
Other
- Mount Union Post Office
- Mount Union Community Library
Non-profit organizations
- Kiwanis Club of the Mount Union Area
- Allenport Lions Club
- Mount Union Area Food Pantry
Demographics
As of the census