WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA

'Washington' is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 15,268 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is located in the southwestern part of the state.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

History

Points of Interest

Current Projects

Trivia

References

External links

Geography

Washington is located at (40.174959, -80.250634).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 km² (2.9 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,268 people, 6,259 households, and 3,486 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,005.1/km² (5,199.2/mi²). There were 7,111 housing units at an average density of 933.9/km² (2,421.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.88% White, 14.60% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.
There are 6,259 households out of which 24.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.3% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 13.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,764, and the median income for a family was $34,862. Males had a median income of $29,977 versus $22,374 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,818. 20.7% of the population and 16.4% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 29.2% of those under the age of 18 and 15.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

History

Delaware Indian chief Tangooqua, commonly known as "Catfish", had a camp on a branch of Chartiers Creek in what is now part of the city of Washington.^[1] The French labeled the area "Wissameking", meaning "catfish place", as early as 1757. The area of Washington was settled by many immigrants from Scotland and the north of Ireland along with settlers from eastern and central parts of colonial Virginia. It was first settled by colonists around 1768.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act on March 28, 1781, erecting the County of Washington and naming Catfish Camp as the place for holding the first election. This was the first county in the U.S. to be named in honor of President George Washington. David Hoge laid out a plan of lots immediately after the legislature's action. His original plot carried the name "Bassett, alias Dandridge Town," but before the plot was recorded, lines were drawn through "Bassett, alias Dandridge Town" with ink, and the word "Washington" was written above.
The town started with every evidence of progressive tendencies, as the original plot dedicated a tract of ground to the people for recreational purposes. A lot was given for a courthouse where the current building now stands, and Lots 43 and 102, according to the plan, were presented by Hoge to "His Excellency, General Washington, and Mrs. Washington."
The town was the center for the 'Whisky Rebellion' of 1791, which was one of the first open rebellions against the new U.S. government and Constitution. The Rebellion was centered around a tax being imposed on whiskey distillation in the region.
The town was incorporated as a borough on February 13, 1810, and became a city of the third class in 1924.[1]

Points of Interest

"Old Main" is the most recognizable building on the W&J Campus

Washington is home to Washington & Jefferson College, a small, co-educational private liberal arts college founded in 1781. Located in downtown Washington, the college now enrolls over 1,500 students. It is noted as an excellent pre-med and pre-law institution due to its fine liberal arts curriculum and is considered a good preparatory school for graduate level studies in general. W&J’s 60-acre suburban campus includes more than 40 academic, recreational, and residential buildings, as well as a 54-acre biological field station. In the 2006 U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Colleges" guide, W&J was ranked #94 among the top 100 Liberal Arts Schools in the US.
Washington is also the home of CONSOL Energy Park, constructed in 2002. The six-year old 5,000-seat stadium serves as the shared home of the Washington Wild Things, a professional baseball team, and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, a professional A-League soccer team. The Wild Things are in the Frontier League, an independent professional baseball organization. Over their young history, the team has had considerable success, including a league-record 62 wins in 2004. The Wild Things have been the Frontier League Organization of the Year three times since moving to Washington in 2002. In 2007 The stadium has also started hosting concerts, with concerts such as Counting Crows,Perfect Circle, and Trey Atkins all being sold out concerts, They will host more based on this success.
Also in the city are two historic homes, that of David Bradford on Main St. and that of F. Julius LeMoyne on Maiden St. Both are listed on the List of Registered Historic Places in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Current Projects

The City is also benefiting from the building of the new slot machine casino in neighboring Meadowlands,PA with such development of the Foundry an arrangement of Outlet stores and department stores with some already opened. The array will also host a variety of restaurants,This addition to the already vast department stores,plazas and restaurants will bring the an increase of traffic but more importantly increases jobs and creates government revenue, City council has also held meetings regarding the possible zoning for a gentlemens club. This has raised the moral eyebrow of the city but the notation that residents would not travel intoxicated to similar establishments further away, reducing related accidents and the option to call a cab or to call a friend.
The city of Washington is currently working to improve the social conditions of the community through a $14-million street-scape improvement project that will significantly improve the infrastructure of downtown Washington. Along with the infrastructure improvements, Millcraft Industries has announced a $100 million revitalization project for downtown Washington.
As part of the revitalization, Land America is currently building a new 6 story office building at the corner of Beau and Franklin streets in Washington. Land America is expected to take about 100,000 square feet of the seven-story, 140,000-square-foot building for its corporate headquarters, and will employ up to 1,000 people in the building upon completion in December, 2006.
Other aspects of the Crossroads Project include street level retail, residential lofts, an 80-room hotel, and an outdoor park and amphitheatre. In addition, the Carl Walker Construction Co. will build an $12 million, 850-space parking garage between Chestnut and Beau streets to accommodate the office building.

Trivia

★ On January 27, 2006, to commemorate the Pittsburgh Steelers appearance in Super Bowl XL, the city council voted to symbolically rename the city "Steelers, Pennsylvania" through February 5, 2006.

★ Washington is the location of the first crematory in America, founded by Francis Julius LeMoyne.

★ Washington and Jefferson College was the place of the founding of the first chapter of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity in 1852

★ NHL player George Parros was born in Washington

★ Washington Symphony, founded in 2002, performs its regular season concerts at Trinity High School.

★ Washington is the birthplace of PONY Baseball and Softball.

References

1. Walkinshaw, Lewis Clark (ca. 1939). ''Annals of southwestern Pennsylvania, Vol. 1''. New York. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc, p. 16.

External links

★ Washington Wild Things

★ Washington and Jefferson College

★ Washington Symphony