Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg
Harrisbarrig ( Pennsylvania German) | ||
---|---|---|
City Controller Charlie DeBrunner (D) | | |
• City Council | ||
• | ||
Waterways | Susquehanna River | |
Primary Airport | Harrisburg International Airport- MDT (Major/International) | |
Secondary Airport | Capital City Airport- CXY (Minor) | |
Public transit | Capital Area Transit | |
Website | harrisburgpa | |
Designated | September 23, 1946[7] |
Harrisburg (
Harrisburg is situated on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. It is the larger principal city of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area, also known as the Susquehanna Valley, which had a population of 591,712 as of 2020,[8] making it the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Pennsylvania after the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas.
Harrisburg played a role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to develop into one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. In the mid- to late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, and food services. These economic fluctuations contributed to Harrisburg experiencing a decline of nearly half its population between 1950 and 2000.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the U.S., was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every early to mid-January since.[9] The city also hosts the annual Great American Outdoor Show, the largest of its kind in the world, among many other events. Harrisburg experienced the Three Mile Island accident on March 28, 1979, in nearby Middletown.
In 2010, Forbes rated Harrisburg as the second-best place in the U.S. to raise a family.[10] Despite the city's past financial troubles, in 2010 The Daily Beast website ranked 20 metropolitan areas across the country as being recession-proof, and the Harrisburg region was ranked seventh.[11] The financial stability of the region is in part due to the high concentration of state and federal government agencies.
Harrisburg is located 83 miles (134 km) miles southwest of Allentown, the state's third-largest city, and 107 miles (172 km) northwest of Philadelphia, its largest city.
History
Founding
Harrisburg's site along the Susquehanna River is thought to have been inhabited by Native Americans as early as 3000 BC. Known to the Native Americans as "Peixtin", or "Paxtang", the area was an important resting place and crossroads for Native American traders with trails leading from the Delaware to the Ohio rivers and from the Potomac to the Upper Susquehanna intersecting there.
17th century
The first European contact with Native Americans in Pennsylvania was made by Englishman
18th century
In 1719,
In 1839, William Henry Harrison and John Tyler were nominated for president and vice president of the United States at the first national convention of the Whig Party of the United States, which was held in Harrisburg.
19th century
Before Harrisburg gained its first industries, it was a scenic, pastoral town: compact and surrounded by farmland. In 1822, the impressive brick capitol was completed for $200,000 (~$5.78 million in 2023).[13]
Harrisburg's strategic location gave it an advantage over many other towns; it was settled as a trading post in 1719 at a location important to westward expansion, past the Blue Mountain range. The Susquehanna River flowed generally west to east at this location, providing a route for boat traffic from the east. The head of navigation was a short distance northwest of the town, where the river flowed through the pass. Persons arriving from the east by boat had to exit at Harrisburg and prepare for an overland journey westward through the mountain pass. Harrisburg assumed importance as a provisioning stop at this point where westward bound pioneers transitioned from river travel to overland travel. It was partly because of its strategic location that the state legislature selected the small town of Harrisburg to become the state capital in 1812.
The grandeur of the Colonial Revival capitol dominated the quaint town. The streets were dirt, but orderly and platted in grid pattern. The Pennsylvania Canal was built in 1834 and coursed the length of the town. The residential houses were situated on only a few city blocks stretching southward from the capitol. They were mostly one story. No factories were present but there were blacksmith shops and other businesses.[14]
During the first part of the 19th century, Harrisburg was a notable stopping place along the
During the
On July 3, 1863, the artillery barrage that marked the beginning of Pickett's Charge of the Battle of Gettysburg was heard from Harrisburg, almost 40 miles away.[16]
Harrisburg's importance in the latter half of the 19th century was in the steel industry. It was an important railroad center as well.
Its first large scale iron foundries were put into operation shortly after 1850.[14] As industries nationwide entered a phase of great expansion and technological improvement, so did industries – and in particular the steel industry – in Harrisburg. This can be attributed to a combination of factors that were typical of what existed in other successful industrial cities: rapid rail expansion; nearby markets for goods; and nearby sources for raw product.
With Harrisburg poised for growth in steel production, Steelton became the ideal location for this type of industry. It was a wide swath of flat land located south of the city, with rail and canal access running its entire 4 mile length. There was plenty of room for houses and its own downtown section. Steelton was a company town, opened in 1866 by the Pennsylvania Steel Company. Highly innovative in its steel making process, it became the first mill in the United States to make steel railroad rails by contract. In its heyday Steelton was home to more than 16,000 residents from 33 different ethnic groups. All were employed in the steel industry, or had employment in services that supported it. In the late 19th century, no less than five major steel mills and foundries were located in Steelton. Each contained a maze of buildings; conveyances for moving the products; large yards for laying down equipment; and facilities for loading their product on trains. Stacks from these factories constantly belched smoke. With housing and a small downtown area within walking distance, these were the sights and smells that most Steelton residents saw every day.
The rail yard was another area of Harrisburg that saw rapid and thorough change during the years of industrialization. This was a wide expanse of about two dozen railroad tracks that grew from the single track of the early 1850s. By the late 19th century, this area was the width of about two city blocks and formed what amounted to a barrier along the eastern edge of the city: passable only by bridge. Three large and ornately embellished passenger depots were built by as many rail lines.
Allison Hill, Harrisburg's first suburb, is located east of the city on a prominent bluff, accessed by bridges across a wide swath of train tracks. It was developed in the late 19th century and offered affluent Harrisburg residents the opportunity to live in the suburbs only a few hundred yards from their jobs in the city. As the city expanded, it incorporated Allison Hill in its boundaries. In 1886, a single horse trolley line was established from the city to Allison Hill. Easy access was later achieved via the State Street Bridge leading east from the Capitol complex and the Market Street Bridge leading from the city's prominent business district. Among the most desirable sections of Allison Hill at the time was Mount Pleasant, which was characterized by large Colonial Revival-style houses with yards for the very wealthy and smaller but still well-built row houses lining the main street for the moderately wealthy. State Street, leading from the Capitol directly toward Allison Hill, was planned to provide a grand view of the Capitol dome for those approaching the city from Allison Hill. This trend towards outlying residential areas began slowly in the late 19th century and was largely confined to the trolley line, but the growing prevalence of automobile ownership quickened the trend and spread out the population in the 20th century.
20th century
In the early 20th century, the city of Harrisburg was in need of change. Without proper sanitation, diseases such as
The decades between 1920 and 1970 were characterized by industrial decline and population shift from the city to the suburbs. Like most other cities which faced a loss of their industrial base, Harrisburg shifted to a service-oriented base, with industries such as health care and convention centers playing a big role. Harrisburg's greatest problem was a shrinking city population after 1950. This loss in population followed a national trend and was a delayed result of the decline of Harrisburg's steel industry. This decline began almost imperceptibly in the late 1880s, but did not become evident until the early 20th century.
After being held in place for about 5 years by WWII armament production, the population peaked shortly after the war, but then took a long-overdue dive as people fled from the city. Hastening the white flight to the suburbs were the cheap and available houses being built away from the crime and deteriorating situation of the city. The reduction in city population coincided with the rise in population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area. The trend continued until the 1990s.[21]
The
On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, along the Susquehanna River located in Londonderry Township which is south of Harrisburg, suffered a partial meltdown. Although the meltdown was contained and radiation leakages were minimal, there were still worries that an evacuation would be necessary. Governor Dick Thornburgh, on the advice of Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Joseph Hendrie, advised the evacuation "of pregnant women and pre-school age children ... within a five-mile radius of the Three Mile Island facility." Within days, 140,000 people had left the area.[22]
21st century
During the nearly 30-year tenure of former Mayor Stephen Reed from 1981 to 2009, city officials ignored legal restraints on the use of bond proceeds, as Reed spent the money pursuing interests including collecting Civil War and Wild West memorabilia – some of which was found in Reed's home after his arrest on corruption charges.[24] Infrastructure was left unrepaired, and the heart of the city's financial woes was a trash-to-electricity plant, the Harrisburg incinerator, which was supposed to generate income but instead, because of increased borrowing, incurred a debt of $320 million.[25]
Missing audits and convoluted transactions, including swap agreements, make it difficult to state how much debt the city owes. Some estimates put total debt over $1.5 billion, which would mean that every resident would owe $30,285.[26] These numbers do not reflect the school system deficit, the school district's $437 million long-term debt,[27] nor unfunded pension and healthcare obligations.
Harrisburg was the first municipality ever in the history of the
In October 2011, Harrisburg filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy when four members of the seven-member City Council voted to file a bankruptcy petition in order to prevent the Pennsylvania from taking over the city's finances.[30][31][32] Bankruptcy Judge Mary France dismissed the petition on the grounds that the City Council majority had filed it over the objection of Mayor Linda Thompson, reasoning that the filing not only required the mayor's approval but had circumvented state laws concerning financially distressed cities.[33]
Instead, a state-appointed receiver took charge of the city's finances.[34] Governor Tom Corbett appointed bond attorney David Unkovic as the city's receiver, but Unkovic resigned after only four months.[35] Unkovic blamed disdain for legal restraints on contracts and debt for creating Harrisburg's intractable financial problem and said the corrupt influence of creditors and political cronies prevented fixing it.[35][36]
As creditors began to file lawsuits to seize and sell off city assets, a new receiver, William B. Lynch, was appointed.[37] The City Council opposed the new receiver's plans for tax increases and advocated a stay of the creditor lawsuits with a bankruptcy filing, while Mayor Thompson continued to oppose bankruptcy.[38] State legislators crafted a moratorium to prevent Harrisburg from declaring bankruptcy, and after the moratorium expired, the law stripped the city government of the authority to file for bankruptcy and conferred it on the state receiver.[39][40][41]
After two years of negotiations, in August 2013 Receiver Lynch revealed his comprehensive voluntary plan for resolving Harrisburg's fiscal problems.[42] The complex plan called for creditors to write down or postpone some debt.[43] To pay the remainder, Harrisburg sold the troubled incinerator, leased its parking garages for 40 years, and was to briefly go further into debt by issuing new bonds.[42][43] Receiver Lynch had also called for setting up nonprofit investment corporations to oversee infrastructure improvement, repairing the city's crumbling roads and water and sewer lines, and pensions and economic development.[44] These were intended to allow nonprofit fundraising and to reduce the likelihood of mismanagement by the city government.[43][44]
Harrisburg's City Council and the state Commonwealth Court approved the plan, and became implemented.[45][46][47][48] The city balanced its budget in the late 2010s, was expected to have a surplus of $1 million in 2019, and maintained a surplus in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.[49][50]
Geography
Topography
Harrisburg is located at 40°16′11″N 76°52′32″W / 40.26972°N 76.87556°W (40.269789, -76.875613) in
Directly to the north of Harrisburg is the Blue Mountain ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. The Cumberland Valley lies directly to the west of Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River, stretching into northern Maryland. The fertile Lebanon Valley lies to the east. Harrisburg is the northern fringe of the historic Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
The city is the county seat of Dauphin County. The adjacent counties are Northumberland County to the north; Schuylkill County to the northeast; Lebanon County to the east; Lancaster County to the south; and York County to the southwest; Cumberland County to the west; and Perry County to the northwest.
Adjacent municipalities
Harrisburg's western boundary is formed by the west shore of the
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Climate
Harrisburg has a variable, four-season climate lying at the beginning of the transition between the
Winter in Harrisburg is mild to cool: January, the coolest month, remains above freezing, as it experiences a daily mean temperature of 32.6 °F (0.3 °C).[53] A major snowstorm can also occasionally occur, and some winters snowfall totals can exceed 40 inches (102 cm), while in other winters, the region may receive very little snowfall. Snow that does fall often melts away quickly. The largest snowfall on a single calendar day was 26.4 in (67 cm) on January 23, 2016,[53] recorded at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, while the snowiest month on record was February 2010, with 42.1 in (107 cm), recorded at the same location.[54] Overall Harrisburg receives an average of 29.9 in (75.9 cm) of snow per winter.[53] The coldest temperature ever recorded in Harrisburg was −22 °F (−30 °C) on January 21, 1994.[53] Spring is also a pleasant time of year for outdoor activities. Precipitation is well-distributed and generous in most months, though July is clearly the wettest and February the driest.
Climate data for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Harrisburg Int'l), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1888–present[b] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 73 (23) |
79 (26) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
100 (38) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
84 (29) |
75 (24) |
107 (42) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.3 (15.2) |
61.4 (16.3) |
72.7 (22.6) |
83.5 (28.6) |
89.5 (31.9) |
93.3 (34.1) |
96.2 (35.7) |
93.8 (34.3) |
89.7 (32.1) |
81.1 (27.3) |
70.8 (21.6) |
62.3 (16.8) |
97.0 (36.1) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.6 (3.7) |
42.0 (5.6) |
51.3 (10.7) |
63.8 (17.7) |
73.7 (23.2) |
82.4 (28.0) |
86.8 (30.4) |
84.7 (29.3) |
77.6 (25.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
53.9 (12.2) |
43.3 (6.3) |
63.6 (17.6) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.8 (−0.7) |
33.4 (0.8) |
41.8 (5.4) |
53.2 (11.8) |
63.4 (17.4) |
72.5 (22.5) |
77.3 (25.2) |
75.2 (24.0) |
67.9 (19.9) |
55.8 (13.2) |
44.8 (7.1) |
35.8 (2.1) |
54.3 (12.4) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.0 (−5.0) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
32.3 (0.2) |
42.5 (5.8) |
53.1 (11.7) |
62.7 (17.1) |
67.8 (19.9) |
65.8 (18.8) |
58.2 (14.6) |
46.0 (7.8) |
35.8 (2.1) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
45.0 (7.2) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 7.4 (−13.7) |
10.1 (−12.2) |
17.9 (−7.8) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
39.6 (4.2) |
50.8 (10.4) |
58.3 (14.6) |
55.8 (13.2) |
45.2 (7.3) |
33.0 (0.6) |
22.9 (−5.1) |
14.6 (−9.7) |
5.0 (−15.0) |
Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) |
−13 (−25) |
−1 (−18) |
11 (−12) |
30 (−1) |
40 (4) |
49 (9) |
45 (7) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
10 (−12) |
−8 (−22) |
−22 (−30) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.03 (77) |
2.59 (66) |
3.70 (94) |
3.55 (90) |
3.83 (97) |
3.98 (101) |
4.74 (120) |
3.77 (96) |
4.83 (123) |
3.81 (97) |
2.97 (75) |
3.43 (87) |
44.23 (1,123) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.1 (23) |
9.4 (24) |
5.6 (14) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.8 (2.0) |
4.4 (11) |
29.9 (76) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.9 | 10.4 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 13.0 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 8.5 | 10.3 | 126.3 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.1 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 16.3 |
Average ultraviolet index | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Source 1: NOAA[56][57] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV data)[58] |
Climate data for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (Harrisburg Capital City Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1939–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 73 (23) |
83 (28) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
97 (36) |
100 (38) |
107 (42) |
101 (38) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
84 (29) |
75 (24) |
107 (42) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 61.8 (16.6) |
61.6 (16.4) |
73.3 (22.9) |
85.1 (29.5) |
89.5 (31.9) |
93.6 (34.2) |
95.9 (35.5) |
94.2 (34.6) |
89.9 (32.2) |
82.3 (27.9) |
71.6 (22.0) |
62.8 (17.1) |
97.1 (36.2) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
43.2 (6.2) |
52.6 (11.4) |
64.9 (18.3) |
74.7 (23.7) |
83.2 (28.4) |
87.6 (30.9) |
85.4 (29.7) |
78.6 (25.9) |
66.7 (19.3) |
55.1 (12.8) |
44.4 (6.9) |
64.7 (18.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 32.6 (0.3) |
34.7 (1.5) |
43.2 (6.2) |
54.1 (12.3) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.0 (22.8) |
77.5 (25.3) |
75.4 (24.1) |
68.5 (20.3) |
56.7 (13.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
37.0 (2.8) |
55.2 (12.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.9 (−3.9) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
33.9 (1.1) |
43.3 (6.3) |
53.2 (11.8) |
62.8 (17.1) |
67.4 (19.7) |
65.5 (18.6) |
58.4 (14.7) |
46.7 (8.2) |
37.0 (2.8) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
45.7 (7.6) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.0 (−13.3) |
10.8 (−11.8) |
17.7 (−7.9) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
38.7 (3.7) |
49.4 (9.7) |
57.0 (13.9) |
54.5 (12.5) |
43.7 (6.5) |
32.0 (0.0) |
22.6 (−5.2) |
14.7 (−9.6) |
5.6 (−14.7) |
Record low °F (°C) | −9 (−23) |
−5 (−21) |
2 (−17) |
19 (−7) |
31 (−1) |
40 (4) |
49 (9) |
45 (7) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
13 (−11) |
−8 (−22) |
−9 (−23) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.64 (67) |
2.36 (60) |
3.35 (85) |
3.70 (94) |
3.48 (88) |
3.72 (94) |
4.30 (109) |
3.68 (93) |
4.12 (105) |
3.68 (93) |
2.80 (71) |
3.15 (80) |
40.98 (1,041) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.4 | 9.3 | 10.7 | 12.1 | 13.7 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 11.1 | 9.5 | 11.0 | 8.8 | 10.1 | 129.4 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
64.4 | 63.2 | 60.7 | 59.2 | 65.2 | 67.7 | 68.6 | 72.2 | 73.8 | 70.5 | 68.2 | 66.4 | 66.7 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 17.4 (−8.1) |
19.0 (−7.2) |
26.4 (−3.1) |
36.0 (2.2) |
48.7 (9.3) |
58.5 (14.7) |
63.1 (17.3) |
63.0 (17.2) |
56.5 (13.6) |
43.7 (6.5) |
33.4 (0.8) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
40.7 (4.8) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 154.9 | 167.2 | 213.8 | 235.7 | 266.7 | 288.5 | 310.1 | 285.4 | 226.7 | 199.2 | 139.6 | 126.0 | 2,613.8 |
Percent possible sunshine | 52 | 56 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 67 | 61 | 58 | 47 | 43 | 59 |
Source: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)[53][59][60] |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
See or edit raw graph data.
Cityscape
Neighborhoods
Downtown Harrisburg, which includes the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, is the central core business and financial center for the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area and serves as the seat of government for Dauphin County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. There are over a dozen large neighborhoods and historic districts within the city.
Architecture
Harrisburg's architecture spans over 200 years of evolving construction and design and thus contains a breadth of various architectural styles. Six Municipal Historic Districts, multiple National Historic Districts, and Architectural Conservation Overlay Districts have in turn have been established to preserve and guide any new development of areas with respect to their character.[61]
Harrisburg is home to the
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 875 | — | |
1800 | 1,472 | 68.2% | |
1810 | 2,287 | 55.4% | |
1820 | 2,990 | 30.7% | |
1830 | 4,312 | 44.2% | |
1840 | 5,980 | 38.7% | |
1850 | 7,834 | 31.0% | |
1860 | 13,405 | 71.1% | |
1870 | 23,104 | 72.4% | |
1880 | 30,762 | 33.1% | |
1890 | 39,385 | 28.0% | |
1900 | 50,167 | 27.4% | |
1910 | 64,186 | 27.9% | |
1920 | 75,917 | 18.3% | |
1930 | 80,339 | 5.8% | |
1940 | 83,893 | 4.4% | |
1950 | 89,544 | 6.7% | |
1960 | 79,697 | −11.0% | |
1970 | 68,061 | −14.6% | |
1980 | 53,264 | −21.7% | |
1990 | 52,376 | −1.7% | |
2000 | 48,950 | −6.5% | |
2010 | 49,528 | 1.2% | |
2020 | 50,099 | 1.2% | |
2022 (est.) | 50,183 | [5] | 0.2% |
U.S. Decennial Census[63] 2020[64] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1990[65] | Pop 2000[66] | Pop 2010[67] | Pop 2020[64] | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
21,313 | 13,988 | 12,290 | 11,405 | 40.69% | 28.58% | 24.81% | 22.76% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
25,904 | 26,292 | 24,727 | 21,263 | 49.46% | 53.71% | 49.93% | 42.44% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
120 | 157 | 146 | 107 | 0.23% | 0.32% | 0.29% | 0.21% |
Asian alone (NH) | 863 | 1,370 | 1,692 | 1,768 | 1.65% | 2.80% | 3.42% | 3.53% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | N/A | 20 | 4 | 19 | N/A | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.04% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 154 | 115 | 97 | 403 | 0.29% | 0.23% | 0.20% | 0.80% |
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | N/A | 1,284 | 1,633 | 2,230 | N/A | 2.62% | 3.30% | 4.45% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,022 | 5,724 | 8,939 | 12,904 | 7.68% | 11.69% | 18.05% | 25.76% |
Total | 52,376 | 58,950 | 49,528 | 50,099 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The six largest ethnic groups in the city are:
There were 20,561 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 13 living with them, 23.4% were married couples living together, 24.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.9% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% 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 3.15.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 13 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 13 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,920, and the median income for a family was $29,556. Males had a median income of $90,670 versus $24,405 for females. The
This article's factual accuracy is disputed. (May 2020) ) |
The very first census taken in the United States occurred in 1790. At that time Harrisburg was a small, but substantial
Economy
Harrisburg is the metropolitan center for some 400 communities.
Employers
Top 10
According to the Region Economic Development Corporation, the top employers in the region are:
# | Employer | # of Employees | Industry |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | 21,885 | Government |
2 | United States Federal government, including the military | 18,000 | Government |
3 | Giant Food Stores
|
8,902 | Grocery store |
4 | Penn State Hershey Medical Center
|
8,849 | Hospital, Medical research |
5 | Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, including Hersheypark | 7,500 | Entertainment and amusement parks |
6 | The Hershey Company | 6,500 | Food manufacturer |
7 | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
|
6,090 | Retail store chain |
8 | Highmark | 5,200 | Health insurance |
9 | TE Connectivity | 4,700 | Electronic component manufacturer |
10 | Harrisburg Hospital and Polyclinic Medical Center
|
3,997 | Health-care and hospital system |
People and culture
Culture
In the mid-20th century, Harrisburg was home to many nightclubs and other performance venues, including the Madrid Ballroom, the Coliseum, the Chestnut Street Hall. and the Hi-Hat. These venues featured performances from Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Fletcher Henderson, Andy Kirk, and other jazz greats. Segregationist policy forbade these musicians from staying overnight in downtown Harrisburg, however, making the Jackson Hotel in Harrisburg's 7th Ward a hub of black musicians prior the 1960s.[72]
Several organizations support and develop visual arts in Harrisburg. The Art Association of Harrisburg was founded in 1926 and continues to provide education and exhibits throughout the year. Additionally, the Susquehanna Art Museum, founded in 1989, offers classes, exhibits and community events. A local urban sketching group, Harrisburg Sketchers, convenes artists monthly.[73]
Downtown Harrisburg has two major performance centers. The
Beginning in 2001, downtown Harrisburg saw a resurgence of commercial nightlife development. This has been credited with reversing the city's financial decline, and has made downtown Harrisburg a destination for events from jazz festivals to Top-40 nightclubs.
In 2004, Harrisburg hosted
With gradual but steady increases in the number and variety of multi-purpose venues, bars, and restaurants since the mid 2010s, as well as large concerts sponsored by
Events
Harrisburg notably is home to large events occurring throughout the year which attracts visitors from across the country and internationally.
- The annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA has been held in Harrisburg for over a decade usually in July.
- The annual Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex is the largest agricultural exhibitionof its kind in the nation. Farmers from all over Pennsylvania come to show their animals and participate in competitions. Livestock are on display for people to interact with and view.
- The Great American Outdoor Show, the world's largest outdoor recreation show, is held each February at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors and includes demonstrations, seminars, calling competitions, education and safety programs, and a country music concert.
- Motorama, the nation's largest all-indoor motorsports event, is held annually and features over 2,000 racers.
- The Ice & Fire Festival, occurring each March downtown, exhibits fire dancers, food trucks, and an ice skating rink with live music.
- The Pennsylvania Auto Show is held annually at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.
- ArtsFest, held each spring, features juried artisans and craftsmen from across the state and country selling art and unique crafts.
- LGBTQand straight allied supporters.
- The Antique Fire Apparatus Show & Muster along Riverfront Park features displays of regional fire engines from past and present, a flea market, and firefighting competitions.
- Harrisburg's Independence Day Celebration, under various names (formerly "MusicFest"), occurs each Independence Day weekend along Riverfront Park and City Island with food, live music, activities and fireworks.
- Kipona Festival, inaugurated in 1916 and held each Labor Day Weekend, celebrates the Susquehanna River as a three-day festival on Riverfront Park and City Island featuring food, fireworks, live music, artist markets, canoe races, wire walkers, pet areas, and family carnival activities.
- The Greenbelt's Tour de Belt is a weekend-long series of bike-related events and includes an art show and craft breweries.
- Cultural Fest, put on each summer by Dauphin County and held at City Island, celebrates the multicultural diversity of the area.
- Riverfront Park Concert Series, a summer pop-up concert, features national music acts each summer.
- The Harrisburg Marathon runs along the riverfront and City Island and is a two-day event usually held each fall.
- WoofStock, the celebration of all-things canine along with music, food and prizes, is held each September at Riverfront Park and is the largest pet adoption event on the East Coast.
- BrewFest, held each October at Fort Hunter Park, features local craft beers, food and vendors.
- Harrisburg's New Year's Eve Celebration downtown has live music, children's activities, and the strawberry drop and fireworks at midnight.[76]
Media
Harrisburg area is part of the Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York media market which consists of the lower counties in south central Pennsylvania and borders the media markets of Philadelphia and Baltimore. It is the 43rd largest media market in the United States.[77]
The Harrisburg area has several newspapers. The Patriot-News, which is published in Cumberland County, serves the Harrisburg area and has a tri-weekly circulation of over 100,000. The Sentinel, which is published in Carlisle, roughly 20 miles west of Harrisburg, serves many of Harrisburg's western suburbs in Cumberland County. The Press and Journal, published in Middletown, is one of many weekly general information newspapers in the Harrisburg area. There are also numerous television and radio stations in the Harrisburg/Lancaster/York area.
Newspapers
Television
The Harrisburg TV market is served by:
- WGAL – (NBC)
- WXBU – (Comet)
- WHBG-TV – cable-only, public access
- WHP-TV – (CBS)
- WHTM-TV – (ABC)
- CTVN)
- WITF-TV – (PBS)
- WPMT – (Fox)
- WLYH – independent, religious
- public affairs in the commonwealth.
- Roxbury News – independent news
Radio
According to Arbitron, Harrisburg's radio market is ranked 78th in the nation.[78]
This is a list of
Callsign |
MHz | Band | "Name" Format, Owner | City of license |
---|---|---|---|---|
WDCV
|
88.3 | FM | Indie/College Rock, Dickinson College | Carlisle |
WXPH
|
88.7 | FM | WXPN relay, University of Pennsylvania | Harrisburg |
WSYC
|
88.7 | FM | Alternative, Shippensburg University
|
Shippensburg |
WITF-FM | 89.5 | FM | NPR | Harrisburg |
WVMM | 90.7 | FM | Indie/College Rock, Messiah University
|
Grantham |
WJAZ
|
91.7 | FM | WRTI relay, Classical/Jazz, Temple University | Harrisburg |
WKHL | 92.1 | FM | "K-Love" Contemporary Christian | Palmyra |
WPPY | 92.7 | FM | "Happy 92.7" Adult Contemporary | Starview |
WTPA-FM | 93.5 | FM | "93.5 WTPA" Classic Rock | Mechanicsburg |
WRBT | 94.9 | FM | "BOB 94.9" Country | Harrisburg |
WLAN | 96.9 | FM | "FM 97" CHR | Lancaster |
WRVV | 97.3 | FM | "The River" Classic Hits and the Best of Today's Rock | Harrisburg |
WYCR | 98.5 | FM | "98.5 The Peak" Classic Hits | York |
WQLV | 98.9 | FM | 98.9 WQLV | Millersburg |
WHKF | 99.3 | FM | "Kiss-FM" CHR | Harrisburg |
WFVY | 100.1 | FM | "Froggy Valley 100.1" Country | Lebanon |
WROZ | 101.3 | FM | Christian | Lancaster |
WARM | 103.3 | FM | "Warm 103.3" Hot AC | York |
WNNK
|
104.1 | FM | "Wink 104" Hot AC | Harrisburg |
WQXA
|
105.7 | FM | "105.7 The X" Active Rock | York |
WWKL
|
106.7 | FM | "Hot 106.7" CHR | Hershey |
WGTY | 107.7 | FM | "Great Country" | York |
This is a list of
Callsign | kHz | Band | Format | City of license |
---|---|---|---|---|
WHP (AM) | 580 | AM | Conservative News/Talk | Harrisburg |
WHYF | 720 | AM | EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network | Shiremanstown |
WSBA (AM) | 910 | AM | News/Talk | York |
WADV | 940 | AM | Gospel | Lebanon |
WHYL | 960 | AM | Adult Standards | Carlisle |
WIOO | 1000 | AM | Classic Country | Carlisle |
WKBO | 1230 | AM | Christian Contemporary | Harrisburg |
WQXA
|
1250 | AM | Country | York |
WLBR | 1270 | AM | Talk | Lebanon |
WHGB | 1400 | AM | ESPN Radio (Formerly Adult R&B: The Touch) | Harrisburg |
WTKT | 1460 | AM | Sports: "The Ticket" | Harrisburg |
WRDD | 1480 | AM | Country | Shippensburg |
WRKY | 1490 | AM | Classic rock | Lancaster |
WPDC | 1600 | AM | Sport | Elizabethtown |
Penndot
|
1670 | AM | NOAA Weather and Travel | Several |
Harrisburg in film
Several
Museums, art collections, and sites of interest
- Broad Street Market, one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the United States[79]
- uptownHarrisburg
- Dauphin Narrows Statue of Libertyon the Susquehanna River north of Harrisburg
- Fort Hunter Mansion and Park, located north of downtown Harrisburg on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River
- Harrisburg Doll Museum, which contains over 5,000 dolls and toys stretching back to 1840[80]
- John Harris – Simon Cameron Mansion, a National Historic Landmark located in downtown Harrisburg along the river
- Market Square, originally planned in 1785 and serves as the pinnacle of downtown
- Midtown Scholar Bookstore, largest independent bookstore on the East Coast
- National Civil War Museum, located at Reservoir Park and affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[81]
- Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
- Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, one of the largest convention/exhibition centers on the east coast which hosts multiple annual events, most notably the Pennsylvania Farm Show
- Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, the center of government for the commonwealth and home to the state capitol building, state archives, and state library
- Pride of the Susquehanna paddle-wheel riverboat, offering daily sightseeing tours and special theme cruises
- Reservoir Park, the largest public park in the city containing an amphitheater[82]and playground, and connected to the Greenbelt
- State Museum of Pennsylvania, featuring a planetarium and the Marshalls Creek Mastodon, one of the most complete mastodon fossils in North America.[83]
- Strawberry Square, across the street from the Capitol Complex, home of many state offices and a small shopping center
- Susquehanna art museum, recently renovated and relocated in Midtown
- Art Association of Harrisburg,[84] founded in 1926, located in the Governor Findlay Mansion
- Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, features an IMAX theater
- Zembo Shrine Building, a significant example of Moorish Revival architecture.
Parks and recreation
The following is a list of the major parks of Harrisburg:
- Capital Area Greenbelt, a twenty mile long greenway linking city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces. It connects Wildwood Lake Park, Riverfront Park, the Harrisburg Mall, Penbrook Park, Reservoir Park, Harrisburg Area Community College, and Veterans Park. It is open to cyclists and pedestrians.[85]
- City Island and Beach
- Uptownneighborhood.
- Paxtang Park, a historic 40-acre trolley park in the 1900s, restored in 2020 as a park with mountain bike trails
- Reservoir Park
- Riverfront Park
- Wildwood Lake Park
Sports
Harrisburg serves as the hub of professional sports in
Club | League | Venue | Founded | Titles |
---|---|---|---|---|
Harrisburg Senators | Eastern League, Baseball | FNB Field | 1987 | 6 |
Hershey Bears | AHL, Ice hockey | Giant Center | 1932 | 11 |
Penn FC
|
USL, Soccer | FNB Field | 2004 | 1 |
Harrisburg Heat
|
MASL, Indoor soccer | Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex | 2012 | 0 |
Keystone Assault | WFA, Women's football | TBA | 2009 | 1 |
Harrisburg Lunatics | PIHA, Inline hockey | Susquehanna Sports Center | 2001 | 0 |
Harrisburg RFC | MARFU , Rugby
|
Cibort Park, Bressler | 1969 | 1 |
Government
City of Harrisburg
The Martin Luther King Jr. City Government Center, the first government building and only city hall in the United States named after the
There are seven
The city government had been in financial distress for many years in the 2000s. It has operated under the state's Act 47 Harrisburg Strong Plan provisions since 2011. The Act provides for municipalities that are in a state akin to bankruptcy.[89] The city balanced its budget in the late 2010s, was expected to have a surplus of $1 million in 2019, and maintained a surplus in 2020 despite COVID-19.[49][50]
Property tax reform
Harrisburg is also known nationally for its use of a two-tiered
Harrisburg, as well as nearly 20 other Pennsylvania cities, employs a two-rate or split-rate property tax, which requires the taxing of the value of land at a higher rate and the value of the buildings and improvements at a lower one. This can be seen as a compromise between pure LVT and an ordinary property tax falling on real estate (land value plus improvement value).[91] Alternatively, two-rate taxation may be seen as a form that allows gradual transformation of the traditional real estate property tax into a pure land value tax.
Nearly two dozen local Pennsylvania jurisdictions, such as Harrisburg,[92] use two-rate property taxation in which the tax on land value is higher and the tax on improvement value is lower. In 2000, Florenz Plassmann and Nicolaus Tideman wrote[93] that when comparing Pennsylvania cities using a higher tax rate on land value and a lower rate on improvements with similar sized Pennsylvania cities using the same rate on land and improvements, the higher land value taxation leads to increased construction within the jurisdiction.[94][95]
Dauphin County
Dauphin County Government Complex, in
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex dominates the city's stature as a regional and national hub for government and politics. All administrative functions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are located within the complex and at various nearby locations.
The Commonwealth Judicial Center houses Pennsylvania's three
Federal government
The
The
Military bases in the Harrisburg area include:
Installation Name | City | Type, Branch, or Agency |
---|---|---|
Carlisle Barracks | Carlisle | Managed by the Army, it is home to the United States Army War College |
Eastern Distribution Center | New Cumberland | Managed by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), it is part of the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna (DDSP) |
Fort Indiantown Gap | Fort Indiantown Gap | Managed by the Army, the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) and Northeast Counterdrug Training Center (NCTC)
|
Harrisburg Air Guard Base | Middletown | Home to the Olmsted Air Force Base, which closed in the early 1970s and became Harrisburg International Airport
|
Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) | Mechanicsburg | Part of the Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna (DDSP) |
Transport
Airports
Domestic and international airlines provide service via
From the 1940s to 1960s, the Harrisburg Seaplane Base on the West Shore of the Susquehanna River facilitated the landing and docking of seaplanes in the river between the M. Harvey Taylor Memorial Bridge and the Walnut Street Bridge, until it was converted into a marina and boat dealership.[97]
Public transit
Harrisburg is served by Capital Area Transit (CAT), which provides public bus and paratransit service throughout the greater metropolitan area. Construction of a commuter rail line designated the Capital Red Rose Corridor, previously named CorridorOne, was planned to link the city with nearby Lancaster until plans went dormant in 2011.[98][99]
Long-term plans for the region called for the commuter rail line to continue westward to Cumberland County, ending at Carlisle. In early 2005, the project hit a roadblock when the Cumberland County commissioners opposed the plan to extend commuter rail to the West Shore. Due to lack of support from the county commissioners, the Cumberland County portion, and the two new stations in Harrisburg have been removed from the project. In the future, with support from Cumberland County, the commuter rail project may extend to both shores of the Susquehanna River, where the majority of the commuting base for the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area resides.[100]
In 2006, a second phase of the rail project designated CorridorTwo was announced to the general public. It was planned to link
Intercity bus service
The lower level of the
Curbside intercity bus service is also provided by Megabus from the parking lot of the Harrisburg Mall in nearby Swatara Township, with direct service to Philadelphia, State College, and Pittsburgh.
Regional scheduled line bus service
The public transit provider in
Lebanon Transit operates the Commute King A and Commute King B express bus routes which connect Lebanon to Harrisburg via U.S. Route 422 and Interstate 81 respectively.
A charter/tour bus operator, R & J Transport, also provides weekday, scheduled route commuter service for people working in downtown Harrisburg. R & J, which is based in Schuylkill County, operates two lines, one between Frackville and downtown Harrisburg and the other between Minersville, Pine Grove, and downtown Harrisburg.
Rail
The
Freight rail
Intercity passenger rail
As of 2008, the Harrisburg Transportation Center was the 2nd busiest Amtrak station in Pennsylvania and 21st busiest in the United States.[103][104]
Roads and bridges
Harrisburg is served by several major highways, including
Harrisburg is the location of over a dozen large bridges, many up to a mile long, that cross the Susquehanna River. Several other important structures span the
Education
Public schools
Harrisburg is served by the Harrisburg School District. The school district provides education for the city's youth beginning with all-day kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 2003, SciTech High, a regional math and science magnet school affiliated with Harrisburg University, opened its doors to local students.
- Public Charter Schools
The city also has several public charter schools: Infinity Charter School, Sylvan Heights Science Charter School, Premier Arts and Science Charter School, and Capital Area School for the Arts.
The Central Dauphin School District, the largest public school district in the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area and the 13th-largest in Pennsylvania, has several Harrisburg postal addresses for many of the District's schools. Steelton-Highspire School District borders much of the Harrisburg School District.
Private schools
Harrisburg is home to an extensive Catholic educational system. There are nearly 40 parish-driven elementary schools and seven Catholic high schools within the region administered by the
School | Grades | Type | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Alternative Rehabilitation Communities | 7-12 | Alternative | 2742 North Front Street |
Bishop McDevitt High School | 9-12 | Religious | 1 Crusader Way |
Cathedral Consolidated School | PK-8 | Religious | 212 State Street |
Cornell Abraxas Group | 7-12 | 2950 North 7th Street | |
Covenant Christian Academy | NS-12 | Religious | 1982 Locust Lane |
East Shore Montessori School | NS | Montessori | 6130 Old Jonestown Road |
Follow Me Christian Child Care Center | PK-1 | Religious | 6003 Jonestown Road |
Hansel & Gretel Early Learning Center | PK-K | Preschool | 4820 Londonderry Road |
Harrisburg Adventist School | NS-9 | Religious | 424 North Progress Avenue |
Harrisburg Catholic Elementary School | PK-8 | Religious | 555 South 25th Street |
Harrisburg Christian School | K-12 | Religious | 2000 Blue Mountain Parkway |
Hildebrandt Learning Center | K | Preschool | 1500 Elmerton Avenue |
Hillside Seventh-day Adventist School | K-8 | Religious | 1301 Cumberland Street |
Holy Name of Jesus School | NS-8 | Religious | 6190 Allentown Boulevard |
Jonestown Road KinderCare | NS-PK | Preschool | 6006 Jonestown Road |
Little Learners Child Development Center | PK-K | Preschool | 2300 Vartan Way |
Londonderry Road KinderCare | NS-PK | Preschool | 4075 Londonderry Road |
Londonderry School | PK-8 | 1800 Bamberger Road | |
New Story School | K-12 | Special Ed | 2700 Commerce Drive |
Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy | PK-8 | Religious | 3301 North Front Street |
St. Catherine Laboure School | PK-8 | Religious | 4020 Derry Street |
St. Margaret Mary School | NS-8 | Religious | 2826 Herr Street |
St. Stephen's Episcopal School | PK-8 | Religious | 215 North Front Street |
Samuel School | PK-8 | Religious | 411 South 40th Street |
Strawberry Garden Day Care Center | PK-K | Preschool | 1616 Herr Street |
Susquehanna Township KinderCare | NS-PK | Preschool | 3701 Vartan Way |
The Circle School | PK-12 | Alternative | 727 Wilhelm Road |
The Goddard School | NS-K | Preschool | 4397 Sturbridge Drive |
The Nativity School of Harrisburg | 6-8 | Alternative | 2135 North 6th Street |
Wordsworth Academy | 2-12 | Special Ed | 1745 North Cameron Street |
Higher education
- largest university systemsin the United States
- Midtown campus which are branches of the Harrisburg Campus are located in Harrisburg. Newer campuses are located in Gettysburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York
- Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, located Downtown
- Messiah College's Harrisburg Institute, located Downtown
- Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate Center, located Downtown
- Temple University Harrisburg Campus, located Downtown
- Widener University Commonwealth Law School
Libraries
- Dauphin County Law Library
- Dauphin County Library System, with eight branches in Harrisburg and suburban Dauphin County
- McCormick Library of Harrisburg Area Community College
- Harrisburg UniversityLibrary
- Penn State Harrisburg Library
- State Library of Pennsylvania, which includes the Pennsylvania Law Library
- Medical library services of UPMC Pinnacle
- Law Library, Widener University School of Law
Notable people
Since the early 18th century, Harrisburg has been home to many people of note. Because it is the seat of government for the state and lies relatively close to other urban centers, Harrisburg has played a significant role in the nation's political, cultural and industrial history. "Harrisburgers" have also taken a leading role in the development of Pennsylvania's history for over two centuries. Two former U.S. Secretaries of War, Simon Cameron and Alexander Ramsey and several other prominent political figures, such as former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich, hail from Harrisburg. The actor Don Keefer was born near Harrisburg, along with the actor Richard Sanders, most famous for playing Les Nessman in WKRP in Cincinnati. Many notable individuals are interred at Harrisburg Cemetery and East Harrisburg Cemetery.
Actors
- Eric Mabius, actor Ugly Betty
- Matt Cook, television, actor Man with a Plan
- John A. Ellsler (1821–1903), actor and theatre manager, born in Harrisburg
- Nancy Kulp, actress
- Mark Malkoff, comedian and filmmaker
- Eric Martsolf, actor and singer
- Pauline Moore, actress
- Ciara Renée, actress
Artists, designers
- African American artist to create works depicting the Pacific Northwest and California
- Stephanie A. Johnson(born 1952), mixed media artist, educator
- Rachel Nabors, cartoonist
- Barbara Tyson Mosley (born 1950) American mixed media artist.[110]
Musicians
- Glenn Branca, avant-garde composer and guitarist
- Justin Duerr, musician and artist
- James Allen Gähres, music conductor
- Dan Hartman, musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer
- Gene "Birdlegg" Pittman, blues harmonicist, singer and songwriter.[111]
- Rudi Protrudi, rock musician
- Bobby Troup, actor, jazz pianist, and songwriter
- Robert White, musician
Politics, military, activism
- Betty Andujar, first Republican woman to serve in Texas State Senate (1973–1983), was born in Harrisburg in 1912
- David Conner, U.S. Navy commodore
- Candace Gingrich, civil rights activist
- Newt Gingrich, U.S. Representative 1979–99, Speaker of the House; born in Harrisburg.
- Charles P. Mason, Vice admiral in the Navy during World War II and Navy Cross recipient
- Daniel C. Miller, Harrisburg City Controller
- Bruce I. Smith, state representative, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- George W. Smith, Major General in the Marine Corps
- William Trickett Smith, lawyer and the former chairman of the Dauphin County Republican Party
- Edward J. Stackpole, newspaper publisher, author, U.S. Army major general[112]
- Perry A. Stambaugh, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 86
- Robert J. Stevenson, actor and politician, born 1915 in Harrisburg, Los Angeles City Council member.
- M. Harvey Taylor, Pennsylvania State Senator
- Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Sports
- Les Bell, baseball player for 1926 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals
- Jennifer Brady, tennis player
- Gilbert Brown (born 1987), basketball player for Ironi Nahariya of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Bruce Brubaker, baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers
- Marques Colston, wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints
- Larry Conjar, NFL player
- Phil Davis, UFC fighter
- Barney Ewell, Olympic gold medalist in National Track and Field Hall of Fame
- heptathlete
- Garry Gilliam, NFL player
- Dennis Green, head coach NFL teams the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals
- Scott Hilton, NFL player
- Jimmy Jones, CFL player
- Danny Lansanah, professional football player, Green Bay Packers
- Jeremy Linn, swimmer, gold and 2x-silver medalist at 1996 Summer Olympics and former world and American record holder
- Connor Maloney, professional soccer player
- LeSean McCoy, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles
- Jeffrey B. Miller, Head of Security for the National Football League
- Kevin Mitchell, former NFL linebacker and Super Bowl winner
- Micah Parsons, linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys
- Jim Price, baseball player and broadcaster
- mixed martial artistfighter
- Robert Tate, NFL cornerback for Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals
- Ricky Watters, NFL running back, Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl winner
- Jan White, NFL player
- Kris Wilson, professional football player, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Diego Chargers
Writers
- James Boyd, a resident of Front Street, wrote a novel about the city in 1935, Roll River.[113]
- Thomas Morris Chester, prominent Black journalist, lawyer, and soldier in the Civil War, was born here.
- Carmen Finestra, television producer and writer.
- Jimmy Gownley, New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of Amelia Rules!.
- John O'Hara, author, a native of Pottsville, lived in Harrisburg briefly to write his novel about the city, A Rage to Live.[113]
- Adam Resnick, comedic author, wrote about growing up in Harrisburg in his book Will Not Attend, and wrote the screenplay for Lucky Numbers (2000), a film taking place in Harrisburg.
- Will Stanton, long-published humor writer.
- John Wyeth, publisher of Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music (1810; Second Part 1813).
Others
- James Milnor Coit, teacher
- Carl Cover, aviation pioneer and test pilot
- Lindsay Czarniak, ESPN anchor
- Margaret B. Denning (1856-1935), missionary and temperance worker
- Alan Isaacman, lawyer who argued Hustler Magazine v. Falwell before the Supreme Court of the United States
- Agnes Kemp (1823–1908), American physician and temperance movement leader
- Clyde A. Lynch, president of Lebanon Valley College
- Kenneth W. Mack, historian and professor at Harvard Law School
- Edward C. Malesic, Catholic Bishop of Cleveland
- Robert James Miller, Medal of Honor recipient
- Frank Soday, chemist influential in development of alternative uses for synthetic fiber
- Dan Wilson, biologist and science communicator
See also
Notes
- ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010.
- ^ Official records for Harrisburg kept at downtown from July 1888 to December 1938, Capital City Airport from January 1939 to September 1991, and at Harrisburg Int'l in Middletown since October 1991.[55]
References
- ^ "About the County - History". Dauphin County. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
- ^ "Harrisburg City Council Homepage". City of Harrisburg. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Geographic Names Information System". edits.nationalmap.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Harrisburg city, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
- ^ "2020 Census". census.gov. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
- ^ 75th Farm Show: A History of Pennsylvania's Annual Agricultural Exposition Archived 2012-03-15 at the Wayback Machine Dan Cupper, Accessed January 29, 2010.
- ^ Levy, Francesca (June 7, 2010). "America's Best Places to Raise a Family". Forbes.
- ^ "Harrisburg area ranked among Top 10 recession-proof cities". Harrisburg Patriot News. 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
- ^ W. Kesler Jackson, "Robbers and Incediaries: Protectionism Organizes at the Harrisburg Convention of 1827," Libertarian Papers 2, 21 (2010).
- ^ Gilbert, Stephanie Patterson. "Harrisburg's Old Eight Ward: Constructing a Website for Student Research" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-08. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ a b Eggert, Gerald G., Harrisburg Industrializes: The Coming of Factories to an American Community. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993. p58
- ^ The Underground Railroad Archived 2006-09-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ GETTYSBURG - The Artillery Duel- YouTube[2]
- ^ "Brief History". Steelton Boro Website. 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-03-06. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
- ^ Eggert, Gerald G., Harrisburg Industrializes: The Coming of Factories to an American Community. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993. p40
- ^ JSTOR 27772668.
- S2CID 212820800.
- ^ Eggert, Gerald G., Harrisburg Industrializes: The Coming of Factories to an American Community. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1993. p339
- ^ A Decade Later, TMI's Legacy Is Mistrust The Washington Post, March 28, 1989, p. A01.
- ^ "Harrisburg rounds up Western artifacts for auction – The Patriot News – Brief Article (May 2007)". Archived from the original on 2011-09-17.
- ^ Charles Thompson (July 14, 2015). "Harrisburg corruption charges portray former mayor Stephen Reed as unhinged from normal checks and balances". Pennlive.com. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
- ^ Corkery, Michael (September 12, 2011). "The Incinerator That Kept Burning Cash". WSJ.
- ^ Malawskey, Nick (May 29, 2012). "Harrisburg's eye-popping debt". The Patriot-News.
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- ^ Malanga, Steve (June 1, 2013). "The Many Ways That Cities Cook Their Bond Books". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
- ^ Gilliland, Donald (May 6, 2013). "SEC charges Harrisburg with fraud; settled case puts all municipalities on notice". The Patriot-News. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
- ^ "Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Chapter 9 Voluntary Petition" (PDF). PacerMonitor. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ^ Voluntary Chapter 9 petition, docket entry 1, Oct. 11, 2011, case no. 1:11-bk-06938-MDF, U.S. Bankr. Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- ^ Veronikis, Eric (2011-10-12). "Harrisburg City Council attorney Mark D. Schwartz files bankruptcy petition". Patriot News. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
- ^ Stech, Kasey; Nolan, Kelley (November 25, 2011). "Harrisburg Bankruptcy Filing Voided". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
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