New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and 18 miles (30 km) east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population was 26,309 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lawrence County. New Castle is the principal city of the New Castle micropolitan area and a part of the Pittsburgh-New Castle combined statistical area. It is the commercial centre of a fertile agricultural region. New Castle is a prime example of a Rust Belt city which has been forced to adapt to changing economic situations.

Early history

Civil engineer Xavier Ariel Arvelo resurveyed lands which had been reserved for veterans of the Revolutionary War. He discovered that the original survey had neglected to stake out approximately 50 acres at the confluence of the Shenango River and the Neshannock Creek, at that time a part of Allegheny County. Claiming the land for himself, he laid out what was to become the town of New Castle. By 1849, the population had reached 1,000 and Lawrence County was created, named in honor of U.S. Navy Captain James Lawrence. Twenty years later New Castle was chartered as a city, at which time the population numbered about 6,000.

In 1849, a group of Old Order Amish by families from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania settled just north of New Castle in New Wilmington. Later migrations from Holmes County, Ohio would make this Amish community one of the largest in Pennsylvania. Approximately 2,000 Amish live and work presently in the townships north of New Castle.

Industry

New Castle gradually became an industrial center, due in part to the construction in the early 1800s of a canal system. In the 1870s, the city became a major hub of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and by 1900 was one of the fastest growing cities in the country. At this time, New Castle boasted the largest tin plate mill in America. Steel and paper mills, foundries, a bronze bushing factory, and car-construction plants contributed to the economy. In addition, the Shenango Pottery produced commercial china and created fine china for the White House, including dinnerware for Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson. Other ceramic factories produced bathroom fixtures and industrial refractory materials.

Recent history

The city was the site of an important development in the history of Warner Bros. studios, given that the first Warner Bros. theater, the Cascade, opened there in 1907. (The Warners, most of whom were Polish Jewish immigrants, resided in nearby Youngstown.) The theater was restored in 1996. Municipal officials have planned recent revitalization efforts around the former theater, which is now known as Cascade Center. The facility features an upscale restaurant, the Mill Street Grille, and plans are in progress to turn the complex into New Castle's version of Station Square in Pittsburgh. This revitalization plan, however, will focus on motion pictures rather than trains.

Despite recent economic challenges, the city continues to serve as the headquarters of Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, which was founded in New Castle and is one of the world's largest fireworks and pyrotechnics companies. The city is regarded as the "Fireworks Capital of America," and recently opened Zambelli Plaza (actually a park with a light-up fireworks display) near the Cascade Center in honor of the Zambelli family's accomplishments.

Geography

New Castle is located at (40.997325, -80.344556), along the Shenango River at the mouth of Neshannock Creek.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.2 km²), of which, 8.5 square miles (22.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.47%) is water.

Zambelli Plaza at night.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 26,309 people, 10,727 households, and 6,725 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,082.0 people per square mile (1,189.5/km²). There were 11,709 housing units at an average density of 1,371.6/sq mi (529.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.77% White, 10.79% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population. 33.4% were of Italian, 15.0% German, 8.1% Irish and 5.9% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 10,727 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,598, and the median income for a family was $32,539. Males had a median income of $30,112 versus $20,754 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,730. About 17.1% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.8% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Charlie Bennett, major league baseball player^[1]

• Jack Cole (artist), cartoonist and creator of the superhero Plastic Man

• Matt DeSalvo (born September 11, 1980). A Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the Atlanta Braves.

• Edmond Hamilton (October 21, 1904 – February 1, 1971). A prolific Science Fiction author writing chiefly in the genre described as space opera. As technology and society advanced, some of Hamilton's work began to appear trite and anachronistic, though much of his writing has aged surprisingly well. He also wrote for DC Comics between 1946 and 1966.

• Ira D. Sankey, (August 28, 1840 – August 13, 1908), gospel singer and composer

• Chuck Tanner, (born July 4, 1929) is a former left fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He is currently a senior advisor for the Pittsburgh Pirates and previously owned and operated his own restaurant in the city, which still bears his name today. He was the manager of the 1979 World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

References

External links

• New Castle's Official Web Site

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