Frackville

Frackville, Pennsylvania

Frackville is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Frackville is located near the intersection of Interstate 81 and PA State Route 61, approximately 55 miles (89 km) northeast of Harrisburg and 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Wilkes-Barre.

History

Frackville was settled in 1861 and incorporated in 1876, when the villages of Frackville and Mountain City merged to form the borough of Frackville. The name "Mountain City", however, is still a common nickname for the borough. A past diner and beer distributor were both named after it. Early in the twentieth century, anthracite coal mining was the chief industry of the region, although Frackville remained a predominantly residential community. The "Mahanoy Plane", which operated from 1862-1931, was able to hoist 50,000 tons of coal daily. There is a small patch-town owning the name "Mahanoy Plane" at the northern foot of Frackville's Broad Mountain. Industrial relics and infrastructure remain in the thick forest north of the borough's youth baseball complex but historical preservation or restoration has yet to take place.

Frackville celebrated its centennial in 1976 while James Nahas was mayor. It was a week long event from August 22-28 which hosted parades each night and brought the community closer together. The borough's 125th anniversary celebration was held in 2001 and had similar events and effects. It culminated with a Frackville Cruise Night that had routes running throughout the borough.

Frackville sits in the middle of Northeastern Pennsylvania's historic and proud Coal Region. Coal mining has largely ceased in the area. Many of Frackville's residents are employed at local factories, retail outlets, and the numerous Pennsylvania State Prisons in the immediate area. Many more commute daily to the cities of Pottsville, Hazleton, Allentown, Reading or Harrisburg to work. In 1900, the population was 2,595; in 1910, 3,118; and in 1940, 8,035. The population was 4,361 at the 2000 census.

Located at Interstate 81 Exit 124, Frackville is a popular stop for travelers. It is home of the Dutch Kitchen, a well publicized restaurant that is a renovated diner. The Schuylkill Mall, a former Crown American shopping mall, resides on the south end of the borough.

Geography

Frackville is located at (40.783618, -76.233662).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.

Current Day Frackville

Frackville is currently working to strengthen the borough. Frackville's Downtown Revitalization Committee meets regularly to improve the business district's appearance. Communal economies have clearly outlived their functional practicality, but downtown revitalization still holds significant aesthetic merit by bolstering community attractiveness.

In 2003, Frackville became a partner of the Upper Schuylkill Regional Main Street program along with neighboring communities Ashland, Girardville, Mahanoy City, Ringtown and Shenandoah. Since that time the borough has flourished with one successful venture after another each year since 2003. The numerous educational programs including grant writing courses arranged through the regional program made it possible to complete $523,304.00 in projects in the targeted central business district in Frackville Borough from 2004 and continuing through 2008. The Upper Schuylkill Design Challenge Grant program provides facade assistance to business and property owners for restoration projects.

The camaraderie of the partnering municipalities and leadership of Upper Schuylkill has and will continue to restore the beauty and pride in the main business district and throughout Frackville Borough. The Frackville Downtown Revitalization Organization's enrollment in the Upper Schuylkill program is a priceless success. For more information on Upper Schuylkill or the Borough of Frackville log onto http://www.upperschuylkill.com. Frackville has over half a dozen parks which are used often by residents of all ages. Among the borough’s sports leagues are: Frackville Mountaineer mini, pee-wee and midget football teams, Frackville Area Softball Association, Frackville Legion Baseball Team, Frackville tee-ball, intermediate and Little League Baseball teams, CYO basketball teams and many others.

Also, there are Boy and Girl Scouts which reside in the borough. The numerous civic agencies such as the Elks, American Legion, Rotary, Masons, Knights of Columbus and Lions Club hold regular events to involve the citizens of the borough.

Frackville has a borough pool which opens each spring for the citizens to use. There are more than a dozen churches in the borough. The borough is serviced by three fire companies and the Frackville Ambulance Service.

Police Agencies

Frackville's foremost police protection is provided 24 hours a day by the Frackville Borough Police Department. The Frackville Police Station is located in the Borough Hall Building. The Pennsylvania State Police have a barracks located on the east end of the borough (PSP Frackville Barracks). The Schuylkill County Sheriff's Department also retain jurisdiction and provide police service to Frackville.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,361 people, 1,914 households, and 1,169 families residing in the borough. The population density was 7,309.8 people per square mile (2,806.3/km²). There were 2,094 housing units at an average density of 3,509.9/sq mi (1,347.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.14% White, 0.37% African American, 0.07% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 1,914 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the borough the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $32,071, and the median income for a family was $47,553. Males had a median income of $31,412 versus $21,836 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,587. About 2.7% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.