Hummelstown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,535 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Harrisburg metropolitan area.
Originally named Fredrickstown, the town was established in 1762. Hummelstown is a Tree City and is located in District 15 of the Pennsylvania State Senate. It is centrally located between Harrisburg and Hershey. It has several businesses and shops designed to capitalize on the tourist traffic that passes through town.Hummelstown profile, fizber.com; accessed December 3, 2016.
History
Hummelstown was founded as "Fredrickstown" in 1762 by two Germans, Frederick and Rosina Hummel. They purchased the land for 200 pounds sterling, then divided the area into building lots, which were sold to German settlers. During the mid-19th century, the Union Canal along Swatara Creek was an important factor in the development of the local economy, promoting trade and transportation.
The town was located on the Berks-Dauphin Turnpike, and later it was served by the Union Canal which paralleled Swatara Creek bordering the north and the west sides of the town, and was opened in 1827. The Lebanon Valley Railroad arrived in 1858. This brought about many jobs of stone cutting and shipyard work and helped facilitate the Hummelstown Brownstone Company which became the leading employer of Hummelstown residents. The company mined Hummelstown brownstone at its quarries from 1867 until 1929. The company was the largest producer of brownstone on the East Coast.
Throughout the history of the town it has been a stopping point for travelers to Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, or to Hershey, the home of Hershey Foods, Hersheypark, and Chocolate World. At various times Hummelstown has been as close as from up to ten different professional sports teams, such as the Harrisburg Heat, Hershey Bears, Hershey Wildcats, and the Harrisburg City Islanders. The Calder Cup has had several ceremonies conducted in Hummelstown over the years.
The borough celebrated its semiquincentennial or 250-year anniversary in 2012.
The Dr. William Henderson House, Keystone Hotel, Enoch Matlack House, and Zion Lutheran Church and Graveyard are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Hummelstown Historical Society building is located at North Rosanna Street and North Alley Street in the original building for the Zion Lutheran Church, which is now the main brownstone church on Main Street of Hummelstown. The society has a library, museum, and genealogy section, and hosts numerous Native American relics, such as arrowheads, bones, and pottery.
Hummelstown is within a thirty-minute drive of several colleges and educational institutions, such as HACC, Lebanon Valley College, Penn State Harrisburg, Central Penn College, YTI Career Institute, Kepler Career Institute, and VoTech. Many residents of Hummelstown have jobs in Derry Township, mainly through Hershey Foods and its subsidiaries.
Hummelstown currently has three historical markers in the town, one for the town's oldest church, one for a former Revolutionary War gun factory, and the other for the Hummelstown Brownstone company.Hummelstown Brownstone Quarries Marker, hmdb.org; accessed December 3, 2016.
Geography
Hummelstown is located in southern Dauphin County at (40.265168, −76.710995) at an elevation of above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.31%, is water. Swatara Creek, a southward-flowing tributary of the Susquehanna River, forms the northern and western border of Hummelstown, and there is one unnamed pond by the Hummel Nature Trail east of the 7–11, at the end of town, next to the Tee Ball baseball field.
Climate The climate of Hummelstown is similar to Harrisburg's. The lows during winter reach about , and the highs during summer reach about .
Weather Few tornadoes or hurricanes have struck Hummelstown over the years. In 1992, the borough was hit by a bow tornado. In past years the town has been hit by only several hurricanes, the most severe being Hurricane Agnes which knocked out two key bridges in the town.Fizber Hummelstown Climate, climate.fizber.com; accessed March 10, 2017.
Hummelstown has had numerous blizzards. In 1996, a blizzard hit with ; in 1997, a blizzard hit Hummelstown with of snow. In 2004, a blizzard with hit Hummelstown, and a blizzard hit Hummelstown in 2010 with a record-setting .
Highways U.S. Route 322 skirts the south side of the borough as the Hummelstown Bypass. U.S. Route 422 branches off US 322 just east of the borough limits. The center of Hershey is east of the center of Hummelstown, and Harrisburg is to the west.
East of the center of Hummelstown, Main Street ends at the Boro Bar and Walton Avenue (previously Main Street) turns into and becomes PA Route 39/Hersheypark Road. At the west end of Hummelstown, Fiddlers Elbow Road crosses the US 322 bypass without access to it, then leads south to the PA 283 expressway. Main Street, leaving Hummelstown to the west, joins U.S. Route 322. Going east Main Street turns into PA Route 39 at what part is known as Hersheypark Drive in Derry Township.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Hummelstown had a population of 4,544. The median age was 40.4 years. 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.3 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,074 households in Hummelstown, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.0% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,196 housing units, of which 5.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 4,006 88.2% Black or African American 90 2.0% American Indian and Alaska Native 4 0.1% Asian 104 2.3% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 88 1.9% Two or more races 252 5.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 268 5.9%
2000 census According to the United States Census Bureau the median house value in Hummelstown is $99,400.
Units in structure Number Percent 1-Unit Detached 1,031 52.8% 1-Unit Attached 195 10% 2-Units 116 5.9% 3 or 4 Units 216 11.1% 5 to 9 Units 220 11.3% 10 to 19 Units 65 3.3% 20 or more Units 74 3.8% Mobile Home 36 1.8% Boat, RV, or Van (etc.) 0 0.00%
Hummelstown is home to many older homes; a large number were built in the earlier decades of the 1900s. Year structure built Number Percent 1999 to March 2000 21 1.1% 1995 to 1998 85 4.4% 1990 to 1994 33 1.7% 1980 to 1989 143 7.3% 1970 to 1979 239 12.2% 1960 to 1969 250 12.8% 1940 to 1959 531 27.2% 1939 or earlier 651 33.3%
According to the United States Census Bureau, the estimated upkeep cost and home improvement costs to percentage of house value in Hummelstown, has a median of less than 15% (which comes to a median cost of $14,910).
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,360 people, 1,879 households, and 1,200 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,953 housing units at an average density of . This housing count reflects units directly within the borough limits, excluding those in the Graystone development and other areas with Hummelstown addresses. The racial makeup of the borough was 97.02% White, 0.32% African American, 0.02% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
There were 1,879 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% 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 2.91.
In the borough, the population exhibited a varied distribution, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% aged 18 to 24, 32.0% aged 25 to 44, 21.1% aged 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years or older. The median age stood at 38 years. There were 95.0 males for every 100 females, and among those aged 18 and over, there were 93.4 males per 100 females.
The median income for a household in the borough was $41,625, and the median income for a family was $50,572. Males had a median income of $36,500 versus $27,547 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,394. About 4.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over. Arts and culture
Annual cultural events The Lollipop Drop – New Year's Eve (discontinued) Movie Nights – at the Herbert A. Schaffner Memorial Park Taste of Hummelstown – food sampling by restaurants along the Main Street The Hummelstown Arts Festival – a non-profit annual arts festival held each September to raise money for scholarships for graduating seniors at Lower Dauphin High School continuing their education in the arts. Hummelstown Winter Fling - January event featuring music, food, and drinks on the square. Established in 2014. Trick or Treat – Halloween is the night used for the annual Trick or Treat. Houses with their porchlight on from 6 pm until 8 pm are houses participating.
Borough of Hummelstown: Calendar of Events
Museums and other points of interest Hummelstown has a historical society constructed with Hummelstown brownstone. The Hummelstown Historical Society is both a museum and visitor center. The town is home to a historical landmark, the Warwick Hotel, which is still a tavern reminiscent of its pre-Revolutionary War days. George Washington stayed a night there and drank from its bar.
Indian Echo Caverns, located one-half mile south of the borough limits, is one of the main attractions near Hummelstown. The caverns were originally used by the Susquehannock tribe, who lived and hunted in the nearby area until they vanished in the 1670s; it opened to the public in 1929.
The shortline Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad operates heritage and freight service between its namesake towns of Middletown and just south of Hummelstown proper, stopping in front of the Indian Echo Caverns entrance. The Hummelstown Borough Council has expressed concern around quality of life issues (noise, odor, safety) with having more trains passing through town. As such, trains stop just south of the busy four-lane U.S. Route 322 grade crossing on a regular basis, and are allowed to enter town exactly 12 times per year.pennlive.com Norfolk Southern's busy Harrisburg Line traverses the northern section of Hummelstown, with up to 20 lengthy freight trains passing through daily.
In the town In the town there is an American Legion, a borough office building, and a post office. The legion and the post office are located on Walton Avenue (Main Street). The borough office building is located on South Hanover Street. The town also has several churches, most located on Main Street.
The Hummelstown Chemical Fire Department occasionally serves as a distribution center for Potassium Iodide pills supplied by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Hummelstown falls within a 10-mile radius of Three Mile Island.
Religion