Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

Ligonier Township
Township
Compass Inn (1799)
National Register of Historic Places
Official name: Township of Ligonier
Named for: John Ligonier
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Westmoreland
Coordinates 40°14′40″N 79°14′13″W / 40.24444°N 79.23694°W / 40.24444; -79.23694Coordinates: 40°14′40″N 79°14′13″W / 40.24444°N 79.23694°W / 40.24444; -79.23694
Area 92.1 sq mi (238.5 km2)
 - land 91.8 sq mi (237.8 km2)
 - water 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2), 0.33%
Population 6,973 (2000)
Density 75.9/sq mi (29.3/km2)
Incorporated 1882
Timezone EST (UTC-5)
 - summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 15658
Area code 724
School District Ligonier Valley School District
Location of Ligonier Township in Westmoreland County
Location of Westmoreland County in Pennsylvania
Website: http://www.ligoniertownship.com

Ligonier Township is a township in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Ligonier Township entirely surrounds, but does not include, Ligonier Borough, which is a separate municipality. The township's population was 6,603 at the 2010 census.

History

The Compass Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[1]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 92.1 square miles (238.6 km²), of which, 91.8 square miles (237.9 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²) of it (0.31%) is water.

The township contains the following communities: Buttermilk Falls, Darlington, Hillsview, Laughlintown, Longbridge, McCance, Oak Grove, Shirley, Speedwell, Rector, Waterford, and Wilpen. The Borough of Ligonier is not part of Ligonier Township.

Government

The township is classed as a township of the second class of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A five-person board of supervisors, elected for a six-year term, governs the township.

Public Services

The township directly employs a police force that, as of March 2008, includes three full-time officers and five part-time officers. The department employs a K-9 unit, a traffic reconstructionist, and a commercial truck inspection team with certified weigh masters and portable scales. The department also has a certified D.A.R.E. officer. Patrol officers are responsible for patrolling the 92-square-mile (240 km2) township, which includes the villages of Waterford, Darlington, Wilpen and Laughlintown. The Ligonier Township Municipal Authority (whose board members are appointed by the supervisors) provides water and sewage service to township residents. Fire protection services are provided by a 100% totally volunteer force, from three of the township’s villages. The Ligonier Township Volunteer Fire Department #1 (in the village of Waterford). The Wilpen Volunteer Fire Department of Ligonier Township (in the village of Wilpen) and The Darlington Volunteer Fire Department http://darlingtonvolunteerfire.com/index.html (in the village Darlington).

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 6,973 people, 2,914 households, and 2,089 families residing in the township. The population density was 75.9 people per square mile (29.3/km²). There were 3,556 housing units at an average density of 38.7/sq mi (14.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 99.21% White, 0.13% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.27% of the population.

There were 2,914 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% 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 2.82.

In the township the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $36,817, and the median income for a family was $46,715. Males had a median income of $35,969 versus $23,975 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,049. About 5.8% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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