Coatesville

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City of Coatesville
City
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Chester
Area	1.9 sq mi (4.9 km²)
- land	1.9 sq mi (4.9 km²)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km²), 0%
Center
- coordinates	39°59′1″N 75°49′0″W / 39.98361°N 75.81667°W / 39.98361; -75.81667Coordinates: 39°59′1″N 75°49′0″W / 39.98361°N 75.81667°W / 39.98361; -75.81667
- elevation	331 ft (100.9 m)
Population	10,838 (2000)
Density	5,848.8 /sq mi (2,258.2 /km²)
Incorporated	1915
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code	19320
Area code	610
Location of Coatesville in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Website : http://www.coatesville.org/

Coatesville is a city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,838 at the 2000 census.

The town is home to the former Lukens Steel Company, which was bought by the former Bethlehem Steel Corporation which was bought by the former Ohio-based International Steel Group (ISG) in 2002 which was bought by Mittal Steel and then merged with Arcelor Steel to form the current ArcelorMittal company.

History

Lukens Steel was the largest employer in Chester County in the 1960s, with over 10,000 workers. To remain competitive, it has made its production process more efficient and reduced the workforce to about 1,000 skilled workers.

During the economic boom of the late 1990s, Coatesville began an ambitious redevelopment project, facets of which included tearing down abandoned and dangerous public housing, new single family and townhouse developments, a regional recreation center, and most recently, mixed use projects that would include retail, office, and condominium housing, as well as the renovation of the local Amtrak station.

The redevelopment plans have not been without controversy^{[citation needed]}, including a five-year eminent domain dispute with a local landowner in neighboring Valley Township. It has been resolved without the need to seize the property, but it caused the ouster of four incumbent City Councilpersons in the November 2005 general elections. The four new councilpersons, two of whom are ordained Pentecostal and Methodist ministers, caused further controversy with the firing of the city solicitor, the resignation of the city manager (who negotiated with the Valley Township landowner), and the departure of the assistant manager, police chief, and city treasurer.

In 1911, the lynching in Coatesville of Zachariah Walker, a black man who killed a white mill policeman, prompted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to investigate and called for an end to lynching nationwide.

A series of arsons took place in the city from 2008 to 2009. [1]

Transportation

A general aviation airport, Chester County G. O. Carlson Airport, which allows private and corporate aircraft to easily access the town, is located about 3 miles west of the center of town in neighboring Valley Township,

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²), of which, 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²) of it is land and 0.53% is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 10,838 people, 3,940 households, and 2,580 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,848.8 people per square mile (2,261.9/km²). There were 4,360 housing units at an average density of 2,352.9/sq mi (909.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 41.91% White, 49.15% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.60% from other races, and 3.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.75% of the population.

There were 3,940 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.7% were married couples living together, 28.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.33.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,912, and the median income for a family was $36,375. Males had a median income of $31,782 versus $24,774 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,079. About 18.3% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.

Coatesville had 4,360 housing units, of which 90.37% were occupied. Of the occupied housing units, over 45% were owner-occupied.

Notable residents

• Richard Hamilton, a basketball player with the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association
• Fred Mascherino, former member of Taking Back Sunday, plays guitar and sings vocals for the rock band The Color Fred. Originally from the band, Breaking Pangea.
• Ray Keech set a land speed record and won the 1929 Indianapolis 500.
• Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir.
• Calvin Grove, IBF Featherweight Champion 23 Jan 1988 - 4 Aug 1988.
• Walt Downing, former San Francisco 49er 1978-1983.
• Susan Richardson, actress on "Eight is Enough".
• Rod Perry, actor on "S.W.A.T" (TV series)

References

1. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Coatesville official website

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