Liverpool, Pennsylvania

Location

Liverpool is located along the Susquehanna River and U.S. Routes 11 and 15 at the eastern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 17.

The borough is approximately 20 mi northwest of Harrisburg in Dauphin County and 16 mi southwest of Selinsgrove in Snyder County.

It is not to be confused with Liverpool Township, which is adjacent to the borough.

History

Liverpool was settled in 1808 by the Stailey family, who emigrated from Liverpool, England, for which it was named. Located beside the Susquehanna River in eastern Perry County, the community was surveyed by John Huggins and plotted by Peter Williamson that year. It was originally made up of the land between present-day North Alley and Strawberry Street. Subsequently incorporated on May 4, 1832, it is one of the nine boroughs incorporated in the county. The neighboring community of Northern Liberties was absorbed into Liverpool at the time of its incorporation.

As the population grew, so did its business offerings, civic services and industries. Its first businessmen were merchant Thomas Gallagher and hotelier John Huggins.

In subsequent months and years, a foundry was built, George Thorp opened a distillery, and John Speece erected a tannery operation.

The community's first schoolhouse was a twenty-five-square-foot log structure.

In July 1821, John Huggins launched the borough's first newspaper, the Mercury, which was absorbed later that decade by The Perry County Democrat.

Over the years, a bank, a post office and multiple new businesses and churches were also built.

By 1829, the Pennsylvania Canal system had completed work on its Main Line Canal, which ran north, parallel to the Susquehanna River for thirty-nine miles, from Duncan's Island in Perry County (now Duncannon) through New Buffalo, Girty's Notch, Montgomery's Ferry, Mount Patrick, Liverpool, and Selinsgrove to Northumberland. Liverpool ultimately became the Mainline Canal's hub, attracting canal boat builders and operators, more hotels to house visitors to the area and more homes for the employees of the businesses that catered to those travelers.

Shortly after the Civil War, John W. Garrett of B. & O. Railroad fame acquired three gunboats used in the blockade service and refitted them into packet boats, establishing the first regular line service from Baltimore to Liverpool, increasing the town's commercial interests.

In 1910, the population of the borough was five hundred and ninety-six. By 1912, the borough's schools employed four teachers.

School district

Liverpool is part of the Greenwood School District, the campus of which is located in nearby Millerstown.

Emergency services

The Liverpool Volunteer Fire Company provides Liverpool's fire and emergency medical services.

Demographics

According to the 2010 census, Liverpool was home to nine hundred and fifty-five people.

The population consisted of 47.2% males and 52.8% females. 96.1% of residents were White, 1% were Asian, 0.6% were Hispanic, 0.5% were Black, 0.2% were Native Americans/Pacific Islanders, and 0.2% were of other races or two or more races.

In 2010, the median household income was $35,517.

References

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Liverpool Topo Map, Perry County PA (Millersburg Area)". Locality, LLC.
3. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". US Census Bureau.
4. Jordan, John Woolf. (1913). "A History of the Juniata Valley and Its People". Lewis Historical Publishing Company.
5. Campbell, Pat. "[http://www.liverpool.pa.net/history.html History of the Area]," in "Historic Liverpool." Liverpool, Pennsylvania: Borough of Liverpool and Liverpool Historians, 2008 (retrieved online January 30, 2023).
6. Campbell, "History of the Area," in "Historic Liverpool," Borough of Liverpool and Liverpool Historians.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau.
8. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau.
10. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau.
11. (2012). "Liverpool, Pennsylvania".