Nescopeck, Pennsylvania

History

Nescopeck was first settled in 1786; it was later incorporated as a borough in 1896. By 1900, over one thousand people resided in the borough. That number would peak at 1,934 in 1960.

The borough derives its name from Nescopeck Creek, a Native American name purported to mean "black, deep, and still water".

In 2011 between September 6 and September 9, Nescopeck became one of many victims to Tropical Storm Lee. Lower-lying parts of the town that neighbored the Susquehanna River became flooded. One of the buildings that suffered damage was the Cooper House. After sitting for almost eight years, the historical building of 1817 was finally demolished on April 26, 2019.

On August 5, 2022, a fire at a house killed ten people at a home in Nescopeck, including three children. All of the victims were related to a volunteer firefighter who responded to the blaze. Eight days later on August 13, a man drove into a crowd at a fundraiser for the victims in nearby Berwick, killing one person and wounding 19 others. The man, Adrian Sura-Reyes, then drove to a home in Nescopeck, where he beat his mother to death. He was sentenced to life in prison in June 2023 for criminal homicide and attempted criminal homicide.

Faith United Lutheran Nescopeck PA.jpg|Faith United Lutheran Church Nescopeck welcome sign 1.JPG|Entering Nescopeck on PA 93

Geography

Nescopeck is located at (41.052379, -76.215871).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.7 km2, all land. Nescopeck is located along the Susquehanna River (just outside of Berwick). It is a small farming community. PA 93 runs east to west through the borough. The highway crosses over the Susquehanna and links neighboring Berwick to Nescopeck. PA 339 enters Nescopeck from the west; it connects with PA 93 in the middle of the town.

Climate

The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfb" (Warm Summer Continental Climate). It has four distinct seasons. Winters are cold. The surrounding mountains have an influence on the climate (including both precipitation and temperatures), leading to wide variations within a short distance. On average, temperatures below 0 °F are infrequent, occurring several days per year, and there are several dozen days where the maximum temperature remains below 32 °F. Severe snowstorms are rare. However, when snowstorms do occur, they can disrupt normal routines for several days.

Summers are warm. In an average summer, temperatures exceeding 90 °F occur several days and can occasionally exceed 100 °F. Spring and fall are unpredictable with temperatures ranging from cold to warm (although they are usually mild). On average, Nescopeck receives precipitation which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year (though the summer months receive more precipitation). Retrieved on August 9, 2013.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,528 people, 672 households, and 417 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,534.8 PD/sqmi. There were 729 housing units at an average density of 732.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 98.23% White, 0.52% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 672 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $31,379, and the median income for a family was $39,440. Males had a median income of $30,625 versus $20,586 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $16,553. About 5.3% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The school district is the Berwick Area School District.

References

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
2. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021". US Census Bureau.
3. Espenshade, Abraham Howry. (1925). "Pennsylvania Place Names". Evangelical Press.
4. Albert, Jessica. (April 26, 2019). ""Cooper House in Nescopeck Torn Down"". [[WNEP]].
5. (August 5, 2022). "Blaze kills firefighter's 10 relatives, 3 of them children".
6. (June 27, 2023). "Life sentence for driver in deadly fundraiser crashes".
7. (August 14, 2022). "Suspect in Berwick, Nescopeck killings says he was 'frustrated'".
8. "Sura Reyes sentenced for killing mother, driving through fundraiser crowd".
9. (2011-02-12). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. [http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=116063&cityname=Berwick%2C+Pennsylvania%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Berwick, Pennsylvania]
11. "Local Climatological Data–Annual Summary with Comparative Data: Wilkes–Barre/Scranton".
12. "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau.
13. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
14. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau.
15. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau.
16. "Directory Information (2023-2024 school year): Nescopeck El Sch".