Editing Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

{{short description|City in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| nicknames          = BF, Birthplace of College Basketball
| image_skyline      = Beaver Falls, PA (cropped).JPG
| image_caption      = View of Beaver Falls from across the [[Beaver River (Pennsylvania)|Beaver River]].
| image_seal         = BeaverFallsPAseal.png
| image_map          = Beaver County Pennsylvania incorporated and unincorporated areas Beaver Falls highlighted.svg
| map_caption        = Location in [[Beaver County, Pennsylvania|Beaver County]] and the U.S. state of [[Pennsylvania]].
| pushpin_map        = Pennsylvania#USA
| pushpin_label      = Beaver Falls
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|County]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Pennsylvania}}
| subdivision_name2  = [[Beaver County, Pennsylvania|Beaver]]
| government_type    = [[Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania)|Home rule charter]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Kenya Johns
| leader_title2      = [[City manager]]
| leader_name2       = Charles Jones Jr.
| established_title  = Incorporated
| established_date   = November 9, 1868 (borough)<br>December 3, 1928 (city)
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref>{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='42'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 2.36
| area_land_sq_mi    = 2.13
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.22
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_total   = 9005
| population_density_km2 = 1628.15
| population_density_sq_mi = 4217.80
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = −5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code        = 15010
| coordinates        = {{coord|40|45|32|N|80|19|11|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| website            = {{URL|http://beaverfallspa.org}}
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 42-04792
| area_total_km2     = 6.11
| area_land_km2      = 5.53
| area_water_km2     = 0.58
| population_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
}}

'''Beaver Falls''' is a city in [[Beaver County, Pennsylvania]], United States. The population was 9,005 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/beaverfallscitypennsylvania/PST045219 |access-date=September 13, 2021 |website=census.gov |title=QuickFacts: Beaver Falls city, Pennsylvania}}</ref> Located 31 miles (50&nbsp;km) northwest of [[Pittsburgh]], the city lies along the [[Beaver River (Pennsylvania)|Beaver River]], six miles (9&nbsp;km) north of its confluence with the [[Ohio River]]. It is a part of the [[Pittsburgh metropolitan area]].

==History==
[[File:Beaver Falls Cutlery Works 1867.jpg|thumb|left|Beaver Falls Cutlery Works (1867)]]
The area of present-day Beaver Falls was first mentioned in 1770 in the journals of David Zeisberger, a [[Moravian Church]] [[missionary]] who eventually settled in present-day [[Lawrence County, Pennsylvania|Lawrence County]]. A [[Lenape]] chief named [[Custaloga|Pakanke]] took Zeisberger to the valley surrounding the [[Beaver River (Pennsylvania)|Beaver River]], where the Lenape owned a large tract of open land which Zeisberger was given access to.<ref name="Histories">{{cite web|url=https://www.timesonline.com/story/lifestyle/2020/09/01/histories-mysteries-stories-falls-beaver/3447864001/ |title=Histories & Mysteries: Stories from the 'Falls of the Beaver' |author=Jeffrey Snedden |publisher=Beaver County Times |access-date=August 9, 2022 }}</ref> In April 1770, Zeisberger and his followers set out in 16 canoes down the [[Allegheny River|Allegheny]] and [[Ohio River|Ohio]] rivers, reaching the mouth of the Beaver three days later. They made their way up to what was called the “Falls of the Beaver," where they encamped.<ref name="Histories" /> The town originally formed around the middle falls area was named Brighton after [[Brighton, England]], which was the hometown of the area's surveyors.<ref name="Histories" />

Despite early promise through the [[canal]] business on the falls, the town fell behind neighboring [[New Brighton, Pennsylvania|New Brighton]] after repeated poor economic periods. The earlier proprietors sold the land to the [[Harmony Society]] in 1859.<ref name="Histories" /> The Harmonists immediately brought in surveyors to re-plan Brighton, laying out a town twice the size of the original, paving several main streets with brick and officially changing the name of the community to Beaver Falls.<ref name="Histories" /> The rapid revitalization of the community allowed it to gain borough status on November 9, 1868. In the 1870s, Beaver Falls had a [[Chinatowns in the United States#Pennsylvania|Chinatown]] and had up to 225 Chinese residents, brought in to work at [[Beaver Falls Cutlery Company]] moved in to the borough by the Harmonists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/BeaverCountyTopical/racerelations/ChineseinBFM99/ChineseinBFMSP99.html |title=Chinese Workers In Beaver Falls |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609114016/http://www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/BeaverCountyTopical/racerelations/ChineseinBFM99/ChineseinBFMSP99.html |archive-date=June 9, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Anon |title=Industrious Beaver Falls |date=1993 |publisher=Beaver County Industrial Museum |location=Darlington, Pennsylvania |chapter=Gone but not forgotten: the Beaver Falls Cutlery Company}} This is based on {{cite book |last1=Anon |title=The Beaver Countian Vol III no.1 |date=1992 |location=Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania |pages=1–3 |chapter=The history and lore of Beaver Co.: the Chinese in Beaver Falls 1872}}</ref>

On May 31, 1985, an F3 [[tornado]] hit just north of the city as it went across northern portions of Beaver County, as part of the [[1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak]].<ref>Britten, Kenneth, ''Beaver Falls Gem of Beaver County'', Arcadia Publishing, 2002, {{ISBN|0-7385-2382-8}}.</ref>

The population declined nearly 50% between 1940 and 2000, which is attributed mostly to its central location in the [[Rust Belt]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1940.html |title=1940 Census of Population and Housing |access-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327062101/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1940.html |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1960cenpopv1.html |title=1960 Census of Population and Housing |access-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505050039/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1960cenpopv1.html |archive-date=May 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-1-1.pdf|title=1990 Census of Population and Housing|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218003445/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-1-1.pdf |archive-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref>

==Geography==

===Climate===
Beaver Falls experiences a [[humid continental climate]] with cold winters and hot summers. The hottest month is July with a mean temperature of {{convert|72.1|F}} and the coldest month is January with a mean temperature of {{convert|27.6|F}}.

{{Weather box
|location = Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania (Beaver Falls 1NE) 1991–2020 normals (records 2011–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 67
|Feb record high F = 76
|Mar record high F = 77
|Apr record high F = 86
|May record high F = 94 
|Jun record high F = 92 
|Jul record high F = 97
|Aug record high F = 92
|Sep record high F = 95
|Oct record high F = 89
|Nov record high F = 82
|Dec record high F = 69
|year record high F = 97
|Jan high F = 35.9
|Feb high F = 39.0
|Mar high F = 48.3
|Apr high F = 61.6
|May high F = 71.5
|Jun high F = 78.9
|Jul high F = 83.1
|Aug high F = 82.2
|Sep high F = 75.6
|Oct high F = 63.8
|Nov high F = 51.0
|Dec high F = 40.3
|year high F= 60.9
|Jan mean F = 27.6
|Feb mean F = 29.1
|Mar mean F = 37.6
|Apr mean F = 49.1
|May mean F = 59.7
|Jun mean F = 67.7
|Jul mean F = 72.1
|Aug mean F = 70.9
|Sep mean F = 64.3
|Oct mean F = 52.8
|Nov mean F = 41.3
|Dec mean F = 32.4
|year mean F= 50.4
|Jan low F = 19.2
|Feb low F = 19.1
|Mar low F = 26.8
|Apr low F = 36.6
|May low F = 47.8
|Jun low F = 56.4
|Jul low F = 61.1
|Aug low F = 59.5
|Sep low F = 52.9
|Oct low F = 41.8
|Nov low F = 31.5
|Dec low F = 24.5
|year low F= 39.8
|Jan record low F = -9
|Feb record low F = -12
|Mar record low F = -1
|Apr record low F = 18
|May record low F = 28
|Jun record low F = 40 
|Jul record low F = 49
|Aug record low F = 49
|Sep record low F = 36 
|Oct record low F = 29 
|Nov record low F = 13
|Dec record low F = 0
|year record low F= -12
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.14
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.40
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.07
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.65
|May precipitation inch = 3.84
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.26
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.82
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.50
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.62
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.06
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.95
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.01
|year precipitation inch= 40.32
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 14
|Feb precipitation days = 11
|Mar precipitation days = 12
|Apr precipitation days = 14
|May precipitation days = 14
|Jun precipitation days = 12
|Jul precipitation days = 11
|Aug precipitation days = 10
|Sep precipitation days = 10
|Oct precipitation days = 12
|Nov precipitation days = 12
|Dec precipitation days = 13
|year precipitation days= 144
|source 1 = NOAA<ref>
{{cite web
 | url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=pbz
 | title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data
 | publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
 | access-date = May 12, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{expand section|date=August 2022}}
{{US Census population
|1870= 3112
|1880= 5104
|1890= 9735
|1900= 10054
|1910= 12191
|1920= 12802
|1930= 17147
|1940= 17098
|1950= 17375
|1960= 16240
|1970= 14635
|1980= 12525
|1990= 10687
|2000= 9920
|2010= 8987
|2020= 9005
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:42&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 9,920 people, 3,798 households, and 2,259 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|4,681.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 4,380 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2,067.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|racial makeup]] of the city was 78.82% White, 17.53% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.

==Government==
[[File:Beaver Falls City Hall.jpg|thumb|Beaver Falls City Hall]]
Beaver Falls had been a [[City (Pennsylvania)|third class city]] under the Pennsylvania local government structure until a [[Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania)|home rule charter]] went into effect on January 3, 2022.<ref name="Council">{{cite web|url=https://beaverfallspa.org/?page_id=658 |title=Council & Administration - The City of Beaver Falls |publisher=City of Beaver Falls |access-date=August 9, 2022 }}</ref> The city's charter maintains a commissioned [[mayor-council]] form of government; a mayor and four city council members constitute the commission and serve as the governing body of the city. Since the 2021 election cycle, the mayor has been Kenya Johns.<ref name="Council" />

A [[city manager]] is employed to oversee day to day operations and oversight of the city’s main departments: Administration, Department of Finance & Taxation, Department of Public Works, Fire Department, Police Department, and Community Development.<ref name="Council" />

==Education==
[[File:Carnegie Free Library in Beaver Falls.jpg|thumb|The [[Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls|Carnegie Free Library]] in downtown Beaver Falls.]]
Children in Beaver Falls are served by the [[Big Beaver Falls Area School District]].<ref>{{cite web|title=District Directory Information - Big Beaver Falls Area|url=http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=1&details=1&InstName=Big+Beaver+Falls&DistrictType=1&DistrictType=2&DistrictType=3&DistrictType=4&DistrictType=5&DistrictType=6&DistrictType=7&DistrictType=8&NumOfStudentsRange=more&NumOfSchoolsRange=more&ID2=4203630|website=US NCES|publisher=U.S. Department of Education|access-date=March 30, 2016}}</ref> The current schools serving Beaver Falls are:
*Central Elementary School – grades K–5
*Beaver Falls Middle School – grades 6–8
*[[Beaver Falls High School]] – grades 9–12

Beaver Falls has been the home of [[Geneva College]], a [[Private college|private]] [[Christianity|Christian]] [[liberal arts college]], since 1880. Located in the city's [[College Hill (Beaver Falls)|College Hill]] neighborhood, the college has a student body of approximately 1,400 students.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/geneva-college-3267|title=U.S. News}}</ref> Their sports teams are called the Golden Tornadoes and compete as a member of the [[Presidents' Athletic Conference]].

The city has a public library, the [[Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls]], which was the first dedicated library building in Beaver County. It was a financed [[Carnegie library]], opening in 1899.<ref>''[{{NRHP-PA|H050999_01H.pdf}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Carnegie Free Library, Beaver Falls]''. [[National Park Service]], n.d.</ref>{{rp|5}}

==Transportation==
The closest airport to the city is [[Beaver County Airport]]. Though located in [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny County]], [[Pittsburgh International Airport]] is within close proximity of Beaver Falls, and is easily accessible by way of [[Interstate 376|I-376]] (former [[Pennsylvania Route 60|PA 60]]).<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09310/1011377-455.stm Highway now I-376 from Monroeville to Mercer]</ref>

The following highways pass through Beaver Falls: 
* [[File:PA-18.svg|25px]] [[Pennsylvania Route 18|State Route 18]]
* [[File:PA-588.svg|25px]] [[Pennsylvania Route 588|State Route 588]]

==Notable people==
*[[Papa John Creach]], blues violinist
*[[Darryl & Don Ellis]], [[Country Music Association Awards|CMA]] and [[Academy of Country Music Awards|ACM]] nominated country music brother duo
*[[Ella M. George]], teacher, lecturer, social reformer
*[[Electronic cigarette#Early prototypes & barriers to entry: 1920s – 90s|Herbert A. Gilbert]], inventor of the [[electronic cigarette]]<ref>{{Cite patent|number=US3200819A|title=Smokeless non-tobacco cigarette|gdate=1965-08-17|invent1=Gilbert|inventor1-first=Herbert A.|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3200819A/en?assignee=herbert+gilbert&before=priority:19631231&after=priority:19630101&oq=herbert+gilbert+1963}}</ref>
*[[Charles Keene (racing driver)|Charles Keene]], racing driver
*[[Nate Lewis (artist)|Nate Lewis]], artist
*[[Tony Lip]], actor
*[[Thomas Midgley Jr.]], chemist and engineer, known for his role in the development of [[Tetraethyllead|leaded gasoline]]
*[[Archie Miller (basketball)|Ryan "Archie" Miller]], former NCAA Basketball coach for the [[Dayton Flyers men's basketball|Dayton Flyers]] and [[Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball|Indiana Hoosiers]]
*[[Joe Namath]], Hall of Fame [[American Football League|AFL]] and [[NFL]] [[quarterback]]<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2nVQAAAAIBAJ&pg=2128%2C5738668 | title=Small Towns Have Produced Many Big Stars | work=The Milwaukee Sentinel | date=November 27, 1969 | access-date=May 22, 2015 | author=Wilson, Earl | page=A33 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*[[Tom Tribone]], energy entrepreneur, founded several major energy companies and early member of [[AES Corporation]]
*[[Mike Veon]], former member of the [[Pennsylvania House of Representatives]], known for his involvement in the [[2006 Pennsylvania General Assembly bonus controversy#Veon guilty verdict|2006 Pennsylvania General Assembly bonus controversy]]
*[[Joe Walton]], former American football player and coach, creator and head coach of football program at [[Robert Morris University]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania}}
{{Wikivoyage|Beaver Falls (Pennsylvania)|Beaver Falls}}
*[http://www.beaverfallspa.org City website]
*{{Wikisource-inline|list=
**{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Beaver Falls|short=x|noicon=x}}
**{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Beaver Falls|short=x|noicon=x}}
**{{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Beaver Falls, Pa.|short=x|noicon=x}}
}}
{{Beaver County, Pennsylvania}}
{{PA Home Rule Municipality}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Beaver County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Cities in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1868]]