Editing Derry, Pennsylvania

{{use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
:''There are also four [[Derry Township, Pennsylvania (disambiguation)|Derry Township]]s in [[Pennsylvania]].''
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Derry, Pennsylvania
| other_name               = 
| native_name              = 
| nickname                 = 
| settlement_type          = Borough
| motto                    = "Family, Town & Country"<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.derryborough.org/|title=Borough of Derry, Pennsylvania|publisher= Borough of Derry, Pennsylvania|access-date=August 10, 2012}}</ref>
| image_skyline            = Mossback Park.gif
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Derry's Mossback Park on South Chestnut Street in Derry, Pennsylvania
| image_flag               = 
| flag_size                = 
| image_seal               = Derry Borough Crest.jpg
| seal_size                = 
| shield_size              = 
| image_blank_emblem       = 
| blank_emblem_size        = 
| pushpin_map              = Pennsylvania
| pushpin_label_position   = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption      = 
| pushpin_mapsize          = 
<!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Pennsylvania]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland]]
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = Borough Council
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = Mayor
| leader_name1             = Grant Nicely
| leader_title2            = 
| leader_name2             = 
| leader_title3            = 
| leader_name3             = 
| leader_title4            = 
| leader_name4             = 
| established_title        = Settled
| established_date         = 1852
| established_title1       = Incorporated
| established_date1        = October 22, 1881
| area_magnitude           = 
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{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|accessdate=October 12, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 2.06
| area_land_km2            = 2.00
| area_water_km2           = 0.06
| area_total_sq_mi         = 0.80
| area_land_sq_mi          = 0.77
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.02
| area_water_percent       = 
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_note          = 
| population_total         = 2639
| population_density_km2   = 1320.00
| population_density_sq_mi = 3418.39
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = -5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -4
| coordinates              = {{coord|40|19|59|N|79|18|04|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 
| elevation_ft             = 1171
| postal_code_type         = [[Zip Code]]
| postal_code              = 15627
| area_code                = [[Area code 724|724]], [[Area code 878|878]]
| website                  = [http://www.derryborough.org Borough of Derry, Pennsylvania]
| footnotes                = 
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 42-18960
| image_map                = File:Westmoreland County Pennsylvania Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Derry Highlighted.svg
| map_caption              = Location of Derry in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]] (left) and of Westmoreland Township in [[Pennsylvania]] (right)
| name                     = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
}}

'''Derry''' is a [[borough (Pennsylvania)|borough]] in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]] in [[Pennsylvania]], {{convert|45|mi|km}} east of [[Pittsburgh]]. The Borough of Derry, consisting of the town area, should not be confused with [[Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Derry Township]], which is a separate municipality surrounding the borough. The population was 2,637 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="USCensusEst2020-2021">{{cite web |title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020—2021 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=July 26, 2022}}</ref>

==History==

===19th century===
Originally known as Derry Station, the borough was created in 1852 to serve the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]]. It was named after the village on [[Pennsylvania Route 982|PA Route 982]] originally known as Derry and now known as New Derry (even though it is older than the community being discussed here).<ref name="RobertsBook">{{cite book | last = Roberts| first = Charles S. | title = Triumph I: Altoona to Pitcairn: 1846-1996 | publisher = Barnard, Roberts, and Co., Inc. | year = 1997 | location = Baltimore, Maryland | pages = 279–285 | isbn = 0-934118-23-X}}</ref> The original "Derry" in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland County]], [[Pennsylvania]], was named after the City of [[Derry]] in [[Ulster]], the northern [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] in [[Ireland]], because the area’s first non-[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] inhabitants were [[Scotch-Irish American|Scotch-Irish]].

Derry was ideally suited for major railroad facilities because of its ready access to water from McGee Run (essential in the era of steam locomotives) and because it sits atop a slight summit along the railroad right-of-way. In Derry's heyday in the late 1800s, it had four hotels, mainly to serve railroad workers, as well as a roundhouse for locomotive maintenance and a massive railroad yard.<ref name="RobertsBook"/> Derry was incorporated as a borough on October 22, 1881.<ref name="PHMC">{{cite web|url=http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/Bah/dam/counties/pdfs/Westmoreland.pdf |title=Westmoreland County (Dates of incorporation of municipalities) |access-date=2008-08-08 |publisher=Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Derry-pennsylvania-downtown.jpg|thumb|Derry downtown business district]]
[[File:Derry Station PA 1900 BEye View.jpg|thumb|An aerial view of Derry Station in 1900]]
Derry served as the terminal for Pittsburgh commuter trains until 1964, when the Pennsylvania Railroad ceased operating its commuter service. Railroad Days Festival, held annually, serves to remind residents of Derry's railroading heritage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.derryborough.org |title=Borough of Derry |access-date=2008-08-08 |date=2008-07-11 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Little remains of Derry's railroading boom, although some might notice an unused railroad right-of-way that extends from Derry westward to [[Pennsylvania Route 981|PA Route 981]], running slightly north but parallel to the currently-used railroad tracks. This was an ill-fated project known as the Derry-Donohoe-[[Jeannette, Pennsylvania|Jeannette]] bypass, in which the Pennsylvania Railroad attempted to build a new main line that would avoid the curves and slopes of the existing main line, bypassing [[Latrobe, Pennsylvania|Latrobe]] and [[Greensburg, Pennsylvania|Greensburg]].<ref name="RobertsBook"/>  Construction of the bypass began in the 1920s, including a large trestle near Bradenville, but the new route was never completed.

Derry and Latrobe were linked by the Westmoreland County Railway Company, which was an [[interurban]] operating from 1904 to 1932.<ref>{{cite book | last = Muller | first = Edward K. |author2=Ronald C. Carlisle |author3=Christine Davis |author4=Carmen DiCiccio |author5=Gary Fitzsimons |author6=Kenneth D. Rose  | title = Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites | publisher = America's Industrial Heritage Project, [[National Park Service]] | year = 1994 | location = Washington, DC | pages = 331–332}}</ref>

A helicopter crash into a crowd assembled for a festival at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Derry killed eight people and injured 18 others on Labor Day, 1978.   The railroad crossing in downtown Derry has also been the site of other fatal accidents.

==Crest==
The center of the crest is adorned with [[St. George’s Cross]].  [[St. George]] was a martyr, one of the most famous in Christendom, and is noted for refusing many bribes and offerings to renounce his faith. He also gave all of his possessions and holdings to the poor. The heart, in the upper left corner of the cross, is sectioned with a bar rising up that signifies love for [[God]].

The lower part of the shield is draped with noble ermine as a backdrop for the two charges that respectfully represent community values and Derry’s rich railroad heritage. The railroad theme is carried on at the top of the design with a crest emblazoned with the borough’s name and establishment date. The decorative foliage around the design is tinted blue for loyalty and gold for generosity. The tincture also represents the local school’s colors and the borough’s commitment to youth and education. The lower banner motto resonates the strong foundation of community reserved for the families that call the borough home and an acknowledgment of the greatness of the country in which Derry is located. The crest portraits a very noble ideal of community, heritage, charity and endless love for God in the face of danger. The crest was designed by Borough Councilman Richard L. Allison (Rick) and enthusiastically approved by the Derry Borough Council as the official crest of Derry, PA. In communication with the [[Mayor of Derry]], located in [[County Londonderry]], in present-day Northern Ireland and in the province of Ulster, it was adjusted to incorporate the importance of railroading in the borough’s growth and how it came to be the largest employer in the borough until the 1950s.

==Geography==
Derry is located at {{coord|40|19|59|N|79|18|4|W|type:city}} (40.333037, -79.301011).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Censusu Bureau]], the borough has a total area of {{convert|0.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|0.8|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}}  (2.41%) is water.

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Derry has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=801263&cityname=Derry%2C+Pennsylvania%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Derry, Pennsylvania]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 755
|1890= 1968
|1900= 2347
|1910= 2954
|1920= 2889
|1930= 3046
|1940= 3003
|1950= 3752
|1960= 3426
|1970= 3338
|1980= 3072
|1990= 2950
|2000= 2991
|2010= 2688
|2020= 2637
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="USDecennialCensus">{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=May 21, 2021}}</ref><ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=CensusPopEst>{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=June 11, 2013}}</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|accessdate=Oct 12, 2022}}</ref>
}}
As of the 2010 census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 2,688 people, 1,235 households, and 824 families residing in the borough. The population density was {{convert|3,696.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,317 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,627.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the borough was 99.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.64% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.03% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.07% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.27% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.47% of the population.

There were 1,235 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the borough was $29,785, and the median income for a family was $37,585. Males had a median income of $28,641 versus $21,929 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the borough was $15,671. About 10.4% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[Herbert Boyer]], chemist and co-founder of [[Genentech]]
*[[James Patterson (actor)|James Patterson]], [[Tony Award]]–winning actor
*[[William Julius Wilson]], American sociologist and [[Harvard University]] professor

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.derryborough.org Derry Borough]

{{Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania}}
{{Pittsburgh Metro Area}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:1852 establishments in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Boroughs in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1852]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Scotch-Irish American culture in Pennsylvania]]