Editing New Kensington, Pennsylvania

{{More citations needed|date=May 2023}}
{{for|the neighborhood in Philadelphia|Kensington, Philadelphia}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}}
<!-- Infobox begins !-->
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = New Kensington, Pennsylvania
| settlement_type    = [[Borough]]
| image_skyline      = New Kensington, Pennsylvania (8483279988).jpg
| imagesize          =
| image_caption      = Downtown New Kensington in 2012
| image_flag         =
| image_seal         =
| nickname           =
| motto              =
| image_map          = File:Westmoreland County Pennsylvania Incorporated and Unincorporated areas New Kensington Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            =
| map_caption        = Location in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]]
| pushpin_map        = Pennsylvania#USA
| pushpin_label      = New Kensington
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| coordinates        = {{coord|40|34|6|N|79|45|30|W|region:US-PA|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Pennsylvania]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania|Westmoreland]]
| established_title  = Incorporated
| established_date   = Nov 26, 1892
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Thomas D. Guzzo (D)
| 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_magnitude     =
| area_total_km2     = 11.03
| area_total_sq_mi   = 4.26
| area_land_km2      = 10.23
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.95
| area_water_km2     = 0.81
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.31
| area_water_percent =
| area_urban_km2     =
| area_urban_sq_mi   =
| area_metro_km2     =
| area_metro_sq_mi   =
| elevation_m        = 338.3
| elevation_ft       = 1110
| population_total   = 12170
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_km2 = 1189.84
| population_density_sq_mi = 3081.79
| population_est     =
| pop_est_as_of      =
| pop_est_footnotes  =
| population_urban   =
| population_metro   =
| population_note    =
| postal_code_type   = ZIP code
| postal_code        = 15068,15069
| area_code          = [[Area code 724|724]], [[Area code 878|878]]
| website            = http://newkensingtononline.com
| footnotes          = 
| timezone           = Eastern
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = Eastern
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 42-53736
| name               =
| population_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly" />
| blank_name_sec1    = [[School District]]
| blank_info_sec1    = [[New Kensington-Arnold School District|New Kensington-Arnold]]
}}

'''New Kensington''' (known locally as '''New Ken''') is a city in [[Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]], United States. The population was 12,170 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. It is situated along the [[Allegheny River]] {{convert|18|mi|km}} northeast of [[Pittsburgh]] and is part of the [[Greater Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh metropolitan area]].

==History==
Like much of Westmoreland County and surrounding areas, the region was a hunting ground for American Indians of the [[Iroquois Confederacy|Six Nations]]. White settlement began in the mid-1700s. Continental army troops built Fort Crawford, near the mouth of [[Pucketa Creek]], in 1777. The fort was abandoned in 1793.

Originally part of Burrell (and later Lower Burrell) Township, the city of New Kensington was founded in 1891. In 1890, the Burrell Improvement Company considered the advantages of the level land south of its home in [[Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania|Lower Burrell]], and deemed it a prime location for a city and named the area "Kensington"; this was later changed to "New Kensington" for postal reasons, to avoid confusion with the [[Kensington, Philadelphia|Philadelphia neighborhood]] of the same name.

In an attempt to make New Kensington comparable to Pittsburgh, the streets were named with numbers. Avenues ran parallel to the river, while streets were perpendicular. The main commercial streets were 4th and 5th avenues.

Once the land was surveyed, a public sale was held on June 10, 1891. Thousands of people flooded the area and investors began bringing industry with them. The first large company was the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, which later became [[Alcoa]]. It acquired a {{convert|3.5|acre|m2|adj=on}} property that allowed the company to utilize the riverfront. The Alcoa facility remained operational until 1971.

Eventually, other companies such as Adams Drilling, Goldsmith and Lowerburg, New Kensington Milling, New Kensington Brewing, Logan Lumber, Keystone Dairy, and many more were built late in the 19th century and continuing into the early 20th century. Early achievements included a railroad station, the 9th Street bridge, a passenger boat that navigated the Allegheny River, a street car line that ran to [[Natrona, Pennsylvania|Natrona]] via the [[West Penn Railways]], the ''Kensington Dispatch'' newspaper, a fire department, hotel, opera house, and a local chapter of the [[YMCA]]. New Kensington annexed the independent borough of Parnassus in 1939.

In 1941, New Kensington became the site of a modern workers' housing project—named the [[Aluminum City Terrace]]—designed by [[Marcel Breuer]] and [[Walter Gropius]], which set new standards for federal housing design. Breuer and Gropius ascribed to the famous [[Bauhaus]] School of Design in Germany. Intended for Alcoa defense workers, it was subsequently used to rehouse displaced residents from other parts of the city. In 1948, tenants from the Terrace decided to purchase the housing project from the U.S. government to form a co-op, managed by a board of directors, elected by representatives from the 250 units. Relatively low-cost monthly fees continue to cover the costs of running the Terrace.

Today, New Kensington contains the neighborhoods of Parnassus, Mount Vernon, Valley Heights, Valley Camp, Pine Manor, and 40 Acres.

The [[New Kensington Downtown Historic District]], [[New Kensington Production Works Historic District]], and [[Mount St. Peter Roman Catholic Church]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Climate==
New Kensington has a [[humid continental climate]] (Köppen ''Dfa'') climate, with cold, snowy winters, and warm to hot summers.

{{Weather box
| location = New Kensington, Pennsylvania (Acmetonia Lock 3) 1991–2020 Normals (Temperature records 1978–Present, Precipitation 1905–Present)
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 67
| Feb record high F = 75
| Mar record high F = 79
| Apr record high F = 87
| May record high F = 94
| Jun record high F = 97
| Jul record high F = 101
| Aug record high F = 96
| Sep record high F = 95
| Oct record high F = 89
| Nov record high F = 74
| Dec record high F = 67
| year record high F = 101
| Jan high F = 35.8
| Feb high F = 39.6
| Mar high F = 48.6
| Apr high F = 61.8
| May high F = 71.8
| Jun high F = 79.2
| Jul high F = 83.2
| Aug high F = 81.9
| Sep high F = 75.5
| Oct high F = 63.5
| Nov high F = 51.4
| Dec high F = 41.6
| year high F = 61.2
| Jan mean F = 27.6
| Feb mean F = 30.3
| Mar mean F = 38.1
| Apr mean F = 49.9
| May mean F = 60.2
| Jun mean F = 68.4
| Jul mean F = 72.7
| Aug mean F = 71.2
| Sep mean F = 64.6
| Oct mean F = 53.1
| Nov mean F = 41.6
| Dec mean F = 33.6
| year mean F = 50.9
| Jan low F = 19.4
| Feb low F = 20.9
| Mar low F = 27.5
| Apr low F = 37.9
| May low F = 48.5
| Jun low F = 57.5
| Jul low F = 62.2
| Aug low F = 60.5
| Sep low F = 53.7
| Oct low F = 42.6
| Nov low F = 31.7
| Dec low F = 25.5
| year low F = 40.7
| Jan record low F = -6
| Feb record low F = -9
| Mar record low F = 0
| Apr record low F = 20
| May record low F = 29
| Jun record low F = 40
| Jul record low F = 49
| Aug record low F = 39
| Sep record low F = 39
| Oct record low F = 30
| Nov record low F = 11
| Dec record low F = 0
| year record low F = -9
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.38
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.87
| Mar precipitation inch = 3.68
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.70
| May precipitation inch = 3.91
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.45
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.54
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.56
| Sep precipitation inch = 4.18
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.32
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.26
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.66
| year precipitation inch = 44.51
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 18
| Feb precipitation days = 14
| Mar precipitation days = 13
| Apr precipitation days = 13
| May precipitation days = 13
| Jun precipitation days = 11
| Jul precipitation days = 10
| Aug precipitation days = 9
| Sep precipitation days = 10
| Oct precipitation days = 11
| Nov precipitation days = 12
| Dec precipitation days = 15
| year precipitation days = 142
| source 1 = NOAA<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ctp |title=NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |accessdate=2021-05-11}}</ref>
| source =
| width =
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=right
|1900= 4665
|1910= 7707
|1920= 11987
|1930= 16762
|1940= 24055
|1950= 25146
|1960= 23485
|1970= 20312
|1980= 17660
|1990= 15894
|2000= 14701
|2010= 13116
|2020= 12170
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="Census1960">{{cite web|title=Number of Inhabitants: Pennsylvania|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/17216604v1p40ch02.pdf|work=18th Census of the United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Census1990">{{cite web|title=Pennsylvania: Population and Housing Unit Counts|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-40.pdf|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref><ref name="CensusPopEst">{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=November 25, 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|df=mdy-all}}</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 2000 census,<ref name="GR2" /> there were 14,701 people, 6,519 households, and 3,963 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|3,703.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 7,309 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,841.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 87.85% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 9.84% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.12% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.23% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.37% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.58% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.72% of the population.

There were 6,519 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were [[marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.

The population distribution by age was: 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,505, and the median income for a family was $37,952. Males had a median income of $32,692 versus $21,683 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $16,152. About 8.5% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Infrastructure and organizations==
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2024}}
[[File:New Kensington, Pennsylvania (8482192537).jpg|thumb|United Presbyterian Church Of New Kensington]]
New Kensington maintains its own public works, fire department, police force, emergency rescue team, and water authority. Recreational facilities operated by the city include Memorial and Masa Harbison parks. People's Library of New Kensington offers [[public library]] services. Public transportation is provided by the [[Port Authority of Allegheny County]] and [[Westmoreland County Transit Authority]]. The Westmoreland County Housing Authority administers the Kensington Manor, East Ken Manor, and Valley Manor [[public housing]] projects within the city limits.

There are over thirty churches representing several denominations throughout the city.

Two radio stations, [[WMNY]] and [[WBZZ]], are both licensed to New Kensington, and serve the Pittsburgh radio media market.

Since the 1970s, the city's downtown has been plagued by high vacancy rates. Starting in 2008, the New Kensington Redevelopment Authority moved to condemn and demolish abandoned commercial and residential properties. The city has also instituted a Weed and Seed urban renewal program, and provided tax abatement to businesses located or opened in designated Keystone Opportunity Zones.

==Education==
The city is served by the [[New Kensington–Arnold School District]], with facilities at [[Valley High School (New Kensington, Pennsylvania)|Valley High School]], Valley Middle School, H. D. Berkey Intermediate School; and Greenwald Memorial, Fort Crawford, and Martin elementary schools. Budget shortfalls forced the closure of Greenwald Memorial and Fort Crawford in 2015. Valley Middle School was renamed Roy A Hunt Elementary. Greenwald Memorial, sold by the school district to the Roman Catholic diocese of Greensburg, became the new location of St. Josephs School.

[[Parochial school]]s include Mary Queen of Apostles and Harvest Baptist Academy (K–12). Former Catholic parochial schools, now consolidated, include: Mount St. Peter, St. Mary, and St. Joseph.

A branch campus of [[Pennsylvania State University]] was established in New Kensington in 1958. Since 1966, it has been located in suburban [[Upper Burrell Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Burrell Township]], but retains the name ''Penn State New Kensington''. In 2008, a satellite campus of [[Westmoreland County Community College]] opened in downtown New Kensington.

==In popular culture==
New Kensington is featured in [[P.O.D.]]'s "Youth of the Nation" [[music video]]. The [[Pennsylvania Route 56|PA Route 56]] Arnold directional sign is visible as the car in the video travels eastbound over the 9th Street Bridge, also known as the [[C.L. Schmitt Bridge]].

The city was also one of the filming locations for the movie ''[[Dogma (film)|Dogma]]'', starring [[Ben Affleck]] and [[Matt Damon]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120655/locations|title=Dogma (1999)|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref>

==Notable people==<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
* [[Eddie Adams (photographer)|Eddie Adams]], photographer and [[photojournalist]]
* [[Orlando DiGirolamo]], musician
* [[Anthony Breznican]], journalist and writer
* [[Rachel Carson]], [[marine biologist]], writer, and [[conservation movement|conservationist]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chatham.edu/mission-and-values/sustainability/rachel-carson.html |title=Rachel Carson |publisher=Chatham University}}</ref>
* [[Toney Clemons]], former professional [[American football]] [[wide receiver]]
* [[Ray DiPalma]], poet and [[visual artist]]
* [[Carmen Gentile]], journalist, author, and public speaker
* [[Corey Graves]], [[WWE]] commentator and former wrestler
* [[Jeffrey A. Hart]], academic
* [[Stephanie Kwolek]], [[chemist]] who is known for inventing [[Kevlar]]
* [[Lenita Lane]], stage and film actress
* [[William Thomas McKinley]], [[composer]] and jazz pianist
* [[Greg Meisner]], former professional American football [[defensive lineman]]
* [[Skyy Moore]], professional American football wide receiver for the [[Kansas City Chiefs]]
* [[Elaine Noble]], American politician and LGBT activist, Massachusetts House of Representatives
* [[Louie Pessolano]], professional American football player
* [[Fannie Sellins]], trade union and workers' rights leader
* [[Sam Tamburo]], professional American football [[defensive end]]
* [[Willie Thrower]], professional American football [[quarterback]]; first African American quarterback to be in the NFL in the modern era
* [[Charles Haskins Townsend]], zoologist
* [[Andrea Velis]], operatic tenor with the [[Metropolitan Opera]]
* [[Joe Zaleski]], [[Canadian football]] player and coach

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Parnassus PA Presby PHS445.jpg|Parnassus Presbyterian Church on an old postcard
File:Thaddeus M. Fowler - New Kensington, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania 1896.jpg|New Kensington in 1896, seen in a lithograph by [[Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of crossings of the Allegheny River]]
* [[Mount St. Peter Church]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{official|http://www.newkensington.org }}
* {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=New Kensington|short=x}}

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

[[Category:New Kensington, Pennsylvania| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Cities in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania]]