Loretto, Pennsylvania

Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Loretto, Pennsylvania

Borough

The main house, cascades, and gardens of "Immergrün", Charles M. Schwab's retreat in Loretto

Location of Loretto in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.

Loretto

Coordinates: 40°30′23″N 78°38′10″W﻿ / ﻿40.50639°N 78.63611°W﻿ / 40.50639; -78.63611
Country| United States
State| Pennsylvania
County| Cambria
Settled| 1788
Incorporated| 1845
Government

• Type| Borough council
Area

[1]

• Total| 0.98 sq mi (2.55 km2)
• Land| 0.98 sq mi (2.55 km2)
• Water| 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation

[2]

| 1,952 ft (595 m)
Population

(2020)[3]

• Total| 1,196
• Density| 1,215.45/sq mi (469.48/km2)
Time zone| UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)| UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code|

15940

Area code| 814
FIPS code| 42-44704
GNIS feature ID| 1215028[2]

Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,302.[4] Like the rest of Cambria County, it is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. Loretto is the home of Saint Francis University.

## Geography

[edit]

Loretto is located in east-central Cambria County at 40°30′23″N 78°38′10″W﻿ / ﻿40.50639°N 78.63611°W﻿ / 40.50639; -78.63611 (40.506355, -78.636066).[5] It is 6 miles (10 km) east of Ebensburg, the Cambria County seat, and 17 miles (27 km) west of Altoona. Johnstown is 25 miles (40 km) to the southwest.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough of Loretto has a total area of 0.97 square miles (2.5 km2), all land.[4]

Saint Francis University, an institute of higher learning with an enrollment of 2,210,[6] occupies the southwestern quadrant of the borough.

Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel

## History

[edit]

Loretto was founded in 1799 by Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin as the first English-speaking Catholic settlement west of the Allegheny Front. He named it after the town of Loreto, Italy,[7] site of a Catholic place of pilgrimage. Loretto was built adjoining the original settlement founded by Captain Michael McGuire, a Revolutionary War veteran, in 1788.[8] In his will, Captain McGuire donated land to the Catholic Church on which Prince Gallitzin built St. Michael's Church in 1799.

Federal Correctional Institution, Loretto, is a U.S. federal prison located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) southeast of Loretto, on the site of a former Catholic seminary.

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1850| 193| | —
1860| 256| | 32.6%
1870| 280| | 9.4%
1880| 280| | 0.0%
1890| 236| | −15.7%
1900| 240| | 1.7%
1910| 246| | 2.5%
1920| 422| | 71.5%
1930| 352| | −16.6%
1940| 504| | 43.2%
1950| 863| | 71.2%
1960| 1,338| | 55.0%
1970| 1,661| | 24.1%
1980| 1,395| | −16.0%
1990| 1,072| | −23.2%
2000| 1,190| | 11.0%
2010| 1,302| | 9.4%
2020| 1,196| | −8.1%
Sources:[9][10][11][3]

At the 2000 census there were 1,190 people, 133 households, and 82 families living in the borough. The population density was 1,167.3 people per square mile (450.7 people/km2). There were 153 housing units at an average density of 150.1 per square mile (58.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.39% White, 2.52% African American, 0.50% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26%.[10]

There were 133 households, 21.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 27.8% of households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.20.

The age distribution was 5.5% under the age of 18, 71.6% from 18 to 24, 8.7% from 25 to 44, 7.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% 65 or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 70.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.8 males. The median household income was $30,357 and the median family income was $40,750. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $7,125. About 2.7% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

## Notable people

[edit]

* Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, Apostle of the Alleghenies
* Charles M. Schwab, industrialist

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Loretto, Pennsylvania
3. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
4. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Loretto borough, Pennsylvania". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
6. ^ About Saint Francis University Archived 2007-07-26 at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 190.
8. ^ Adams, Edmund (1989). Catholic Trails West: Founding Catholic Families of Pennsylvania, volume 2. Baltimore: Gateway Press. p. 354\. ISBN 0806312122.
9. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
10. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
11. ^ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Saint Francis University

* v
* t
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Municipalities and communities of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States

County seat: Ebensburg

City|

* Johnstown

Boroughs|

* Ashville
* Brownstown
* Carrolltown
* Cassandra
* Chest Springs
* Cresson
* Daisytown
* Dale
* East Conemaugh
* Ebensburg
* Ehrenfeld
* Ferndale
* Franklin
* Gallitzin
* Geistown
* Hastings
* Lilly
* Lorain
* Loretto
* Nanty Glo
* Northern Cambria
* Patton
* Portage
* Sankertown
* Scalp Level
* South Fork
* Southmont
* Summerhill
* Tunnelhill‡
* Vintondale
* Westmont
* Wilmore

Townships|

* Adams
* Allegheny
* Barr
* Blacklick
* Cambria
* Chest
* Clearfield
* Conemaugh
* Cresson
* Croyle
* Dean
* East Carroll
* East Taylor
* Elder
* Gallitzin
* Jackson
* Lower Yoder
* Middle Taylor
* Munster
* Portage
* Reade
* Richland
* Stonycreek
* Summerhill
* Susquehanna
* Upper Yoder
* Washington
* West Carroll
* West Taylor
* White

CDPs|

* Beaverdale
* Belmont
* Belsano
* Blandburg
* Colver
* Dunlo
* Elim
* Elmora
* Emeigh
* Jamestown
* Mundys Corner
* Nicktown
* Oakland
* Parkhill
* Revloc
* Riverside
* St. Benedict
* St. Michael
* Salix
* Sidman
* Spring Hill
* Twin Rocks
* University of Pittsburgh Johnstown
* Vinco
* Westwood

Other
communities|

* Coupon
* Dean
* Elton
* Fallentimber
* Flinton
* Frugality
* Kaylor
* Marsteller
* Mineral Point
* Mountaindale
* Oil City
* Saint Boniface

Former communities|

* Barnesboro
* Cambria City
* Conemaugh
* Minersville
* Moxham

* Spangler

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* Pennsylvania portal
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Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
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Other|

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