Loretto, Pennsylvania

Loretto, Pennsylvania
Borough
The main house, cascades, and gardens of "Immergrün", Charles M. Schwab's retreat in Loretto
Loretto
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Cambria
Settled	1788
Incorporated	1845
Government
• Type	Borough council
Area
• Total	0.96 sq mi (2.48 km2)
• Land	0.96 sq mi (2.48 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,929 ft (588 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	1,302
• Density	1,360/sq mi (525.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	15940
Area code(s)	814

Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,302. 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

Loretto is located in east-central Cambria County at (40.506355, -78.636066). 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 United States Census Bureau, the borough of Loretto has a total area of 0.97 square miles (2.5 km²), all of it land.

Saint Francis University, an institute of higher learning with an enrollment of 2,210, occupies the southwest quadrant of the borough.

History

Loretto was founded in 1799 by Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin as the first English-speaking Roman Catholic settlement west of the Allegheny Front. He named it after the town of Loreto, Italy, 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. 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

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
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%
Est. 2014	1,308		0.5%
Sources:

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,190 people, 133 households, and 82 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,167.3 people per square mile (450.5/km²). There were 153 housing units at an average density of 150.1 per square mile (57.9/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% of the population.

There were 133 households, out of which 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 all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 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% who were 65 years of age 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 income for a household in the borough was $30,357, and the median income for a family 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

• Charles M. Schwab, industrialist

External links

• Saint Francis University