Conestoga, Pennsylvania

Conestoga, Pennsylvania
Census-designated place
Hess House, built 1811
Conestoga Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Conestoga Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°56′26″N76°20′46″W / 39.94056°N 76.34611°W / 39.94056; -76.34611
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Lancaster
Township	Conestoga
Area [1]
• Total	2.08 sq mi (5.39 km2)
• Land	2.08 sq mi (5.38 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	500 ft (200 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	1,163
• Density	560.21/sq mi (216.25/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	17516
FIPS code	42-15584
GNIS feature ID	1172302 [3]

Conestoga (Pennsylvania German : Kanneschtooge) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,163. ^[4] The Conestoga post office serves ZIP code 17516.

History

Conestoga refers to the Conestoga people, the English name for the Susquehannock who had inhabited the area before European settlement. The name is thought to have been derived from kanastoge meaning "at the place of the immersed pole." ^[5]

The name was also used for the Conestoga River which forms the northern boundary of Conestoga Township, and for Conestoga Manor, a large tract of land reserved by William Penn that was located north of the river in what is now Manor Township. Conestoga also referred to a succession of Susquehannock settlements located within Conestoga Manor. In 1763, the last of these settlements was destroyed and its inhabitants massacred by the Paxton Boys, a vigilante group of Scotch-Irish settlers from Lancaster County. ^[6]

The town of Conestoga Centre in Conestoga Township was laid out in 1805 by John Kendig who had been operating a tavern at this location since 1790. By 1815, eleven families were living there. A tax list from 1815 lists John Kendig, Sr., John Kendig Jr., Martin Kendig, Magdalene Ponper, Adam Brady, Cornelius Conrad, John Carry, Theophilus Dunning, Solomon Falk, Catherine Grummel, and Jacob Yentzer. ^[7]

The headquarters of Turkey Hill Dairy, a food company specializing in iced teas and dairy products that was founded in 1931, has a Conestoga mailing address. It is located 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Conestoga in Manor Township.

The area was in the national news in 2001 when President George W. Bush held a photo opportunity at the Safe Harbor power station ^[8] 4 miles (6 km) southwest of Conestoga.

Geography

Conestoga is in southwestern Lancaster County, in the eastern part of Conestoga Township. It is situated between the Conestoga River to the northwest and Pequea Creek to the southeast. It is 7 miles (11 km) south-southwest of Lancaster, the county seat, and 3 miles (5 km) northeast of the Susquehanna River.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Conestoga CDP has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), of which 0.004 square miles (0.01 km²), or 0.22%, are water. ^[9]

Demographics

At the 2020 census there were 1,163 people across 487 total housing units in the CDP with an occupancy rate of 99%. 907 were 18 years and over, making up 78% of the population. The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4%. ^[10]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	1,258		—
2020	1,163		−7.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [11] [4] [2]

Photo gallery

• 
  House on Main Street in Conestoga, Pennsylvania, located next to the Hess House which was built in 1811
• 
  House on Main Street in Conestoga, Pennsylvania, located near the Hess House which was built in 1811

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
2. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Conestoga
4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
5. Donehoo, George P. (1928). Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania: with Numerous Historical Notes and References. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The Telegraph Press.
6. Martin, Darvin L. "A History of Conestoga Indiantown". Digital Paxton. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
7. Zurn, Adam. "A Brief History of Conestoga Township". Uncharted Lancaster. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
8. Remarks at the Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation in Conestoga, Pennsylvania - Transcript
9. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Places: Pennsylvania". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
10. "USA Census 2020 Redistricting Census Designated Places (CDPs) Map Viewer". www.arcgis.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
11. "Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Conestoga CDP, Pennsylvania". data.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 22, 2020.