Derry, originally known as Derry Station, was created in 1852 to serve the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was named after the village on PA Route 982 originally known as Derry and now known as New Derry. The original "Derry" in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania was named after the city Derry in Northern Ireland, because the area’s first non-Indian inhabitants were Scotch-Irish. Derry was ideally suited for major railroad facilities because of its ready access to water from McGee Run 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. Derry was incorporated as a borough on October 22, 1881. Also, Derry served as the terminal for Pittsburgh commuter trains until 1964, when the Pennsylvania Railroad ceased operating its commuter service. The annual Railroad Days Festival serves to remind residents of Derry's railroading heritage. Little remains of Derry's railroading boom, although some might notice an unused railroad right-of-way that extends from Derry westward to 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 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 and Greensburg. 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 also linked by the Westmoreland County Railway Company which was an interurban operating from 1904 to 1932. 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
Heraldry of the 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. Finally, the lower banner motto resonates the strong foundation of community reserved for the families that call the borough home as well as an acknowledgment to the great country that the borough resides in. Overall, the crest portraits a very noble ideal of community, heritage, charity and endless love for God in the face of danger.
Geography
Derry is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water.
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,688 people, 1,235 households, and 824 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,696.5 people per square mile. There were 1,317 housing units at an average density of 1,627.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 99.00% White, 0.64% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.07% from other races, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or 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 married couplesliving 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
James Patterson, Tony Award–winning actor.
Herbert Boyer, chemist and co-founder of Genentech
William Julius Wilson, American sociologist
SFC Earl Filmore, U.S Army, Killed in action, Battle of Mogidishu 1993
