Houtzdale, Pennsylvania


Houtzdale is a borough in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 797 at the 2010 census. Houtzdale is often referred to as Houtzdale Borough, Houtzdale, or "the Borough".

Houtzdale Borough Seal

The Great Seal of the Houtzdale Borough is its official marking. The seal can only be applied to items that the borough expressly approves, such as Borough sent correspondence, official documents, etc. The seal represents several important pieces of information about the Borough, including the county and state, as well as the name of the borough. These pieces of information are written around the outer circle of the seal. In the center of the seal is a standard shield for government entities in Pennsylvania. The shield, eagle, and images depicted in and around them, come from the Seal of Pennsylvania. The Borough Secretary is the keeper of the great Seal, and has the duty of authenticating government documents, and proclaiming new law as enacted through its use. The seal had no obverse markings, unlike the state seal which does.

History

Houtzdale is named after Dr. Daniel Houtz, the original owner of the town site.
The town was built quickly in the late 19th century and is structured on a square grid plan. Focused mainly on the railroad and Coal industry, the town served as a hub for the railroad which made its way onto Ramey and Madera to the West.
Currently Houtzdale is seeing a decline in residence and a rise in vacant lots and blighted structures. However, in recent years a redevelopment and revitalization plan has been drafted by the Borough Council.

Key To The City

Houtzdale in 2019 introduced the Key to the City award for outstanding members of the Houtzdale Community and surrounding area. Although the Borough is not a city, the council thought that there needed to be some award for acts of good that are done in the borough. The award was given prior to 2019, however there was no official stance by the council to use this award often. The award was given twice in the first year, and the council looks forward to seeing it given more often. The award can be given to one person or a group of people, however only one key is presented to the recipient whether it be a group or single individual.
NameDate
Previous Awards
Houtzdale Dollar General Store
2019
Aaron WonderlingMay 5, 2019
Members of the Houtzdale Legion Honor GuardJuly 25, 2019

Covid-19 Pandemic Effects and Timeline

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 caused pandemic, also known as the Coronavirus disease 2019, reached the central Pennsylvania area late in its progression throughout the state.
Though the pandemic is still affecting the area, the new "yellow phase" has allowed many businesses in the Borough that were previously closed to reopen. The Borough Council however is continuing to watch the pandemic closely to ensure the safety of Borough residents and visitors.

Government

The Borough Council consists of 7 members, who are elected in the general elections. They serve four year terms with seats coming available every 2 years. There are no wards within the borough so each member serves the people in an at large position.
The Council is currently headed by President Jessie Lamison and Vice-President James Love. Other members include Micheal Tomko, James Twoey, Lanny Shaffer, Merle Hayward, and Zachary Bloom.
NameElected or AppointedCouncil Member SinceNumber of TermsStart Year of Current TermSeat up for Election
Zachary BloomElected2016220182021 to start 2022
James TwoeyElected2014220182021 to start 2022
James LoveElected2007420202023 to start 2024
Merle HeywoodElected2012320202023 to start 2024
Jesse LamisonElected2012320202023 to start 2024
Lanny ShafferElected2014220182021 to start 2022
Mike TomkoElected2014220182021 to start 2022

Mayors

The town also has an elected mayor. This position is mainly ceremonial at the current time due to lacking responsibilities. The position is a four year term. The position is currently held by Izen Lingenfelter who was elected in 2019 for a term starting January 2020.
Prior to an unknown date, it is believed that the title of "Chief Burgess" was used instead of "Mayor." From the minutes and ordinances of the Borough, it seems as though the position and duties of the Chief Burgess were similar if not identical to today's position and duties of the Mayor.

Mayoral Election of 2017

In the primary election of 2017, incumbent Camille "Bud" George was voted onto the November General Election ballot. On September 1st of that year, Mr. George passed away at the age of 89. The proximity of his passing to the General Election meant that the Council had little to no time to remove his name from the ballot. It was due to this that on November 7, his name appeared as an option. When all the votes were counted, Camille George had a narrow winning margin, thus a problem arose. There were however two write-in campaigns which had taken place. Robert Hanna and John Bumbarger had both placed there hat in the ring by standing at the polling place on election day. Between these two individuals, Robert Hanna had the most votes. In the event that a mayoral seat is not filled, the Pennsylvania Borough Code allows for the Borough Council to appoint someone to the position. Since Robert Hanna had come in second only to Camille George, it was decided by Council that he should take the seat. Council Member Zachary Bloom was quoted as saying, "We saw a lot of people pay tribute to the memory of Mr. George. We also saw the people choose the new mayor, in our opinion, by voting like they did for Mr. Hanna." The council appointed Robert Hanna by unanimous vote in 2018.
NameFromTo
P. J. McCullogh≈1872Unknown*
**
C. P. SauppUnknown1899
S. T. Gleason1900Unknown
Chas W. MartinUnknownMid 1906
John J. GormanMid 1906Mid 1908
***

*There is a gap in the record here due to a lack of completed historical research to accurately pinpoint who was the Chief Burgess in the years between 1872 and 1899.
**The word "Unknown" has been placed where a lack of completed historical research leaves no start or end date.
***This table is still being edited to reflect the list of chief burgesses
NameElected or AppointedFromToNumber of Terms
*
Colleen LutchkoElected2012
Camille "Bud" GeorgeElected201320171
Robert HannaAppointed201820191**
Izen LingenfelterElected2020-1

*This table is still being edited to reflect the list of mayors
**Appointed seats can only serve for a maximum of two years, meaning the seat went up for election again in November 2019 Election

Geography

Houtzdale is located in southeastern Clearfield County at . It is bordered to the north by the borough of Brisbin. Pennsylvania Route 53 passes through Houtzdale, leading east to Osceola Mills and west to Glen Hope. Pennsylvania Route 153 leads north from Houtzdale to Clearfield, the county seat, and south via PA 453 to Tyrone.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Houtzdale has a total area of, all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 941 people, 380 households, and 275 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,682.2 people per square mile. There were 432 housing units at an average density of 1,231.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 99.57% White, 0.21% Native American, and 0.21% from two or more races.
There were 380 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $29,219, and the median income for a family was $33,309. Males had a median income of $27,039 versus $20,438 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $14,177. About 9.3% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people