Conyngham, Pennsylvania

History

The Lehigh-Susquehanna Turnpike traveled through the middle of modern-day Main Street in Conyngham, and at least one of the tollgates was situated near the village. In 1815 Redmond Conyngham served a term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing Luzerne County, and in 1820 served a term in the State Senate.

Captain Gustavus Conyngham was a cousin of Redmond Conyngham. He was an unsung hero of the Revolution. He commanded a privateer and was the first to carry the American flag into the English Channel.

Conyngham Village was named in honor of Captain Conyngham. As the story has been told by Henry Martens on Conyngham, Pa., the townspeople suggested naming the village after Redmond Conyngham, but he replied that the town should be named in honor of his cousin, Gustavus, who frequently made trips to England to obtain military supplies for revolutionary colonists, of which he was one.

The first settler (late 1700's) of Conyngham was George Drum who served in the American Revolution and was elected justice of the peace in 1811, based in Conyngham. His son; George 2nd, grandson; George W. Drum (elected 1860 and also elected as Pa. state legislator from 1879-1882), and great grand daughter; Susan (Drum) Walters, were also elected justices of the peace (Lucerne County) based in Conyngham, up until when Susan died in 1973. ... from 1811 to1973. George Drum was an entrepreneurial businessman and was a large landowner who also owned the Drums Hotel, a shoe shop, tavern, and the Drums Post Office. He and his family developed the adjacent village of Drums, Pennsylvania, of which the village is named after the family, along with helping the development of Conyngham.. Drums is a sister village to Conyngham. The George Drum residence remains standing in impeccable condition on Conyngham's Main Street after over two centuries and is noted in the Conyngham history book there.

On April 10, 1826, President John Quincy Adams appointed Jacob Drumheller to his first term as Conyngham's postmaster. Drumheller was also a businessman, owning a hotel, harness shop, tailor shop, a store, several town lots and a farm. In fact, he built the first building business enterprise that became the town of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The year 1828 saw a new postmaster in Conyngham by the name of William Drum - a son of George Drum 1st. The earliest copies of contracts for delivering mail from Easton, Pa. to Beaver Meadows covers five years of Drum's tenure in office.

The Sugarloaf Massacre of September 11, 1780, was one of a series of bloody engagements fought in the frontier of northeastern Pennsylvania between Iroquois (allies of British troops) and settlers loyal to the cause of American independence. Today, this event is commemorated by a historic monument with a bronze plaque bearing the names of the fifteen men who lost their lives during the massacre.

Geography

Conyngham is located at 40°59′24″N 76°3′42″W (40.990051, -76.061655).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,958 people, 793 households, and 574 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,834.8 people per square mile (706.5/km²). There were 817 housing units at an average density of 765.6 per square mile (294.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.40% White, 0.05% African American, 2.25% Asian, and 0.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72% of the population.

There were 793 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% 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 2.95.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $48,529, and the median income for a family was $59,083. Males had a median income of $49,732 versus $22,226 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,352. About 2.1% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 1.1% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

Conyngham has a town park called Whispering Willows. At the park there is also a community pool owned by the Conyngham Valley Civic Organization (CVCO). The Hazleton Area Library, Conyngham Branch, is also located nearby. In the Conyngham area there are also numerous farmers markets.

Restaurants and food

The Brass Buckle Restaurant and bar was built circa 1805 and once known as the Conyngham Hotel was built/owned by Redmond Conyngham is located on the main street of the borough and serves Modern Mexican food. Valley Pizza & Subs and Vincenzo's are known for their pizza and sub selections.