Lightstreet is a census-designated place (CDP) in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. According to the 2020 census, the population of Lightstreet was 1,098. The CDP is part of the Bloomsburg-Berwick micropolitan area. The name Lightstreet comes from a street in Baltimore.
History
Lightstreet was first named Williamsburg. The community was planned in 1817 by Phillip Seidle. By 1821, six people lived in the area. A gristmill was built in Lightstreet in 1823. It was rebuilt in 1868 by Peter Ent. Samuel L. Bettle built another gristmill south of the first mill in 1825. A post office was built near the northern gristmill by Matthew McDowell. Both gristmills used water from Fishing Creek to operate. There were also two iron furnaces in Lightstreet. One furnace was built in 1845. The community also had two distilleries and a tannery.
The name of the community was changed to Lightstreet in 1844 by Marmaduke Pearce. Today, Lightstreet is home to the Lightstreet Little League Baseball Academy, which is ranked among the top teams in Pennsylvania each year. The Lightstreet baseball teams provide the main source of players for Central Columbia High School's Varsity squad.
Geography
Lightstreet is located near the geographic center of Columbia County at 41°2′35″N 76°25′15″W / 41.04306°N 76.42083°W / 41.04306; -76.42083 (41.042946, -76.420829). It is located in the northern part of Scott Township, and a small part extends north into Orange Township. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.99 square miles (2.56 km²), of which 0.97 square miles (2.52 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²), or 1.37%, is water.
Lightstreet is about 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Bloomsburg via Pennsylvania Route 487 and is east of Fishing Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River. Interstate 80 passes 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the community, with access from Exit 236 on PA 487. Most of the eastern section of Lightstreet is farmland, and most of the western part is a residential area.
Demographics
According to the 2000 census, the CDP had 881 people, 405 households, and 255 families. The population density was 1,098.5 people per square mile (424.1 per square kilometer). There were 430 housing units, with an average density of 536.2 units per square mile (207.0 per square kilometer). The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.09% White, 0.45% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race made up 0.34% of the population.
Out of the 405 households, 22.7% had children under 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder without a husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. Thirty-three point six percent of all households included only one person, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.18 people, and the average family size was 2.76 people.
The population was distributed as follows: 20.0% were under 18 years old, 6.2% were between 18 and 24 years old, 22.0% were between 25 and 44 years old, 25.9% were between 45 and 64 years old, and 25.9% were 65 years or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 78.9 males.
The median household income in the CDP was $29,375, and the median family income was $50,208. Males had a median income of $25,417, and females had a median income of $25,313. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,071. None of the families and 6.1% of the population lived below the poverty line, including no individuals under 18 years old and 8.3% of those over 64 years old.