Member Spotlight Archive

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Celebrating 150 years of civic pride
Published September 2013

This year marks the sesquicentennial of New Wilmington Borough. The town was established in 1797-98 and was officially named a half-borough in 1863, later becoming a full borough in 1873.

Now 150 years later since being named a half-borough, New Wilmington is a long-established scenic escape. With a population of less than 2,500, New Wilmington emanates small-town warmth. It is known for Amish countryside and nostalgic farms. Unique shops and restaurants add to the charm of the community.

While events have been held throughout 2013 to celebrate the milestone birthday of the Borough, Sesquicentennial Festival “150 FEST” was held Sept. 7-8. This two-day festival featured entertainment, food, games, arts and crafts, parade, and car show to commemorate 150 years.

Quaint and quiet
The town boasts an extremely low crime rate and exudes a calm atmosphere. Located in Pennsylvania’s Lawrence County, New Wilmington is nestled between Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Erie with Pittsburgh about an hour south, and Cleveland and Erie both less than 100 miles away.

Popular New Wilmington events include the annual Firemen’s Auction, Business Expo, and Light up the Diamond Night and Parade in December. Traditionally held in September, the Firemen’s Auction attracts visitors and buyers from across the United States.

The Borough Park is a beloved family-friendly destination and features a pool, picnic pavilion, tennis and basketball courts, playground and more.

Westminster College, home of the Titans, is also located in New Wilmington. Founded in 1852, the college ranks first in the nation as “Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” according to Forbes.com.

Local and reliable services
New Wilmington operates all of its utility services. The borough owns the distribution lines and infrastructure for its electric, water and sewer.

As a member of AMP, New Wilmington participates in a number of AMP programs and projects that assist in providing reliable energy and other benefits to the community and its citizen-owners. These include:

  • Blue Creek Wind Farm, a 314-MW wind farm in northwest Ohio that helps diversify AMPs pool of resources providing power to members
  • Landfill Gas Energy, a mixture of gases produced by decomposing garbage and collected by a series of pipes for use in diesel generator units (landfill gas-to-energy sites directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions)
  • Mutual Aid, a network of municipal electric systems that assist each other when utility emergencies occur that are too widespread to be handled by one system alone
  • Pennsylvania AMP Service Group (PASG)

For more information, please visit www.nwboro.com.