Formed: As a borough Oct. 9, 1865

Location: Western Westmoreland County, 20 miles east of Downtown Pittsburgh; Penn covers 0.27 of a square mile and is accessed primarily by Routes 30, 130 and 993

Population: 422 (estimated June 2008, U.S. Census)

Government: Mayor-council

Mayor: Jeffrey A. Darragh

Median price of a home: $57,900 after the first quarter of 2010, up from $29,474 a year earlier

Municipal phone, website: 724-527-6540, www.pennboro.org

School district: Penn-Trafford, 724-744-4496, www.penntrafford.org

History: Penn is very small community that faced a large challenge about a year ago: cleaning up and repairing damage from flooding from the severe storms of June 17.

The area that would become the borough was laid out in 1859 by J. H. Oliver and the Penn Gas Coal Co. and was incorporated six years later. Some residents balked at the incorporation, which was upheld in court.

The Pennsylvania Railroad and coal mining fueled the borough's growth during the latter half of the 19th century. Coal, prevalent throughout Western Pennsylvania at that time, was taken from Foster Mine in Penn from about 1860 into the 1880s. It was owned by Foster Coal & Iron Co. of Penn, which was later acquired by Westmoreland Coal Co. of Irwin.

The rail line, now owned by Amtrak, connects Pittsburgh with New York City.

Penn also is home to a distribution center owned by Lee-Thompson-Fawcett Co., which markets Bell View food products.

One of the big events every year is the Penn Borough Volunteer Fire Department's Community Days, which will be June 9-12.

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