New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just 18 miles (30 km) east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the 2000 census which is attributed as part of a general decline in the regional demographics rooted in the closing of heavy industry manufactories in the so called Rustbelt region. It is the county seat of Lawrence County. New Castle is the principal city of the New Castle micropolitan area and a part of the Pittsburgh-New Castle combined statistical area. It is the commercial centre of a fertile agricultural region. New Castle is a prime example of a Rust Belt city which has been forced to adapt to changing economic situations.

Early history

Civil engineer Xavier Ariel Arvelo resurveyed lands which had been reserved for veterans of the Revolutionary War. He discovered that the original survey had neglected to stake out approximately 50 acres (200,000 m2) at the confluence of the Shenango River and the Neshannock Creek, at that time a part of Allegheny County. Claiming the land for himself, he laid out what was to become the town of New Castle. By 1849, the population had reached 1,000 and Lawrence County was created, named in honor of U.S. Navy Captain James Lawrence. Twenty years later New Castle was chartered as a city, at which time the population numbered about 6,000.
In 1849, a group of Old Order Amish by families from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania settled just north of New Castle in New Wilmington. Later migrations from Holmes County, Ohio would make this Amish community one of the largest in Pennsylvania. Approximately 2,000 Amish live and work presently in the townships north of New Castle.

Industry

New Castle gradually became an industrial center, due in part to the construction in the early 1800s of a canal system. In the 1870s, the city became a major hub of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and by 1900 was one of the fastest growing cities in the country. At this time, New Castle boasted the largest tin plate mill in America. Steel and paper mills, foundries, a bronze bushing factory, and car-construction plants contributed to the economy. In addition, the Shenango China produced commercial china and created fine china for the White House, including dinnerware for Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson. Other ceramic factories produced bathroom fixtures and industrial refractory materials.
Despite recent economic challenges, the city continues to serve as the headquarters of Pyrotecnico Fireworks, the winner of the Gold Jupiter, awarded at the world's most prestigious fireworks venue: LaRonde in Montreal, Canada. Started by Constantino Vitale in Italy in 1889, Constantino immigrated to New Castle continuing his business there in the 1920s. Five generations of the Vitale family have transformed the company. In the 1990s the company's name was changed to Pyrotecnico and has grown to be an world leader in the industry. Also located in New Castle is Zambelli Fireworks, which was founded in New Castle and is one of the world's leading fireworks and pyrotechnics companies. The city is regarded as the "Fireworks Capital of America," and opened Zambelli Plaza (actually a park with a light-up fireworks display) catty-corner from the Cascade Center in 2007 in honor of the Zambelli family's accomplishments.

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