Newfoundland, Pennsylvania

Newfoundland (/njˈfndlənd/ new-FOWND-lənd) is a village in Dreher Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is most famously known as host to the Greene-Dreher-Sterling Fair every Labor Day weekend.[7]

Newfoundland, Pennsylvania
Village of Newfoundland
Old-fashioned, two-story building, with white and orange paint. A sign on the front of the building reads "ELLA C. EHRHARDT GENERAL STORE."
The historic Ella C. Ehrhardt General Store[1] in Newfoundland.
Map of Pennsylvania, with county borders indicated. A red dot in the upper right-hand corner is labeled "Newfoundland, Pennsylvania."
Map of Pennsylvania, with county borders indicated. A red dot in the upper right-hand corner is labeled "Newfoundland, Pennsylvania."
Newfoundland
Newfoundland's Location within Pennsylvania.
Map of Pennsylvania, with county borders indicated. A red dot in the upper right-hand corner is labeled "Newfoundland, Pennsylvania."
Map of Pennsylvania, with county borders indicated. A red dot in the upper right-hand corner is labeled "Newfoundland, Pennsylvania."
Newfoundland
Newfoundland (the United States)
Coordinates: 41°18′26″N 75°17′12″W / 41.30722°N 75.28667°W / 41.30722; -75.28667
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
U.S. Congressional DistrictPA-8
School DistrictWallenpaupack Area
CountyWayne
Magisterial District22-3-01[2]
TownshipDreher
Settled1829[3]
Founded byDaniel Stroud[3]
Elevation
1,312[4] ft (400 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight (EDT))
ZIP code
18445[5]
Area code570
GNIS feature ID1182395[4]
FIPS code42-127-19864[6]-53552[4]
Major Roads
WaterwaysKresswood Lake, Wallenpaupack Creek (East Branch)
A sign welcoming commuters to Newfoundland and the surrounding areas.

Newfoundland is also host to an annual fireman's picnic and parade every 4th of July weekend. Promised Land State Park is close to the village.

Geography

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Newfoundland is located along the East Branch of the Wallenpaupack Creek, which feeds into Lake Wallenpaupack to the north. It is about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Education

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Newfoundland is home to the South Elementary School, which falls under the purview of the Wallenpaupack Area School District. South Elementary currently serves students grades K through 5.

Services

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Two emergency services are headquartered in Newfoundland: the Greene-Dreher Volunteer Fire Association[8] and the Newfoundland Area Ambulance Association.[9] They both provide coverage for the village and surrounding Dreher Township, in addition to portions of adjoining Lehigh and Sterling Townships in Wayne County, as well as parts of Greene, and Palmyra Townships in Pike County, Pennsylvania, and Coolbaugh Township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Dreher Township's municipal building is located in Newfoundland.

Transportation

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Major roads in Newfoundland include PA 507, PA 191, and PA 447. Neighboring villages are Greentown, Pennsylvania; Sterling, Pennsylvania; Tafton, Pennsylvania; and Hamlin, Pennsylvania.

Notable people

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  • Johnny "Onionhead" Eng⁣ — Hong Kong-born triad leader, Eng's estate was confiscated by the FBI
  • Hyung Jin Moon⁣ — Son of late founder of the Unification Church, Sun Myung Moon, and South Korean-American pastor and co-founder of local Unification Church sect 'World Peace and Unification Sanctuary'.
  • Michael Schoeffling — Schoeffling is a retired actor and model who played Jake Ryan in 1984's Sixteen Candles and was in several other classic movies. He currently lives here with his wife and two children, and owns a woodworking shop.

Controversy

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On February 28, 2018, the town was host to a commitment ceremony held by World Peace and Unification Sanctuary, where hundreds of worshippers wearing bullet crowns clutching unloaded and zip-tied AR-15 rifles drank holy wine and exchanged or renewed wedding vows, prompting a nearby school to cancel classes due to safety concerns.

References

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  1. ^ "Ella C. Ehrhardt General Store". Wayne County Historical Society. 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  2. ^ "District Magistrate". Wayne County, PA. Wayne County Courthouse. 2014. Archived from the original on 27 November 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Dreher Township". Wayne County Historical Society. 2014. Archived from the original on December 13, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "Newfoundland". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. August 2, 1979. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  5. ^ "Look up a ZIP Code". USPS.COM. USPS. 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  6. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000. "Census Demographic Profiles, Dreher Township" (PDF). CenStats Databases. Retrieved December 13, 2014.[dead link]
  7. ^ Eustice, Amanda. "Greene Dreher Sterling fair celebrating 105 years". Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  8. ^ "Greene-Dreher Volunteer Fire Association". Greene-DreherFire.Org. Greene-Dreher Volunteer Fire Association. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  9. ^ "Newfoundland Area Ambulance". Facebook. Facebook, Inc. October 31, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.