Manheim was laid out by Henry William Stiegel in 1762 on a land tract in Rapho Township, Pennsylvania, though it wasn't incorporated until 1838. He set out to build an industrial empire and founded the Manheim Glassworks. After financial failure, he was forced to sell the development in 1775. After several failed attempts at resurrecting the Manheim Glassworks, it closed in 1780. The first railroad train came into Manheim on January 1, 1862, with the completion of the first division of the Columbia and Reading Railroad. In 1884, another forward step was the laying of water pipes and the beginning of service by the Manheim Electric Company, which set up a plant in Bomberger's Mill at the end of Mill Street.
Geography
Manheim is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of, all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,784 people, 1,989 households, and 1,362 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,416.7 people per square mile. There were 2,075 housing units at an average density of 1,481.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 96.38% White, 0.63% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population. There were 1,989 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $41,855, and the median income for a family was $46,987. Males had a median income of $33,961 versus $21,792 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,276. About 4.1% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Public services
The Manheim Community Library located on the second floor at 15 East High Street is a member of the Library System of Lancaster County. In early 2018, the Manheim Community Library announced its intention to move into a new building on the campus of Pleasant View Retirement Community in Penn Township by the end of 2019.
Just south of Manheim in neighboring Penn Township is the World's Largest Auto Auction. The Manheim Auto Auction is located on Route 72 with many daily visitors. It is open for business every Friday. The Manheim Community Farm Show is held the first week of every October at the Memorial Park. Root's Country Market & Auction, open year-round each Tuesday, is the oldest single family-run country market in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, located just south of Manheim. Kreider Farms, a large dairy and egg producer located within and around Manheim, offers a popular farm tour in which visitors can watch the agribusiness's approximately 1,700 cows being milked.
, born in Manheim, authored several works depicting Lancaster County. Her I Lift My Lamp is a historical novel about the early settlement of the County, Henry William Stiegel and his glassworks in Manheim, a Mennonite Eby family, and the Ephrata Cloister. The woodblock print artist William S. Rice was born in Manheim, and depicted the town in several of his works.
