New Carlisle was originally known as Bourissa Hills.[5] This was named after Lazarus Bourissa, a Potawatamie graduate of the Carey Mission who had been granted this section of land by the treaty that moved most of the Potawatamie to the west. It was platted under the name of New Carlisle, by Richard Risley Carlisle, who had come from Philadelphia, in 1835.[5] The New Carlisle post office has been in operation since 1837.[6]
The Indiana Enterprise Center, a mega-sized industrial park located in New Carlisle, was the subject of a popular 2020 documentary film called "Prime Farmland". IMDB.
New Carlisle is home to the Honeysuckle solar generating station. The 188 MWdc thousand-acre solar project entered service in 2024.[8][9]
Geography
According to the 2020 census, New Carlisle has a total area of 2.23 square miles (5.78 km2), all land.[10]
As of the census[12] of 2010, there were 1,861 people, 719 households, and 520 families living in the town. The population density was 890.4 inhabitants per square mile (343.8/km2). There were 795 housing units at an average density of 380.4 per square mile (146.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.0% White, 0.8% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.
There were 719 households, of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.7% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the town was 36.1 years. 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,505 people, 608 households, and 403 families living in the town. The population density was 820.3 inhabitants per square mile (316.7/km2). There were 633 housing units at an average density of 345.0 per square mile (133.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.01% White, 0.47% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population.
There were 609 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,542, and the median income for a family was $45,147. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $22,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,597. About 4.1% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
New Carlisle is home to three of five schools in the New Prairie United School Corporation. New Prairie High School has an enrollment of approximately 875 students and is one of 27 high schools that received exemplary status according to the scores of the 2006 ISTEP tests. It is the only school in LaPorte, Elkhart, and Marshall counties to receive this honor. The other schools in New Carlisle that are part of the NPUSC are New Prairie Middle School, and Olive Township Elementary School.
The town has a lending library, the New Carlisle-Olive Township Public Library.[13]
Transportation
The South Shore Line had a New Carlisle stop until 1994,[14] when a number of stations with low ridership were eliminated from its schedule. Today, the closest South Shore Line station is located in the next door Hudson Lake, an unincorporated town in LaPorte County. The closest Amtrak station is located in South Bend, Indiana. While the South Bend public transit system served the town in the past, this has not been the case in decades.
There are several churches in New Carlisle. The New Carlisle United Methodist Church is located at 300 E Compton Street in New Carlisle. They have a food pantry and do many outreach activities throughout the year. The Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God is located just south of New Carlisle at 32787 Early Road. The monastery, in the care of Mother Macrina, is under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America.
Media
Prancer (1989) had scenes filmed in New Carlisle.[15]
