Buckingham Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Buckingham Township is a township in Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 20,075 at the 2010 census. Buckingham takes its name from Buckingham
in Buckinghamshire
known as Bucks County in England. Buckingham Township was once known as Greenville and was once the historic county seat of the English Bucks County.
In Buckingham and the Buckingham area, there are many important yet little known historical landmarks. One is Bogarts Tavern (now the General Greene Inn), on the corner of Route 413 (Durham Road) and Route 263 (Old York Road). It was from this building that General Nathanael Greene
, commander of George Washington
's left wing during the Battle of Trenton
, made his headquarters during the winter of 1776.http://www.buckinghampacivic.org/History.htm
, the township has a total area of 33.1 square miles (85.7 km²), of which, 33.1 square miles (85.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.06%) is water. It is drained by the Delaware River
and its villages include Bridge Valley, Buckingham, Buckingham Valley, Forest Grove, Furlong (also in Doylestown Township,) Highton (also in Solebury Township,) Holicong, Lahaska, Mechanicsville, Mozart, Pineville (also in Wrightstown Township,) and Wycombe
(also in Wrightstown Township.)
Buckingham Township is home to a gravity hill
, on Buckingham Mountain near Mount Gilead African Methodist Episcopal Church.http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~strone01/gravity.html
As of the census
of 2000, there were 16,442 people, 5,711 households, and 4,694 families residing in the township. The population density
was 497.0 people per square mile (191.9/km²). There were 5,861 housing units at an average density of 177.2/sq mi (68.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.75% White, 1.04% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races
, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population. Shane P. Simon, author of "The Prophecy" lives in Buckingham Township.
There were 5,711 households out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.8% were married couples
living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $82,376, and the median income for a family was $90,968. Males had a median income of $71,649 versus $42,973 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $35,735. About 2.4% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 20,075 at the 2010 census. Buckingham takes its name from Buckingham
Buckingham
Buckingham is a town situated in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The town has a population of 11,572 ,...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
known as Bucks County in England. Buckingham Township was once known as Greenville and was once the historic county seat of the English Bucks County.
In Buckingham and the Buckingham area, there are many important yet little known historical landmarks. One is Bogarts Tavern (now the General Greene Inn), on the corner of Route 413 (Durham Road) and Route 263 (Old York Road). It was from this building that General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
, commander of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's left wing during the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
, made his headquarters during the winter of 1776.http://www.buckinghampacivic.org/History.htm
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 33.1 square miles (85.7 km²), of which, 33.1 square miles (85.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.06%) is water. It is drained by the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
and its villages include Bridge Valley, Buckingham, Buckingham Valley, Forest Grove, Furlong (also in Doylestown Township,) Highton (also in Solebury Township,) Holicong, Lahaska, Mechanicsville, Mozart, Pineville (also in Wrightstown Township,) and Wycombe
Wycombe, Pennsylvania
Wycombe is an unincorporated community mainly in Wrightstown Township but also in Buckingham Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States...
(also in Wrightstown Township.)
Buckingham Township is home to a gravity hill
Gravity hill
A gravity hill, also known as a magnetic hill , is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope...
, on Buckingham Mountain near Mount Gilead African Methodist Episcopal Church.http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~strone01/gravity.html
Neighboring municipalities
- Solebury Township (northeast)
- Upper Makefield Township (east)
- Wrightstown Township (southeast)
- Warwick TownshipWarwick Township, Bucks County, PennsylvaniaWarwick Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,437 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 11.1 square miles , all of it land. It is drained by the Delaware River via the...
(south) - Doylestown Township (southwest and west)
- DoylestownDoylestown, PennsylvaniaDoylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
(west) - Plumstead Township (northwest)
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the township was 93.8% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.4% Asian, and 1.2% were two or more races. 2.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA.As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,442 people, 5,711 households, and 4,694 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 497.0 people per square mile (191.9/km²). There were 5,861 housing units at an average density of 177.2/sq mi (68.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.75% White, 1.04% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population. Shane P. Simon, author of "The Prophecy" lives in Buckingham Township.
There were 5,711 households out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $82,376, and the median income for a family was $90,968. Males had a median income of $71,649 versus $42,973 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $35,735. About 2.4% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Buckingham Township include:- Charles SkeltonCharles SkeltonCharles Skelton was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1855....
(1806–1879), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's 2nd congressional districtNew Jersey's Second Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Frank LoBiondo.-Counties and municipalities in the district:...
in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1851 to 1855. - Steve Garvey, English punk band BuzzcocksBuzzcocksBuzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
bassist, since 1993. - Michael VickMichael VickMichael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...