Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Conshohocken is a borough on the Schuylkill River
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town
and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial
and residential development. It is commonly referred to by its colloquial nickname, Conshy.
The name 'Conshohocken' comes from 'Gueno-sheiki-hacking', meaning 'Pleasant Valley' in the native language of the Lenape
tribe of the area's native Americans who first occupied the land over 300 years ago.
In 1940, a New York Times columnist noted lightheartedly that "Some of the residents of Conshohocken, Pa. are concerned because Kitty Foyle's father, in Christopher Morley's novel "Kitty Foyle
" (Lippincott), uses the name of their town as a swear word. Others think that it may help advertise the town. One thing is sure—it makes a rattling good cuss-word."
The sister community of West Conshohocken is located across the Schuylkill.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), of which, 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.97%) is water.
..
As of the census
of 2000, there were 7,589 people, 3,329 households, and 1,834 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 7,720.4 people per square mile (2,989.9/km²). There were 3,518 housing units at an average density of 3,578.9 per square mile (1,386.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 89.88% White, 7.77% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 3,329 households out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $43,599, and the median income for a family was $50,601. Males had a median income of $36,299 versus $30,541 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $22,128. About 4.2% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
Population in 1890, 5470; in 1900, 5762; in 1910, 7480.
form of government with a mayor
and a seven-member borough council. The mayor is Robert Frost.
Conshohocken was founded in 1830 and incorporated in 1850. In 1890, the population stood at 5,470; in 1900, 5,762; in 1910, 7,480; and in 1940, 10,776. The population was 7,589 at the 2000 census.
The borough is part of the Seventh Congressional District (represented by Rep. Pat Meehan
), the 148th State House District (represented by Rep. Mike Gerber) and the 17th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Daylin Leach
).
One ward in Conshohocken sits in the 6th congressional district (Congressman Jim Gerlach)
Business History
Businesses that influenced the past and helped to create the present day Borough
Alan Wood Steel Company
Lower Merion Histoical Society picture of Alan Wood Jr.
. The main one
officially located at Washington and Harry Streets, and the other at Spring Mill
at the end of East North Lane, south of Hector Street.
.
Conshohocken Fire Chief Robert Phipps referred to the fire as "one of the worst we've had" in the history of the borough. Furthermore, Phipps explained that there were 86 fire companies on site battling the inferno. The amount of the damage is unknown, but it is estimated by property owner J. Brian O'Neill to be between $50 million and $80 million. The cause of the fire is believed to be related to an acetylene torch which ignited at the nearby construction site. An investigation is ongoing.
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and residential development. It is commonly referred to by its colloquial nickname, Conshy.
The name 'Conshohocken' comes from 'Gueno-sheiki-hacking', meaning 'Pleasant Valley' in the native language of the Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
tribe of the area's native Americans who first occupied the land over 300 years ago.
In 1940, a New York Times columnist noted lightheartedly that "Some of the residents of Conshohocken, Pa. are concerned because Kitty Foyle's father, in Christopher Morley's novel "Kitty Foyle
Kitty Foyle (novel)
Kitty Foyle, subtitled The Natural History of a Woman, is a 1939 novel by Christopher Morley. A bestseller in 1939 and 1940, it was adapted as a popular 1940 film....
" (Lippincott), uses the name of their town as a swear word. Others think that it may help advertise the town. One thing is sure—it makes a rattling good cuss-word."
The sister community of West Conshohocken is located across the Schuylkill.
Geography
Conshohocken is located at 40°4′38"N 75°18′7"W (40.077135, -75.302009).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 borough has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), of which, 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.97%) is water.
..
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the borough was 88.7% White, 6.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.8% Asian, and 1.7% were two or more races. 3.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA#locality-tab.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 7,589 people, 3,329 households, and 1,834 families residing in the borough. 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 7,720.4 people per square mile (2,989.9/km²). There were 3,518 housing units at an average density of 3,578.9 per square mile (1,386.0/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 89.88% White, 7.77% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.49% 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 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 3,329 households out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% 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, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the borough the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $43,599, and the median income for a family was $50,601. Males had a median income of $36,299 versus $30,541 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 borough was $22,128. About 4.2% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
Population in 1890, 5470; in 1900, 5762; in 1910, 7480.
Politics and History
Conshohocken has a city managerCity manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
form of government with a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and a seven-member borough council. The mayor is Robert Frost.
Conshohocken was founded in 1830 and incorporated in 1850. In 1890, the population stood at 5,470; in 1900, 5,762; in 1910, 7,480; and in 1940, 10,776. The population was 7,589 at the 2000 census.
The borough is part of the Seventh Congressional District (represented by Rep. Pat Meehan
Pat Meehan
Patrick Leo "Pat" Meehan is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing since January 3, 2011. The district includes most of Delaware County and parts of Chester and Montgomery Counties...
), the 148th State House District (represented by Rep. Mike Gerber) and the 17th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Daylin Leach
Daylin Leach
Daylin Leach is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 17th senatorial district since 2009. He was previously a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 149th district from 2003 to 2009.-Biography:Leach graduated from Parkland High...
).
One ward in Conshohocken sits in the 6th congressional district (Congressman Jim Gerlach)
Business History
Businesses that influenced the past and helped to create the present day Borough
Alan Wood Steel Company
Lower Merion Histoical Society picture of Alan Wood Jr.
Transportation
Conshohocken is served by two SEPTA regional railroad stations, both of which are along the Manayunk/Norristown LineManayunk/Norristown Line
The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to the Elm Street station in Norristown, Montgomery County.-Route:...
. The main one
Conshohocken (SEPTA station)
Conshohocken is a station located along the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line. The station, located at Washington and Harry Streets in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, includes a 95-space parking lot...
officially located at Washington and Harry Streets, and the other at Spring Mill
Spring Mill (SEPTA station)
Spring Mill is a station located along the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line. The station is officially located at Station Avenue near Hector Streets in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, but in reality is located across from the dead end of East North Lane, which is south of Hector Street. It has a...
at the end of East North Lane, south of Hector Street.
Education
Residents of Conshohocken are served by the Colonial School DistrictColonial School District (Pennsylvania)
The Colonial School District covers the Borough of Conshohocken and Plymouth Township and Whitemarsh Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania...
.
Riverwalk Fire
On Wednesday, August 13, 2008, at approximately 4:53 PM a fire started at a building site under construction adjacent to the Riverwalk Millennium apartments in Conshohocken, which consisted of 5 different buildings. The building under construction did not have a sprinkler system yet in place, allowing the fire to spread rapidly. Because of the intense radiant heat only a few feet away, the attics of buildings one and four of the Riverwalk Millenium Complex caught fire. The incident became an 8-alarm blaze which destroyed three of the five apartment buildings. No one was killed as a result of the fire, although several firefighters were treated for minor injuries, and some residents' pets were lost in the blazes.Conshohocken Fire Chief Robert Phipps referred to the fire as "one of the worst we've had" in the history of the borough. Furthermore, Phipps explained that there were 86 fire companies on site battling the inferno. The amount of the damage is unknown, but it is estimated by property owner J. Brian O'Neill to be between $50 million and $80 million. The cause of the fire is believed to be related to an acetylene torch which ignited at the nearby construction site. An investigation is ongoing.