Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Doylestown is a borough
in Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
, 27 miles (43.5 km) north of Philadelphia
. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat
of Bucks County
.
) and Coryell's Ferry (New Hope
) (now U.S. Route 202
) and the road linking Philadelphia and Easton (now PA Route 611) - allowed the hamlet to blossom into a village. The first church was erected in 1815, followed by the establishment of a succession of congregations throughout the 19th century.
During the first decade of the 19th century discontent developed with the location of the county seat for Bucks County because Newtown
was not a central location. The more centrally located Doylestown became the county seat in 1813. An outgrowth of Doylestown's new courthouse was the development of "lawyers row", a collection of Federal-style offices. One positive consequence of early 19th century investment in the new county seat was organized fire protection, which began in 1825 with the Doylestown Fire Engine Company.
In 1838 the Borough of Doylestown was incorporated.
An electric telegraph station was built in 1846 and in 1856 a branch of the North Pennsylvania Railroad
was completed to Doylestown. The first gas lights were introduced in 1854. Because of the town's relatively high elevation and a lack of strong water power, substantial industrial development never occurred and Doylestown evolved to have a professional and residential character.
During the mid-nineteenth century several large tracts located east of the courthouse area were subdivided into neighborhoods. The next significant wave of development occurred after the Civil War
when the 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) Magill property to the southwest of the town's core was subdivided for residential lots.
In 1869 Doylestown established a water works. The first telephone line arrived in 1878, the same year that a new courthouse was erected. 1897 saw the first of several trolley lines connecting Doylestown with Willow Grove
, Newtown
and Easton
beginning operation. A private sewer system and treatment plant was authorized in 1903. The Borough took over and expanded sewer service to about three-quarters of the town in 1921.
In the early 20th century, Doylestown became best known to the outside world through the "Tools of the Nation-Maker" museum of the Bucks County Historical Society. Henry Chapman Mercer
constructed the reinforced poured concrete building in 1916 to house his collection of mechanical tools and utensils. Upon his death in 1930, Mercer also left his similarly constructed home Fonthill
and adjacent "Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
", to be operated as a museum. The home was left on the condition that his housekeeper be allowed to live there for the rest of her life. She lived there and gave tours until the mid nineteen-seventies.
By 1931, the advent of the automobile and improved highway service had put the last trolley line out of business and Doylestonians were forced to embrace the automobile as the primary means of travel within the region. The Great Depression took its toll, as many grand old houses constructed a century earlier fell into disrepair. During the 1930s, the Borough also expanded its land area to the north by admission of the tract known as the Doylestown Annex.
In the decade following World War II
, Doylestown's business community boomed. During the 1940s, streets were paved for the first time in two decades and parking meters were introduced downtown in 1948. However, the Borough's post-war housing boom did not begin in earnest until the 1950s, when 550 new homes were built. This housing boom continued into the 1960s and 1970s, as more than 1,600 new homes were built during those decades and the Borough's population grew from 5,917 in 1960 to 8,717 in 1980.
As with many small towns across the country, the growth of the post war decades also brought a new competitor to the downtown business district—the shopping mall. By the 1960s, the toll could be seen in Doylestown by the numerous vacant buildings and dilapidated storefronts in the center of town. The Bucks County Redevelopment Authority responded with a federal urban renewal scheme that called for the demolition of 27 historic buildings. The local business community objected to such wholesale clearance and responded with its own plan called Operation '64—the Doylestown Plan for Self-Help Downtown Renewal. This private initiative was successful in saving Doylestown's old buildings and historic character, while improving business at the same time. One historic landmark that could not be saved was the 80-year-old courthouse and clock tower, which was replaced by the present county complex in the early 1960s.
By the end of the 1980s, the downtown business district was again showing the toll of massive new competition from the latest wave of suburban shopping centers, as well as the recession that hit hardest in the northeastern states. In response, the Borough Council established a volunteer group of civic-minded representatives from business organizations, government, and the residential community to begin to formulate plans for the downtown area in 1992. This effort resulted in streetscape improvements composed of cast iron street lamps and brick pavers, facade improvements and other beautification efforts, and the establishment of a Main Street Manager Program.
As the 1990s progressed, the downtown rebuilt itself largely by turning to an out-of-town audience. Doylestown had long been respected as a bucolic tourist destination. The gentry of Philadelphia and New York maintained country estates in the area—including figures of the Manhattan theater and literary scenes—often summered there. The Mercer Museum, Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, and the local National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
brought a regular stream of short term visitors through the area as well. With charitable support, the art deco
County Theater was restored and reopened showing arthouse fare, and a new main library and art museum were built around the ruins of the old stone jail, across the street from Mercer's castle. An official "resort town" designation exempted the area from liquor licence caps and empty commercial space began to fill with a dense and vibrant nighttime scene of bars and restaurants.
This development goes hand in hand with the broader development of the region; as the Philadelphia metropolitan area expanded from southern into central Bucks County, the fields and farms of the communities around Doylestown quickly began to sprout housing developments. This development brought thousands of people to the area, but the neighborhoods created often lacked longstanding institutions or discernible centers. Doylestown, more centrally located than Delaware River border town, New Hope, PA, which had traditionally served this function, was able to position itself as the regional center of culture and nightlife.
, architect and archaeologist Henry Chapman Mercer
, lyricist and playwright Oscar Hammerstein II
, nobel-prize winning author Pearl S. Buck
, anthropologist Margaret Mead
, and pop-rock star Pink
. Other Doylestown notables include:
Molly Ephraim, actress
Doylestown Borough is home to three structures designed and built by Henry Chapman Mercer. The Mercer Museum
, a structure built in poured concrete, is the home to Mercer's collection of early American artifacts. It also houses a collection known as "Tools of the Nation Maker"¹, and is one of the most important collections of its kind in the world. The Bucks County Historical Society also maintains the Spruance Library, a research library, adjoining the museum. Fonthill (also known as "Mercer's Castle") was Mercer's home and houses his collection of artifacts from around the world. The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
is an operational facility utilizing the tools and techniques used by Pennsylvania German potters in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The former prison, across the street from the Mercer Museum, has been converted into the James A. Michener Art Museum
. The borough also boasts a small music conservatory, writers' and artists' organizations and other cultural activities.
Doylestown is also located near the Polish-American Roman Catholic shrine known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
, which houses a painting of the Black Madonna
of Częstochowa
, Poland
.
The Fountain House, a historic building, is located in Doylestown Borough.
. The Borough contains two elementary schools (Doyle Elementary and Linden Elementary) , one middle school (Lenape Middle School) and one high school (Central Bucks West
). Bucks County's regional educational service agency, Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22, is also located in the borough.
Doylestown Township, which is adjacent to the borough, contains Paul W. Kutz Elementary and also the campus of Delaware Valley College
, which is still primarily known as an agricultural and science school.
, the borough has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all of it land.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfb). However, it barely misses the criteria for a humid subtropical climate
(Köppen climate classification
Cfa) by .1°F, but for all intents and purposes may be classified as the latter for the sake of continuity with the surrounding areas. Doylestown also lies near the convergence point into the humid continental climate
region as the closest city with the latter, Easton, Pennsylvania
, is only 33 mi (53.1 km) to the north.
of 2000, there were 8,227 people, 3,952 households, and 1,908 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 3,822.5 people per square mile (1,477.4/km²). There were 4,055 housing units at an average density of 1,884.1 per square mile (728.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.24% White, 0.30% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races
, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population
There were 3,952 households out of which 19.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.7% were non-families. 44.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the borough the population was spread out with 16.5% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,148, and the median income for a family was $71,988. Males had a median income of $48,553 versus $31,703 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $32,249. About 2.5% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
of Regional Rail
. Doylestown Station
is the last stop.
, Willow Grove
, Abington
, and finally, the Olney Transportation Center
in Philadelphia. Locally, Doylestown is served by small public transportation system called the Doylestown DART (Doylestown Area Regional Transit). Not to be confused with DART First State
buses, Doylestown DART is a service of the Bucks County Transportation Management Association. Doylestown DART consists (as of March, 2006) of a single bus route. Often used by the elderly, it travels to various destinations in Doylestown, including department stores, pharmacies and restaurants. Doylestown is also connected to towns in New Jersey and New York City by Trans-Bridge Lines
.
, as the site of a minor league baseball game attended in 1957 by two of the episode's characters.
Doylestown is the location of M. Night Shyamalan's 2002 film "Signs". The location of the film is cited as "Bucks County, PA" in the film. Filming was done in a corn field that forms part of the campus of Delaware Valley College
.
King Man Productions' "Revenge of the Don" was filmed here in 2009 and premiered at the 2009 British Film Festival in Redondo Beach, California that same year.
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
in Bucks County
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...
, 27 miles (43.5 km) north of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Bucks County
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...
.
History
Doylestown's origins date to 1745 when William Doyle obtained a license to build a tavern on what is now the northwest corner of Main and State Street. Known for years as "William Doyle's Tavern", its strategic location at the intersection of the road linking Swede's Ford (NorristownNorristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
) and Coryell's Ferry (New Hope
New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the...
) (now U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
) and the road linking Philadelphia and Easton (now PA Route 611) - allowed the hamlet to blossom into a village. The first church was erected in 1815, followed by the establishment of a succession of congregations throughout the 19th century.
During the first decade of the 19th century discontent developed with the location of the county seat for Bucks County because Newtown
Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Newtown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2010 census. It is located just west of the Trenton, New Jersey metropolitan area, and is part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is entirely surrounded by Newtown Township, from which...
was not a central location. The more centrally located Doylestown became the county seat in 1813. An outgrowth of Doylestown's new courthouse was the development of "lawyers row", a collection of Federal-style offices. One positive consequence of early 19th century investment in the new county seat was organized fire protection, which began in 1825 with the Doylestown Fire Engine Company.
In 1838 the Borough of Doylestown was incorporated.
An electric telegraph station was built in 1846 and in 1856 a branch of the North Pennsylvania Railroad
North Pennsylvania Railroad
North Pennsylvania Railroad was a railroad company formed in 1855, and served Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania.-History:...
was completed to Doylestown. The first gas lights were introduced in 1854. Because of the town's relatively high elevation and a lack of strong water power, substantial industrial development never occurred and Doylestown evolved to have a professional and residential character.
During the mid-nineteenth century several large tracts located east of the courthouse area were subdivided into neighborhoods. The next significant wave of development occurred after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
when the 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) Magill property to the southwest of the town's core was subdivided for residential lots.
In 1869 Doylestown established a water works. The first telephone line arrived in 1878, the same year that a new courthouse was erected. 1897 saw the first of several trolley lines connecting Doylestown with Willow Grove
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Willow Grove is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A community in Philadelphia's northern suburbs, the population was 15,726 at the 2010 census. It is located in Abington Township and Upper Moreland Township...
, Newtown
Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Newtown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2010 census. It is located just west of the Trenton, New Jersey metropolitan area, and is part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is entirely surrounded by Newtown Township, from which...
and Easton
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
beginning operation. A private sewer system and treatment plant was authorized in 1903. The Borough took over and expanded sewer service to about three-quarters of the town in 1921.
In the early 20th century, Doylestown became best known to the outside world through the "Tools of the Nation-Maker" museum of the Bucks County Historical Society. Henry Chapman Mercer
Henry Chapman Mercer
Henry Chapman Mercer was an American archeologist, artifact collector, tile-maker and designer of three distinctive poured concrete structures: Fonthill, his home, the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, and the Mercer Museum.-Early life and education:Henry Mercer was born in Doylestown,...
constructed the reinforced poured concrete building in 1916 to house his collection of mechanical tools and utensils. Upon his death in 1930, Mercer also left his similarly constructed home Fonthill
Fonthill (house)
Fonthill was the home of the American archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Built between 1908 and 1912, it is an early example of poured-in-place concrete and features 44 rooms, over 200 windows, 18 fireplaces and 10 bathrooms...
and adjacent "Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
The Moravian Pottery & Tile Works is a history museum located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the County of Bucks, Department of Parks and Recreation. The museum was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and was later included in a National...
", to be operated as a museum. The home was left on the condition that his housekeeper be allowed to live there for the rest of her life. She lived there and gave tours until the mid nineteen-seventies.
By 1931, the advent of the automobile and improved highway service had put the last trolley line out of business and Doylestonians were forced to embrace the automobile as the primary means of travel within the region. The Great Depression took its toll, as many grand old houses constructed a century earlier fell into disrepair. During the 1930s, the Borough also expanded its land area to the north by admission of the tract known as the Doylestown Annex.
In the decade following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Doylestown's business community boomed. During the 1940s, streets were paved for the first time in two decades and parking meters were introduced downtown in 1948. However, the Borough's post-war housing boom did not begin in earnest until the 1950s, when 550 new homes were built. This housing boom continued into the 1960s and 1970s, as more than 1,600 new homes were built during those decades and the Borough's population grew from 5,917 in 1960 to 8,717 in 1980.
As with many small towns across the country, the growth of the post war decades also brought a new competitor to the downtown business district—the shopping mall. By the 1960s, the toll could be seen in Doylestown by the numerous vacant buildings and dilapidated storefronts in the center of town. The Bucks County Redevelopment Authority responded with a federal urban renewal scheme that called for the demolition of 27 historic buildings. The local business community objected to such wholesale clearance and responded with its own plan called Operation '64—the Doylestown Plan for Self-Help Downtown Renewal. This private initiative was successful in saving Doylestown's old buildings and historic character, while improving business at the same time. One historic landmark that could not be saved was the 80-year-old courthouse and clock tower, which was replaced by the present county complex in the early 1960s.
By the end of the 1980s, the downtown business district was again showing the toll of massive new competition from the latest wave of suburban shopping centers, as well as the recession that hit hardest in the northeastern states. In response, the Borough Council established a volunteer group of civic-minded representatives from business organizations, government, and the residential community to begin to formulate plans for the downtown area in 1992. This effort resulted in streetscape improvements composed of cast iron street lamps and brick pavers, facade improvements and other beautification efforts, and the establishment of a Main Street Manager Program.
National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa , known also as the American Czestochowa is a Polish-American Roman Catholic shrine near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, founded in 1953. It houses a reproduction of the Black Madonna icon of Częstochowa, Poland...
brought a regular stream of short term visitors through the area as well. With charitable support, the art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
County Theater was restored and reopened showing arthouse fare, and a new main library and art museum were built around the ruins of the old stone jail, across the street from Mercer's castle. An official "resort town" designation exempted the area from liquor licence caps and empty commercial space began to fill with a dense and vibrant nighttime scene of bars and restaurants.
This development goes hand in hand with the broader development of the region; as the Philadelphia metropolitan area expanded from southern into central Bucks County, the fields and farms of the communities around Doylestown quickly began to sprout housing developments. This development brought thousands of people to the area, but the neighborhoods created often lacked longstanding institutions or discernible centers. Doylestown, more centrally located than Delaware River border town, New Hope, PA, which had traditionally served this function, was able to position itself as the regional center of culture and nightlife.
Personalities
Doylestown is known for being the home of author James A. MichenerJames A. Michener
James Albert Michener was an American author of more than 40 titles, the majority of which were sweeping sagas, covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and incorporating historical facts into the stories...
, architect and archaeologist Henry Chapman Mercer
Henry Chapman Mercer
Henry Chapman Mercer was an American archeologist, artifact collector, tile-maker and designer of three distinctive poured concrete structures: Fonthill, his home, the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, and the Mercer Museum.-Early life and education:Henry Mercer was born in Doylestown,...
, lyricist and playwright Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, nobel-prize winning author Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu , was an American writer who spent most of her time until 1934 in China. Her novel The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the U.S. in 1931 and 1932, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932...
, anthropologist Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead
Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist, who was frequently a featured writer and speaker in the mass media throughout the 1960s and 1970s....
, and pop-rock star Pink
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
. Other Doylestown notables include:
- Alecia Beth Moore (better known as Pink), singer/performer
- Kristen AldersonKristen AldersonKristen DeAnn Alderson is an American actress and occasional singer.-Early life:Alderson was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania to Richard and Kathy Alderson...
and Eddie AldersonEddie Alderson-Life and career:Eddie Alderson was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Rich and Kathy Alderson.Alderson has portrayed Matthew Buchanan on ABC's One Life to Live since May 10, 2001. He was put on contract with the OLTL series in December 2008...
, sibling actors - Stefan AvalosStefan AvalosStefan Avalos is an American musician and filmmaker.Avalos was trained as a classical violinist. As a violinist, he won major competitions and was a soloist with, among others, the Philadelphia Orchestra. He was touted as a child prodigy but by early high school, Avalos realized his true love was...
, motion picture director - Bill BloomBill BloomWilliam A. "Bill" Bloom is an American songwriter and musician.Bloom was a staff writer and producer for Philadelphia International Records and WMOT Records. He co-wrote and produced the album Children of Tomorrow by Frankie Smith, including the 1981 hit song "Double Dutch Bus".- External links...
, Double Dutch Bus Composer - Władysław Bortnowski, Polish general
- Christian BaumanChristian BaumanChristian Bauman is an American novelist, essayist, and lyricist. A former soldier, Bauman is arguably best known for his critically acclaimed 2002 debut novel The Ice Beneath You, about the return of a young American soldier from Somalia...
, novelist and NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
commentator - Michael T. Burke Jr. Former rogue Nasdaq trader, alcoholic, psychotic
- The band Circa SurviveCirca SurviveCirca Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward....
, fronted by Anthony GreenAnthony Green (musician)Anthony Green is a musician from Holland, PA. He is currently the lead singer of Circa Survive, previously in the bands Saosin, The Sound of Animals Fighting, Audience of One, Jeer at Rome, High and Driving, and Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer.-Circa Survive:Anthony Green joined California rock... - Alan CampbellAlan Campbell (screenwriter)Alan K. Campbell was an American writer, actor, and screenwriter. He and his wife, Dorothy Parker, were a popular screenwriting team in Hollywood from 1934 to 1963....
, actor and author - Caroline DotyCaroline DotyCaroline Marie Doty plays guard for the UConn women's basketball team, the 2009 NCAA National Champions. She has only lost 2 games during her career at the University of Connecticut.-References:...
, a guard on the UConn Huskies Women's Basketball team - David GordonDavid Gordon (tenor)David Gordon is an American concert and opera tenor, particularly noted as a Bach singer.He was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and trained at McGill University, the College of Wooster, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago where he made his debut in 1973...
, classical tenor - Justin GuariniJustin GuariniJustin Guarini is an American singer/songwriter and actor who rose to fame in 2002 as the first runner-up on the debut season of the television show American Idol.-Background:...
, American Idol runner-up - Matthew Clark, actor, founder of Knowledge Factory and King Man Productions
- Moss HartMoss HartMoss Hart was an American playwright and theatre director, best known for his interpretations of musical theater on Broadway.-Early years:...
, writer - Doug Katsaros (musician)
- George S. KaufmanGeorge S. KaufmanGeorge Simon Kaufman was an American playwright, theatre director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals, notably for the Marx Brothers...
, pioneering figure in American musical theater - Irene MolloyIrene MolloyIrene Molloy is an American actress, singer and songwriter. A 1996 graduate of Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania, she has starred in Broadway musicals and dramas, television series and appeared in one movie.She starred in the TV series Andy Richter Controls the...
, singer/actress - Kevin NaltyKevin NaltyKevin Nalty is a YouTube comedian and partner based in Doylestown, Pennsylvania better known under his YouTube username Nalts. His YouTube Channel is one of the top-20 most-viewed comedy channels. He has more than 1,000 videos which, as of September 18, 2011, have been viewed more than 236 million...
, YouTube personality - Dorothy ParkerDorothy ParkerDorothy Parker was an American poet, short story writer, critic and satirist, best known for her wit, wisecracks, and eye for 20th century urban foibles....
, author
- S. J. PerelmanS. J. PerelmanSidney Joseph Perelman, almost always known as S. J. Perelman , was an American humorist, author, and screenwriter. He is best known for his humorous short pieces written over many years for The New Yorker...
, humorist - Charles SheelerCharles SheelerCharles Rettew Sheeler, Jr. was an American artist. He is recognized as one of the founders of American modernism and one of the master photographers of the 20th century.-Early life and career:...
, artist - rock band SinchSinchSinch is an American alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.-History:The alternative rock quartet Sinch formed in 1994 while its members were attending different high schools in Doylestown and Willow Grove in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
- Dodie SmithDodie SmithDorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith was an English novelist and playwright. Smith is best known for her novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Her other works include I Capture the Castle and The Starlight Barking....
, author - Timothy StackTimothy StackTimothy Stack is an American film and television actor and screenwriter.-Life and career:He was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the son of Joan and Tom Stack. He graduated from the esteemed Philadelphia-area prep school Germantown Academy in 1973 and graduated from Boston College in 1978...
, actor - Stephen SuscoStephen SuscoStephen Susco is a film and television screenwriter who is most famous for writing the hit movies The Grudge and The Grudge 2.-Career:...
, motion picture screenwriter - Jean ToomerJean ToomerJean Toomer was an American poet and novelist and an important figure of the Harlem Renaissance. His first book Cane is considered by many as his most significant.-Early life:...
, author - Erin TorpeyErin TorpeyErin Catherine Torpey is an American actress and singer. She best known for her role of Jessica Buchanan & Megan Buchanan Rappaport as well as the new character Erin on One Life to Live .-Career:...
, soap opera star - Carla VentrescaCarla VentrescaCarla Ventresca is co-creator with husband Henry Beckett of the internationally syndicated comic strip On A Claire Day.Starting in October 2007, she became one of the new cartoonists for Parade Magazine. Carla won the 2007 National Cartoonists Society's "Reuben" award for Best Greeting Cards...
, cartoonist - Foster Winans, journalist, author, and ghostwriter
- Scott GreenScott Green (American football official)Scott H. Green is an American football official in the National Football League since the 1991 NFL season. He has officiated Super Bowls XXXVI in 2002, XXXVIII in 2004, and was the referee for XLIV in 2010....
, NFL referee - Dominic "Fro" Tibberino AMA Motocross Racer
- Kirk Bjornsgaard, Journalist, Author and Drummer
- Annie HaslamAnnie HaslamAnnie Haslam is an English progressive rock vocalist and songwriter.Originally a fashion student, she began studying under opera singer Sybil Knight in 1970 and developed her five-octave vocal range...
, Resident, Singer Songwriter Artist - Joseph WestJoseph WestJoseph West or Joe West may refer to:* Joe West , Major League Baseball umpire, actor, and country singer* Joe West , American football wide receiver...
, VP Projects Jacobs Engineering
Molly Ephraim, actress
Culture
Mercer Museum
The Mercer Museum is a museum located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia. The Bucks County Historical Society operates the museum, as well as the Spruance Library and Fonthill, former home of the museum's founder, archeologist Henry Chapman Mercer...
, a structure built in poured concrete, is the home to Mercer's collection of early American artifacts. It also houses a collection known as "Tools of the Nation Maker"¹, and is one of the most important collections of its kind in the world. The Bucks County Historical Society also maintains the Spruance Library, a research library, adjoining the museum. Fonthill (also known as "Mercer's Castle") was Mercer's home and houses his collection of artifacts from around the world. The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
Moravian Pottery and Tile Works
The Moravian Pottery & Tile Works is a history museum located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the County of Bucks, Department of Parks and Recreation. The museum was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and was later included in a National...
is an operational facility utilizing the tools and techniques used by Pennsylvania German potters in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The former prison, across the street from the Mercer Museum, has been converted into the James A. Michener Art Museum
James A. Michener Art Museum
The James A. Michener Art Museum is a private, non-profit museum in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania founded in 1988 and named for the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer James A. Michener, a Doylestown resident...
. The borough also boasts a small music conservatory, writers' and artists' organizations and other cultural activities.
Doylestown is also located near the Polish-American Roman Catholic shrine known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa , known also as the American Czestochowa is a Polish-American Roman Catholic shrine near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, founded in 1953. It houses a reproduction of the Black Madonna icon of Częstochowa, Poland...
, which houses a painting of the Black Madonna
Black Madonna
A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of the Virgin Mary in which the Virgin Mary is black. The term was especially applied to those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier...
of Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
The Fountain House, a historic building, is located in Doylestown Borough.
Education
Doylestown borough is the location of several educational facilities of the Central Bucks School DistrictCentral Bucks School District
The Central Bucks School District is located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and is the third largest school district in Pennsylvania. The district covers the Boroughs of Chalfont, Doylestown and New Britain and Buckingham Township, Doylestown Township, New Britain Township, Plumstead...
. The Borough contains two elementary schools (Doyle Elementary and Linden Elementary) , one middle school (Lenape Middle School) and one high school (Central Bucks West
Central Bucks West
Central Bucks High School West is the oldest of the three high schools in the Central Bucks School District. CB West, as it is commonly known, is located in the Borough of Doylestown, Pennsylvania in Bucks County. It was constructed in 1952 as the successor to Doylestown High School, which had...
). Bucks County's regional educational service agency, Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22, is also located in the borough.
Doylestown Township, which is adjacent to the borough, contains Paul W. Kutz Elementary and also the campus of Delaware Valley College
Delaware Valley College
Delaware Valley College is an independent, comprehensive, four-year residential institution in Doylestown, Pa. It enrolls 1,700 full-time undergraduates studying 25 majors. The campus sits on 574 lush acres of rolling green hills...
, which is still primarily known as an agricultural and science school.
Geography
Doylestown is located at 40°18′46"N 75°7′44"W (40.312756, -75.128799). 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 borough has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), all of it land.
Climate
Doylestown experiences an oceanic climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfb). However, it barely misses the criteria for a humid subtropical climate
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa) by .1°F, but for all intents and purposes may be classified as the latter for the sake of continuity with the surrounding areas. Doylestown also lies near the convergence point into the humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
region as the closest city with the latter, Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
, is only 33 mi (53.1 km) to the north.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 8,227 people, 3,952 households, and 1,908 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 3,822.5 people per square mile (1,477.4/km²). There were 4,055 housing units at an average density of 1,884.1 per square mile (728.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.24% White, 0.30% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.43% 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 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population
There were 3,952 households out of which 19.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% 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, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.7% were non-families. 44.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.98 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the borough the population was spread out with 16.5% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,148, and the median income for a family was $71,988. Males had a median income of $48,553 versus $31,703 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 $32,249. About 2.5% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Train
Doylestown is connected to Philadelphia and many places between, by SEPTA's Lansdale/Doylestown LineLansdale/Doylestown Line
The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown in Bucks County.-Route:The Lansdale-Doylestown segment of the R5 line utilizes what is known as the "SEPTA Main Line", a four-track line that has been owned by SEPTA since 1983...
of Regional Rail
SEPTA Regional Rail
The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...
. Doylestown Station
Doylestown (SEPTA station)
Doylestown is the last station along the SEPTA Lansdale/Doylestown Line. Located at the intersection of Bridge Street and Clinton Avenue, the station has a 185-space parking lot. Doylestown Station was originally built in 1871 by the Reading Railroad, as a much more elaborate Victorian structure...
is the last stop.
Bus
Doylestown is served by SEPTA's route 55 bus, which heads south to WarringtonWarrington Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Warrington Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 23,418 at the 2010 census.-History:Warrington Township was founded in October 1734, and is named after a town in Lancashire, England...
, Willow Grove
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Willow Grove is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A community in Philadelphia's northern suburbs, the population was 15,726 at the 2010 census. It is located in Abington Township and Upper Moreland Township...
, Abington
Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
, and finally, the Olney Transportation Center
Olney Transportation Center
The Olney Transportation Center is a SEPTA bus terminal and the last Broad Street Line subway station before the Fern Rock Transportation Center terminus. Trains in the other direction go to South Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia. Locally, Doylestown is served by small public transportation system called the Doylestown DART (Doylestown Area Regional Transit). Not to be confused with DART First State
DART First State
The Delaware Transit Corporation, trading as DART First State is the primary public transportation system that operates throughout Delaware, USA...
buses, Doylestown DART is a service of the Bucks County Transportation Management Association. Doylestown DART consists (as of March, 2006) of a single bus route. Often used by the elderly, it travels to various destinations in Doylestown, including department stores, pharmacies and restaurants. Doylestown is also connected to towns in New Jersey and New York City by Trans-Bridge Lines
Trans-Bridge Lines
Trans-Bridge Lines is a line-run operator servicing the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and the southwestern Skylands Region of New Jersey with line run service between New York City and the Lehigh Valley, via the I-78 corridor daily, and charter and casino service in the same region...
.
In popular culture
Doylestown is mentioned in Carbon Creek, an episode of Star Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
, as the site of a minor league baseball game attended in 1957 by two of the episode's characters.
Doylestown is the location of M. Night Shyamalan's 2002 film "Signs". The location of the film is cited as "Bucks County, PA" in the film. Filming was done in a corn field that forms part of the campus of Delaware Valley College
Delaware Valley College
Delaware Valley College is an independent, comprehensive, four-year residential institution in Doylestown, Pa. It enrolls 1,700 full-time undergraduates studying 25 majors. The campus sits on 574 lush acres of rolling green hills...
.
King Man Productions' "Revenge of the Don" was filmed here in 2009 and premiered at the 2009 British Film Festival in Redondo Beach, California that same year.
Points of interest
- Delaware Valley CollegeDelaware Valley CollegeDelaware Valley College is an independent, comprehensive, four-year residential institution in Doylestown, Pa. It enrolls 1,700 full-time undergraduates studying 25 majors. The campus sits on 574 lush acres of rolling green hills...
- Fonthill MuseumFonthill (house)Fonthill was the home of the American archeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Built between 1908 and 1912, it is an early example of poured-in-place concrete and features 44 rooms, over 200 windows, 18 fireplaces and 10 bathrooms...
- Henry Schmieder ArboretumHenry Schmieder ArboretumThe Henry Schmieder Arboretum is an arboretum and collection of gardens located across the campus of Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, Pennsylvania...
- James A. Michener Art MuseumJames A. Michener Art MuseumThe James A. Michener Art Museum is a private, non-profit museum in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania founded in 1988 and named for the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer James A. Michener, a Doylestown resident...
- Mercer MuseumMercer MuseumThe Mercer Museum is a museum located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia. The Bucks County Historical Society operates the museum, as well as the Spruance Library and Fonthill, former home of the museum's founder, archeologist Henry Chapman Mercer...
- Moravian Pottery and Tile WorksMoravian Pottery and Tile WorksThe Moravian Pottery & Tile Works is a history museum located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the County of Bucks, Department of Parks and Recreation. The museum was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and was later included in a National...
- National Shrine of Our Lady of CzestochowaNational Shrine of Our Lady of CzestochowaThe National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa , known also as the American Czestochowa is a Polish-American Roman Catholic shrine near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, founded in 1953. It houses a reproduction of the Black Madonna icon of Częstochowa, Poland...
- Peace Valley ParkPeace Valley ParkPeace Valley Park is a 1,500 acre park located near Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Bucks County Park System. The park surrounds Lake Galena, a lake created by the damming of the north branch of the Neshaminy Creek.-Activities:...
- Pearl S. Buck House
- Ringing Rocks Park