Easttown Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Easttown Township is a township in Chester County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 10,477 at the 2010 census.
, a large expanse of land promised by William Penn
to a group of Welsh
Quaker settlers in which they would be able to speak and conduct business in the Welsh language
. While the autonomous entity envisioned by some was never formed, it left its mark in the many Welsh place names that still exist, such as the village of Berwyn
, in Easttown, and nearby Tredyffrin Township. The township is believed to have been incorporated in 1704, as that is the earliest date it has been found to be referred to in official records.
While the originators of the Welsh Tract were Quakers, the earliest settlers in the portion that became Easttown Township were mostly Anglicans. St. David's Episcopal Church, just past the eastern edge of the township, was constructed in 1715 by Welsh Anglicans when the mother church sent them a minister.
Revolutionary War leader Anthony Wayne
was born and lived in Waynesborough
house, in the western part of the township. He—or at least part of him—is buried at St. David's.
A Revolutionary War skirmish that occurred along a ridge in the center of the township was the only engagement of that war in the township. The name of the British commander was later given to a nearby mansion: Tarleton.
Two sites in the township are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
: Waynesborough
and Roughwood
. The cluster of buildings that forms the village of Leopard, identified as a "Significant Historic Cluster" in the Chester County Historic Sites Survey (1979–1982), is eligible for listing as well. In addition, the Waterloo Mills Historic District has been designated. Although St. David's Church is just over the line in Newtown Township, the church building and its graveyard (most of which is in Easttown) are listed together in the National Register.
Easttown Township is said to have the most-litigated zoning law in Pennsylvania, largely as a result of its efforts to avoid being swallowed up by the expansion of the suburbs of Philadelphia. At least two major cases about minimum lot size were handed down by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Bilbar Construction upheld the township's minimum lot sizes, while National Land and Investment Co. struck them down as "exclusionary" seven years later. National Land further held that a municipality may utilize zoning measures that are substantially related to the protection and preservation of the municipality's proper interest in providing for the general welfare of its residents, but Easttown's zoning did not pass the test. Ironically, despite the developer-litigants' claimed interest in allowing poor people to live in Easttown, they only built houses that sold at well over the average value in Pennsylvania.
, the township
has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²), of which 0.12% is water.
of 2000, there were 10,270 people, 3,758 households, and 2,848 families residing in the township. The population density
was 1,248.8 people per square mile (482.4/km²). There were 3,862 housing units at an average density of 469.6/sq mi (181.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 93.77% White, 2.51% African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.78% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races
, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.
There were 3,758 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples
living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $95,548, and the median income for a family was $109,103. Males had a median income of $80,341 versus $40,955 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $51,028. About 0.7% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
Students in Easttown Township are zoned to schools in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District
. Easttown Township is zoned to Conestoga High School, which is located just over the boundary in Tredyffrin Township. Lower schools in the township are Devon Elementary School and Beaumont Elementary School.
Tarleton School, a private elementary school, is located on Waterloo Avenue.
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
, 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 10,477 at the 2010 census.
History
The land that eventually became Easttown Township was once part of the Welsh TractWelsh Tract
The Welsh Tract, also called the Welsh Barony, was a portion of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania settled largely by Welsh-speaking Quakers. It covers 40,000 acres to the west of Philadelphia...
, a large expanse of land promised by William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
to a group of Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
Quaker settlers in which they would be able to speak and conduct business in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. While the autonomous entity envisioned by some was never formed, it left its mark in the many Welsh place names that still exist, such as the village of Berwyn
Devon-Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Devon-Berwyn is a census-designated place in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,067 at the 2000 census. The area is part of Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs...
, in Easttown, and nearby Tredyffrin Township. The township is believed to have been incorporated in 1704, as that is the earliest date it has been found to be referred to in official records.
While the originators of the Welsh Tract were Quakers, the earliest settlers in the portion that became Easttown Township were mostly Anglicans. St. David's Episcopal Church, just past the eastern edge of the township, was constructed in 1715 by Welsh Anglicans when the mother church sent them a minister.
Revolutionary War leader Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
was born and lived in Waynesborough
Waynesborough
Waynesborough, also known as Gen. Anthony Wayne House, was the home of American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne . He lived there for all his life except his last 5 years....
house, in the western part of the township. He—or at least part of him—is buried at St. David's.
A Revolutionary War skirmish that occurred along a ridge in the center of the township was the only engagement of that war in the township. The name of the British commander was later given to a nearby mansion: Tarleton.
Two sites in the township are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
: Waynesborough
Waynesborough
Waynesborough, also known as Gen. Anthony Wayne House, was the home of American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne . He lived there for all his life except his last 5 years....
and Roughwood
Roughwood (Easttown Township, Pennsylvania)
Roughwood in Easttown Township, Pennsylvania is a Federal style building built in 1805. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.It is located in Devon, Pennsylvania, a community within the Easttown Township....
. The cluster of buildings that forms the village of Leopard, identified as a "Significant Historic Cluster" in the Chester County Historic Sites Survey (1979–1982), is eligible for listing as well. In addition, the Waterloo Mills Historic District has been designated. Although St. David's Church is just over the line in Newtown Township, the church building and its graveyard (most of which is in Easttown) are listed together in the National Register.
Easttown Township is said to have the most-litigated zoning law in Pennsylvania, largely as a result of its efforts to avoid being swallowed up by the expansion of the suburbs of Philadelphia. At least two major cases about minimum lot size were handed down by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Bilbar Construction upheld the township's minimum lot sizes, while National Land and Investment Co. struck them down as "exclusionary" seven years later. National Land further held that a municipality may utilize zoning measures that are substantially related to the protection and preservation of the municipality's proper interest in providing for the general welfare of its residents, but Easttown's zoning did not pass the test. Ironically, despite the developer-litigants' claimed interest in allowing poor people to live in Easttown, they only built houses that sold at well over the average value in Pennsylvania.
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
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²), of which 0.12% is water.
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 10,270 people, 3,758 households, and 2,848 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 1,248.8 people per square mile (482.4/km²). There were 3,862 housing units at an average density of 469.6/sq mi (181.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 93.77% White, 2.51% African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.78% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% 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 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.08% of the population.
There were 3,758 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% 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, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $95,548, and the median income for a family was $109,103. Males had a median income of $80,341 versus $40,955 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 $51,028. About 0.7% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The township is governed by a Board of Supervisors. The present board consists of:- Chris Polites
- Rich Frazier
- Marc Heppe
- Jim Oram
- Ed Strogen
Education
Tredyffrin/Easttown School District
Tredyffrin/Easttown School District is a school district based in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
. Easttown Township is zoned to Conestoga High School, which is located just over the boundary in Tredyffrin Township. Lower schools in the township are Devon Elementary School and Beaumont Elementary School.
Tarleton School, a private elementary school, is located on Waterloo Avenue.