Fairview Township, York County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Fairview Township is a township in York County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 16,668 at the 2010 census.
, the township has a total area of 35.7 square miles (92.5 km²), of which 35.6 square miles (92.2 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 0.17%, is water.
Fairview is close to the state capital, Harrisburg
, which is in Dauphin County
. (The boroughs of New Cumberland
and Lemoyne
, both in Cumberland County
, lie between them.)
of 2000, there were 14,321 people, 5,480 households, and 4,131 families residing in the township. The population density
was 402.2 people per square mile (155.3/km²). There were 5,788 housing units at an average density of 162.6/sq mi (62.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.49% White, 0.87% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races
, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 5,480 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% were married couples
living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $57,150, and the median income for a family was $65,903. Males had a median income of $42,579 versus $30,965 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $26,343. About 2.8% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Quakers from Chester County
as early as 1730, and German immigrants from the York
and Hanover
areas in the late 18th century, much of the land now encompassed by Fairview Township was part of Pennsborough Township, Lancaster County
. York County, when separated from Lancaster in 1749, had no definitely established northern boundary. In 1751, after the formation of Cumberland from Lancaster County, the Provincial Assembly passed a special act making Yellow Breeches Creek
the official boundary between counties. At that time, the lands in this area were annexed to Newberry Township, where they remained until February 1803, when the York County Court approved petitions of area citizens to create the Township of Fairview.
In the mid-18th century, the area known as New Market was owned by John Harris, founding father of Harrisburg and a trader with the large Shawnee
Indian settlement at the mouth of Yellow Breeches Creek. By 1806, the area boasted several churches, stores, a working forge
, and a distillery
. The growth of this particular portion of the township was due, in large part, to the establishment of a ferry across the Susquehanna River
and the York-Harrisburg Road, which passed through the area. In 1807, a 120-lot village was laid out, and lots were sold by lottery drawing held at the local tavern. The owner of the New Market Forge, Jacob Haldeman, Sr., who also had a working forge in Lisburn (thus, Forge Road), was responsible for laying out the town of New Cumberland in 1814, and selling the lots with the same lottery method used for New Market.
Fairview Township began as an agricultural area, with only a small amount of industry and trade. Because of its primary agricultural base, township population growth was very slow after the initial settlement. The first census count in 1820 was 1,764. Eighty years later, in 1900, the number reached 2,042, an increase of only 278. By 1950, it had more than doubled to 5,514, and 1990 figures showed the township population at 13,258. The development of better highway systems and the suburban growth of the Harrisburg area have greatly changed portions of the township over the last 50 years.
(currently used by general aviation; formerly Harrisburg's principal airport) and the New Cumberland Army Depot both lie in Fairview Township.
York County, Pennsylvania
York County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
, 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 16,668 at the 2010 census.
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 35.7 square miles (92.5 km²), of which 35.6 square miles (92.2 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 0.17%, is water.
Fairview is close to the state capital, Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, which is in Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
. (The boroughs of New Cumberland
New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
New Cumberland is a municipality at the eastern tip of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. New Cumberland was incorporated as a borough on March 21, 1831. The population was 7,349 at the 2000 census...
and Lemoyne
Lemoyne, Pennsylvania
Lemoyne is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Lemoyne was incorporated as a borough on May 23, 1905. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 3,995. It was formerly named Bridgeport. Lemoyne lies across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital...
, both in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
, lie between them.)
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 14,321 people, 5,480 households, and 4,131 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 402.2 people per square mile (155.3/km²). There were 5,788 housing units at an average density of 162.6/sq mi (62.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.49% White, 0.87% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.50% 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 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 5,480 households out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.6% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the township the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $57,150, and the median income for a family was $65,903. Males had a median income of $42,579 versus $30,965 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 $26,343. About 2.8% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
Originally settled by the EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Quakers from Chester County
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...
as early as 1730, and German immigrants from the York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
and Hanover
Hanover, Pennsylvania
Hanover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, southwest of York and north-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland.The town is situated in a productive agricultural region. The population was 15,289 at the 2010 census. The borough is served by a 717 area code and the Zip Codes of 17331-34...
areas in the late 18th century, much of the land now encompassed by Fairview Township was part of Pennsborough Township, Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
. York County, when separated from Lancaster in 1749, had no definitely established northern boundary. In 1751, after the formation of Cumberland from Lancaster County, the Provincial Assembly passed a special act making Yellow Breeches Creek
Yellow Breeches Creek
Yellow Breeches Creek, also known as Minnimingo Creek, is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania in the United States....
the official boundary between counties. At that time, the lands in this area were annexed to Newberry Township, where they remained until February 1803, when the York County Court approved petitions of area citizens to create the Township of Fairview.
In the mid-18th century, the area known as New Market was owned by John Harris, founding father of Harrisburg and a trader with the large Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
Indian settlement at the mouth of Yellow Breeches Creek. By 1806, the area boasted several churches, stores, a working forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
, and a distillery
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
. The growth of this particular portion of the township was due, in large part, to the establishment of a ferry across the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
and the York-Harrisburg Road, which passed through the area. In 1807, a 120-lot village was laid out, and lots were sold by lottery drawing held at the local tavern. The owner of the New Market Forge, Jacob Haldeman, Sr., who also had a working forge in Lisburn (thus, Forge Road), was responsible for laying out the town of New Cumberland in 1814, and selling the lots with the same lottery method used for New Market.
Fairview Township began as an agricultural area, with only a small amount of industry and trade. Because of its primary agricultural base, township population growth was very slow after the initial settlement. The first census count in 1820 was 1,764. Eighty years later, in 1900, the number reached 2,042, an increase of only 278. By 1950, it had more than doubled to 5,514, and 1990 figures showed the township population at 13,258. The development of better highway systems and the suburban growth of the Harrisburg area have greatly changed portions of the township over the last 50 years.
Infrastructure
Capital City AirportCapital City Airport (Pennsylvania)
Capital City Airport is a public airport located in Fairview Township, York County, Pennsylvania, three miles southeast of the central business district of Harrisburg, the capital city of Pennsylvania.Although most U.S...
(currently used by general aviation; formerly Harrisburg's principal airport) and the New Cumberland Army Depot both lie in Fairview Township.