Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County
, Pennsylvania
, 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia
. Early in the 20th century, its industries included agricultural implement works, a canning factory, foundries, brickyard
s, a silk mill, and manufacturers of cigars, stoves, shirts, rope, iron drain pipe, and glue. In 1900, 2,754 people lived here; in 1910, 3,551; and in 1940, 9,316 people were inhabitants of Lansdale. The population was 16,269 at the time of the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all land.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 16,071 people, 6,620 households, and 4,051 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 5,245.8 people per square mile (2,027.8/km²). There were 6,893 housing units at an average density of 2,250.0 per square mile (869.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 85.40% White, 3.94% African American, 0.09% Native American, 7.98% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races
, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.90% of the population.
There were 6,620 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,232, and the median income for a family was $54,891. Males had a median income of $40,009 versus $29,825 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $22,096. About 4.1% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
form of government with a mayor
and a nine-member borough council. On Wednesday June 4, 2008, local chiropractor G. Andrew Szekely was appointed by council resolution to serve the remaining 18 months of the term of Mayor Michael DiNunzio. Szekely won a full four-year term in November 2009.
The borough is part of the Thirteenth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Allyson Schwartz
), Pennsylvania's 53rd Representative District (represented by Rep. Robert Godshall
) and the 24th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Bob Mensch
).
Ward II:
Ward III:
, Christopher Dock Mennonite High School
, and North Penn High School
. The latter two high schools are located outside Lansdale Borough in neighboring Towamencin Township
.
. The first phase of the center is a 240-seat chamber music hall. The reception area also serves as an art gallery. A second phase is planned, which would include a second hall that would be twice as large as the existing hall. The center is located in the building that once served as Lansdale's Masonic Temple.
An episode of the Fox television series Fringe
, which aired on September 24, 2009, was set in Lansdale. The scenes that took place in Lansdale were filmed in British Columbia
, and the town was depicted as a rural area consisting primarily of corn fields and not as the densely populated suburban town that it actually is.
In the 1981 novel
A Natural Weapon by Garry Mitchelmore, Lansdale is one of two towns (the other being Cache, Louisiana) that has its natural gas
supply poisoned by terrorists.
Lansdale is served by The Reporter
, a broadsheet daily newspaper. It was a Gannett Company
newspaper from 1980 until 2001 when it was sold to the Journal Register Company
. The 16,364-circulation newspaper has a 33% penetration of households in Lansdale, Hatfield, and Souderton, and 29% penetration of Harleysville.
Lansdale is also served by Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch, a hyperlocal daily online newspaper. It is a subsidiary of Patch Media Corp. and owned by Aol
. The site launched Dec. 30, 2010 and covers government news and community features of Lansdale Borough and Montgomery Township, and school news of North Penn School District.
Lansdale is home to a Kugel ball
, which is a dark grey granite sphere supported by a very thin film of water pumped from beneath its base. The Kugel Ball is located in Railroad Plaza, adjacent to the SEPTA
Lansdale/Doylestown Line train station in downtown Lansdale. The plaza consists of a bricked patio with benches centered around the Kugel Ball and closes at 11:00 pm.
. By the naming conventions of the time, it should have been called Jenkintown, since the land immediately surrounding the train station was owned by the Jenkins family, but there was already a town by that name along the rail line.
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...
, 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...
, 28 miles northwest 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,...
. Early in the 20th century, its industries included agricultural implement works, a canning factory, foundries, brickyard
Brickyard
A brickyard is a place or yard where the earthen building material called bricks are made, fired, and stored, or sometimes sold or otherwise distributed from.-See also:...
s, a silk mill, and manufacturers of cigars, stoves, shirts, rope, iron drain pipe, and glue. In 1900, 2,754 people lived here; in 1910, 3,551; and in 1940, 9,316 people were inhabitants of Lansdale. The population was 16,269 at the time of the 2010 census.
Geography
Lansdale is located at 40°14′31"N 75°17′3"W (40.241956, -75.284083).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 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the borough was 75.9% White, 5.9% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 13.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 2.7% were two or more races. 5.0% 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 16,071 people, 6,620 households, and 4,051 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 5,245.8 people per square mile (2,027.8/km²). There were 6,893 housing units at an average density of 2,250.0 per square mile (869.7/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 85.40% White, 3.94% African American, 0.09% Native American, 7.98% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.73% 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 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.90% of the population.
There were 6,620 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,232, and the median income for a family was $54,891. Males had a median income of $40,009 versus $29,825 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 $22,096. About 4.1% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Politics and government
Lansdale 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 nine-member borough council. On Wednesday June 4, 2008, local chiropractor G. Andrew Szekely was appointed by council resolution to serve the remaining 18 months of the term of Mayor Michael DiNunzio. Szekely won a full four-year term in November 2009.
The borough is part of the Thirteenth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Allyson Schwartz
Allyson Schwartz
Allyson Young Schwartz is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes parts of Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia...
), Pennsylvania's 53rd Representative District (represented by Rep. Robert Godshall
Robert Godshall
Robert W. "Bob" Godshall is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 53rd District and was elected in 1982.-Career:...
) and the 24th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Bob Mensch
Bob Mensch
Robert "Bob" Mensch is a Republican politician. He is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he represented the 147th legislative district. He was first elected in 2006 to succeed the retiring Raymond Bunt, Jr..Mensch attended Valley Forge Military Academy and College...
).
Council members
Ward I:- Paul Clemente, Vice-president
- Mary Fuller
- Anne Henning-Scheuring
Ward II:
- Richard DiGregorio
- Jack Hansen
- Michael Sobel
Ward III:
- Daniel Dunigan
- Michael Riccio
- Matthew West, President
Schools
K-6 public elementary schools in Lansdale include Gwynedd Square Elementary, Knapp Elementary, Oak Park Elementary, Inglewood Elementary, Walton Farm Elementary, and York Avenue Elementary. St. Stanislaus School is a Catholic K-8 school. Calvary Baptist School is a pre-K-12th grade Christian school.Penndale Middle School serves grades 7-9. Lansdale area high schools include Lansdale Catholic High SchoolLansdale Catholic High School
Lansdale Catholic High School is a secondary school that is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:...
, Christopher Dock Mennonite High School
Christopher Dock Mennonite High School
]Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, also known as Christopher Dock High School, is a private high school in Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania that is affiliated with the Franconia Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church USA. The school was named after schoolmaster Christopher Dock of...
, and North Penn High School
North Penn High School
North Penn High School is a part of the North Penn School District and is located in Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania, about a mile outside of Lansdale borough, 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia, along Valley Forge Road . It operates under the Principal Burton T. Hynes and the school colors are...
. The latter two high schools are located outside Lansdale Borough in neighboring Towamencin Township
Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania
Towamencin Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 17,578 at the 2010 census. It is part of the North Penn School District. Towamencin has residential neighborhoods, historic farmhouses, recreational facilities, many schools, and open spaces. ...
.
Culture
Lansdale is home to the Lansdale Center for the Performing Arts, which opened its inaugural season on September 25, 2009 with a performance by the Chamber Orchestra of PhiladelphiaChamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
A founding resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia is a 33-member professional ensemble led by Dirk Brossé...
. The first phase of the center is a 240-seat chamber music hall. The reception area also serves as an art gallery. A second phase is planned, which would include a second hall that would be twice as large as the existing hall. The center is located in the building that once served as Lansdale's Masonic Temple.
An episode of the Fox television series Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
, which aired on September 24, 2009, was set in Lansdale. The scenes that took place in Lansdale were filmed in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and the town was depicted as a rural area consisting primarily of corn fields and not as the densely populated suburban town that it actually is.
In the 1981 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
A Natural Weapon by Garry Mitchelmore, Lansdale is one of two towns (the other being Cache, Louisiana) that has its natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
supply poisoned by terrorists.
Lansdale is served by The Reporter
The Reporter (Lansdale)
The Reporter is the local newspaper based out of Lansdale, Pennsylvania owned by Journal Register Company. It primarily serves the communities in the North Penn and Souderton Area School Districts, including Lansdale Borough, Montgomery Township, Hatfield Township, Hatfield Borough, North Wales...
, a broadsheet daily newspaper. It was a Gannett Company
Gannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
newspaper from 1980 until 2001 when it was sold to the Journal Register Company
Journal Register Company
The Journal Register Company is an American media company, serving an audience of 21 million Americans in 992 communities. The company operates more than 350 multi-platform products in 992 communities. The company is led by CEO John Paton who openly blogs about the changes he is making to transform...
. The 16,364-circulation newspaper has a 33% penetration of households in Lansdale, Hatfield, and Souderton, and 29% penetration of Harleysville.
Lansdale is also served by Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch, a hyperlocal daily online newspaper. It is a subsidiary of Patch Media Corp. and owned by Aol
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
. The site launched Dec. 30, 2010 and covers government news and community features of Lansdale Borough and Montgomery Township, and school news of North Penn School District.
Kugel ball
Kugel ball
A Kugel ball is a sculpture consisting of a large granite ball supported by a very thin film of water. Water flows beneath a very heavy, perfectly spherical rock from a spherical concave base with exactly the same curvature...
, which is a dark grey granite sphere supported by a very thin film of water pumped from beneath its base. The Kugel Ball is located in Railroad Plaza, adjacent to the SEPTA
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...
Lansdale/Doylestown Line train station in downtown Lansdale. The plaza consists of a bricked patio with benches centered around the Kugel Ball and closes at 11:00 pm.
History
Lansdale was named for Phillip Lansdale Fox, chief surveyor of the North Penn RailroadNorth Pennsylvania Railroad
North Pennsylvania Railroad was a railroad company formed in 1855, and served Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania.-History:...
. By the naming conventions of the time, it should have been called Jenkintown, since the land immediately surrounding the train station was owned by the Jenkins family, but there was already a town by that name along the rail line.
Notable people
- Ralph F. HirschmannRalph F. HirschmannRalph Franz Hirschmann was a German American biochemist who led a team that was responsible for the first organic synthesis of an enzyme, a ribonuclease.-Early life and education:...
(1922–2009), biochemistBiochemistBiochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
who led synthesis of the first enzyme. - Liza WeilLiza WeilLiza Rebecca Weil is an American actress. She is known for her role as Paris Geller in the television drama Gilmore Girls and has guest-starred on programs such as The Adventures of Pete & Pete, ER, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Grey's Anatomy, and The West Wing.-Early life:Weil was born in...
(1977-), actress known for her portrayal of Paris Geller on the television series Gilmore GirlsGilmore GirlsGilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
; was born in New Jersey but her family has resided in the borough since 1984. - Margaret Battavio (Little Peggy March) (1948-), American pop singer. Her song I Will Follow HimI Will Follow Him"I Will Follow Him" is a song recorded by Little Peggy March. The music was written by Franck Pourcel and Paul Mauriat . It was adapted by Arthur Altman...
was number one in April 1963. - Best-selling personal finance author Eric Tyson (Personal Finance for Dummies) grew up in Lansdale.
- Cult writer Russell HobanRussell HobanRussell Conwell Hoban is an American writer, now living in England, of fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magic realism, poetry, and children's books-Biography:...
, author of Riddley WalkerRiddley WalkerRiddley Walker is a science fiction novel by Russell Hoban, first published in 1980. It won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best science fiction novel in 1982, as well as an Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award in 1983...
and the Frances the Badger children's books, was born and grew up in Lansdale. - The Wonder YearsThe Wonder Years (band)The Wonder Years is an American pop punk band from Lansdale, Pennsylvania that began in June 2005. Since then, they have released three full length albums, two EPs, and several splits/compilation contributions...
, a pop-punk band signed to Hopeless RecordsHopeless RecordsHopeless Records is an independent record label located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. The label was started in 1993 by Louis Posen and financed by a group of private investors. Hopeless's artists are generally considered punk rock, pop punk, post-hardcore, or alternative rock, but some...