Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Lower Saucon Township is a township in Northampton County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Lower Saucon Township is located in the Lehigh Valley
region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley
.
The population of Lower Saucon Township was 9,884 at the 2000 census.
, the township has a total area of 24.3 square miles (62.9 km²), of which, 24.1 square miles (62.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.62%) is water. The township is in the Delaware watershed and borders the Lehigh River
to the north, which drains Lower Saucon except for the Leithsville area in the extreme south, which is drained by Cooks Creek east into the Delaware River
.
North-to-south local thoroughfares include Route 378
in the extreme west, Route 412
, and Lower Saucon Road in the east. Interstate 78
crosses Lower Saucon east-to-west with access from 412 at the Bethlehem/Hellertown line and Highway 33
in the northeast. Its villages include Bingen, Colesville
(also in Lehigh County,) Leithsville, Lower Saucon, Redington, Seidersville, Shimersville, Steel City, Wassergass, and Wydnor.
of 2000, there were 9,884 people, 3,735 households, and 2,890 families residing in the township. The population density
was 409.4 people per square mile (158.1/km²). There were 3,915 housing units at an average density of 162.2/sq mi (62.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.73% White, 0.56% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races
, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 3,735 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.6% were married couples
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $59,964, and the median income for a family was $68,457. Males had a median income of $46,727 versus $30,256 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $30,280. About 2.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
.
In 1737, Penn’s sons expanded their land holdings to include most of the Lehigh Valley through the “Walking Purchase.” Although the Lenni Lenape did not think this was a legitimate claim, they eventually moved out of the area, allowing Europeans to settle it. Sometime before 1737, Nathaniel Irish established a farm, built a grist and saw mill, and opened a land office for William Penn. He is considered the first European settler in Lower Saucon Township. His land later became known as Shimersville. Irish was the first justice of the peace in the area, and the first “King’s Highway,” from Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley, built in 1737, led to his property.
Lower Saucon Township was chartered in 1743, when it was still a part of Bucks County. It was established in the rich farmland along the Saucon Creek. The name is of Native American origin, from sakunk, meaning “at the mouth of the creek.” The township also included South Bethlehem until 1865 and Hellertown until 1872. German immigrants, convinced by Penn’s favorable description of the New World, settled Lower Saucon Township in large numbers, beginning in the 1730s. Some of the surnames of the early German settlers were Boehm, Wagner, Appel, Riegel, Lerch, Laubach, Oberley, Heller, Shimer, and Lutz. These early settlers were hardworking, and their farms prospered. There were numerous mills built to provide sawed wood, flour, textiles, paper, and gunpowder. Other early industry included lime kilns and the extracting of zinc and iron ore.
During the Revolutionary War, many German farmers enlisted in the Continental army to fight the British. At a time when the army’s reserves were depleted, they offered to sell wheat and rye on credit. In 1777, soldiers of the Continental army transporting the Liberty Bell to Allentown passed through Lower Saucon, spending a night in Leithsville. The Marquis de Lafayette, according to legend, stopped at Wagner’s Tavern in Hellertown on his way to Bethlehem during the war.
The first church, Lower Saucon Church, was established in 1734, soon after the early settlers had arrived. It was built by a German Reformed congregation on what is now Easton Road. There were 10 schools in place in the township even before the legislature of Pennsylvania adopted the public school system in 1834. These schools were established by the local church congregations.
When the North Penn Railroad, connecting Philadelphia to Bethlehem, was completed in 1856, this 55 miles (88.5 km) line provided an impetus to building iron smelters in Bingen, Hellertown, and Iron Hill, due to the township’s wealth of iron ore and limestone. The railroad brought coal to this industry, transported pig iron to markets, and provided transportation for the township’s population. Lower Saucon Township felt the influence of the Bethlehem Steel Company. The executives purchased farmland in the township to build large estates, and the steel company became the largest employer in the area. When it ceased manufacturing in 1995, many residents of Lower Saucon suffered loss of employment.
Today, farmland continues to be lost to housing developments at a startling rate. The township still processes beautiful woods, streams, and rolling hills, but care must be taken to preserve these open spaces that remain.
The Ehrhart's Mill Historic District
, Michael and Margaret Heller House
and Lutz-Franklin School
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
, 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...
. Lower Saucon Township is located in the Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley
Saucon Valley (Pennsylvania)
Saucon Valley is part of the Lehigh Valley located in eastern Pennsylvania. Saucon Valley includes the borough of Hellertown and the townships of Lower Saucon Township, Pennsylvania and Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania. It is located eight miles southeast of Allentown, Pennsylvania and two...
.
The population of Lower Saucon Township was 9,884 at the 2000 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 24.3 square miles (62.9 km²), of which, 24.1 square miles (62.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.62%) is water. The township is in the Delaware watershed and borders the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
to the north, which drains Lower Saucon except for the Leithsville area in the extreme south, which is drained by Cooks Creek east into the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
North-to-south local thoroughfares include Route 378
Pennsylvania Route 378
Pennsylvania Route 378 is a north-to-south road in Lehigh and Northampton counties. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 22 in Bethlehem and the portion north of the Lehigh River is a freeway. The highway was once Interstate 378 but when Interstate 78 was rerouted from U.S...
in the extreme west, Route 412
Pennsylvania Route 412
Pennsylvania Route 412 is a long north–south state route located in Northampton and Bucks counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 611 in the Nockamixon Township community of Harrow...
, and Lower Saucon Road in the east. Interstate 78
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 is an Interstate Highway in the Northeast United States, running 144 miles from Interstate 81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown, Pennsylvania, and western and northern New Jersey to the Holland Tunnel and Lower Manhattan in New York City.I-78 is a major road...
crosses Lower Saucon east-to-west with access from 412 at the Bethlehem/Hellertown line and Highway 33
Pennsylvania Route 33
Pennsylvania Route 33 is a -long limited-access state highway in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. South of the US 22 interchange, the route is called the Gen. Anthony Clement McAuliffe 101st Airborne Memorial Highway....
in the northeast. Its villages include Bingen, Colesville
Colesville, Pennsylvania
Colesville, Pennsylvania is a suburban village located on Route 378 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County and Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County. It is on the south side of Lehigh Mountain from Bethlehem. Interstate 78 passes through the village but does not interchange there. Colesville...
(also in Lehigh County,) Leithsville, Lower Saucon, Redington, Seidersville, Shimersville, Steel City, Wassergass, and Wydnor.
Adjacent municipalities
- BethlehemBethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
(north and northwest) - HellertownHellertown, PennsylvaniaHellertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Hellertown is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley.The population of Hellertown was 5,606 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
(mostly surrounded by Lower Saucon) - FreemansburgFreemansburg, PennsylvaniaFreemansburg is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Freemansburg is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Freemansburg was 1,897 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
(northwest) - Bethlehem TownshipBethlehem Township, PennsylvaniaBethlehem Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Bethlehem Township is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state and is a suburb of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania....
(north) - EastonEaston, PennsylvaniaEaston 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....
(northeast) - Williams TownshipWilliams Township, PennsylvaniaWilliams Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Williams Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania*Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania...
(east) - Durham Township, Bucks CountyDurham Township, PennsylvaniaDurham Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,144 at the 2010 census. It was first organised in 1775 and is located in the extreme North-east of Bucks County...
(tangent to the southeast) - Springfield Township, Bucks CountySpringfield Township, Bucks County, PennsylvaniaSpringfield Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,035 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 30.8 square miles , all of it land...
(south) - Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh CountyUpper Saucon Township, PennsylvaniaUpper Saucon Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Saucon Valley....
(southwest) - Salisbury Township, Lehigh CountySalisbury Township, Lehigh County, PennsylvaniaSalisbury Township is a township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The township borders Allentown Bethlehem, and Emmaus, in the Lehigh Valley region....
(west) - Fountain Hill, Lehigh CountyFountain Hill, PennsylvaniaFountain Hill is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Fountain Hill was 4,614 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
(northwest)
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 9,884 people, 3,735 households, and 2,890 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 409.4 people per square mile (158.1/km²). There were 3,915 housing units at an average density of 162.2/sq mi (62.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.73% White, 0.56% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.69% 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 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 3,735 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.6% 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, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $59,964, and the median income for a family was $68,457. Males had a median income of $46,727 versus $30,256 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 $30,280. About 2.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Public education
Lower Saucon Township and Hellertown Borough are served by the Saucon Valley School DistrictSaucon Valley School District
Saucon Valley School District is a midsized susburban public school district located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It serves the borough of Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township. Saucon Valley School District encompasses approximately 20 square miles. According to 2000...
.
History
Until the mid-17th century, the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) tribes hunted and inhabited the land of Lower Saucon Township. European traders first appeared in the area prior to 1700, and the Native Americans peacefully traded with these outsiders, although some minor skirmishes did occur. William Penn was granted land on March 4, 1681, by King Charles II to repay a debt owed to Penn’s father. The land grant included what is now Lower Saucon Township. However, Penn soon realized that he needed to purchase the land from the Native Americans to maintain clear ownership. Penn advertised throughout Europe, offering 100 acre (0.404686 km²) parcels of land for 40 shillings, subject to a rent of one shilling per annum forever.In 1737, Penn’s sons expanded their land holdings to include most of the Lehigh Valley through the “Walking Purchase.” Although the Lenni Lenape did not think this was a legitimate claim, they eventually moved out of the area, allowing Europeans to settle it. Sometime before 1737, Nathaniel Irish established a farm, built a grist and saw mill, and opened a land office for William Penn. He is considered the first European settler in Lower Saucon Township. His land later became known as Shimersville. Irish was the first justice of the peace in the area, and the first “King’s Highway,” from Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley, built in 1737, led to his property.
Lower Saucon Township was chartered in 1743, when it was still a part of Bucks County. It was established in the rich farmland along the Saucon Creek. The name is of Native American origin, from sakunk, meaning “at the mouth of the creek.” The township also included South Bethlehem until 1865 and Hellertown until 1872. German immigrants, convinced by Penn’s favorable description of the New World, settled Lower Saucon Township in large numbers, beginning in the 1730s. Some of the surnames of the early German settlers were Boehm, Wagner, Appel, Riegel, Lerch, Laubach, Oberley, Heller, Shimer, and Lutz. These early settlers were hardworking, and their farms prospered. There were numerous mills built to provide sawed wood, flour, textiles, paper, and gunpowder. Other early industry included lime kilns and the extracting of zinc and iron ore.
During the Revolutionary War, many German farmers enlisted in the Continental army to fight the British. At a time when the army’s reserves were depleted, they offered to sell wheat and rye on credit. In 1777, soldiers of the Continental army transporting the Liberty Bell to Allentown passed through Lower Saucon, spending a night in Leithsville. The Marquis de Lafayette, according to legend, stopped at Wagner’s Tavern in Hellertown on his way to Bethlehem during the war.
The first church, Lower Saucon Church, was established in 1734, soon after the early settlers had arrived. It was built by a German Reformed congregation on what is now Easton Road. There were 10 schools in place in the township even before the legislature of Pennsylvania adopted the public school system in 1834. These schools were established by the local church congregations.
When the North Penn Railroad, connecting Philadelphia to Bethlehem, was completed in 1856, this 55 miles (88.5 km) line provided an impetus to building iron smelters in Bingen, Hellertown, and Iron Hill, due to the township’s wealth of iron ore and limestone. The railroad brought coal to this industry, transported pig iron to markets, and provided transportation for the township’s population. Lower Saucon Township felt the influence of the Bethlehem Steel Company. The executives purchased farmland in the township to build large estates, and the steel company became the largest employer in the area. When it ceased manufacturing in 1995, many residents of Lower Saucon suffered loss of employment.
Today, farmland continues to be lost to housing developments at a startling rate. The township still processes beautiful woods, streams, and rolling hills, but care must be taken to preserve these open spaces that remain.
The Ehrhart's Mill Historic District
Ehrhart's Mill Historic District
Ehrhart's Mill Historic District is a national historic district located along Saucon Creek at Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 9 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, and 4 contributing structures associated with a 19th and early 20th century...
, Michael and Margaret Heller House
Michael and Margaret Heller House
Michael and Margaret Heller House, also known as the Heller Homestead, is a historic home located at Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The house is a two part building, renovated in 1934-1935 in the Colonial Revival style. The house has a two-story, five bay main block built...
and Lutz-Franklin School
Lutz-Franklin School
Lutz-Franklin School is a historic one-room school building located at Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1880, and is a one story, rectangular stone building with a belfry in the Late Victorian style. A front porch was added in 1901. The building measures...
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...
.
Legislators
- State Representative Justin SimmonsJustin SimmonsJustin Simmons is an American politician and member of the Republican Party who is serving his first term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives...
, Republican, 131st district (Seidersville ward) - State Representative Robert L. FreemanRobert L. FreemanRobert L. Freeman is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In 2003, the political website PoliticsPA named him as a possible successor to House Minority Leader Bill DeWeese.-External links:* official PA House website...
, Democrat, 136th district (Hellertown, Leithsville, Lower Saucon, Shimersville and Wassergass wards) - State Senator Lisa BoscolaLisa BoscolaLisa M. Boscola is a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 18th Senate District which includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties. She is in the Democratic Party.Boscola is a resident of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
, Democrat, 18th district - US Representative Charlie DentCharlie DentCharles "Charlie" Dent is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes all of Northampton County, most of Lehigh County, and small parts of Berks and Montgomery Counties....
, Republican, 15th district
Township Council
Lower Saucon is a second-class township and elects five council members at large.- Glenn Kern, President
- Thomas Maxfield, Vice President
- Priscilla DeLeon
- Ron Horiszny
- Sandra Yerger
External links
- Lower Saucon Township
- Saucon Valley Info (community website with events & organizations listed)
- Lower Saucon Township Historical Society