Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Upper Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 28,395 at the 2010 census.
Located 16 miles (26 km) from Philadelphia, it consists of the villages of King of Prussia
, Swedeland, Swedesburg, Gulph Mills
, and Wayne
.
The westernmost part of the township is the site of Valley Forge
, as well as comprising the largest part of Valley Forge National Historical Park
.
The township is the home of the King of Prussia Mall
as well as the 1300 acres (5 km²) Valley Forge National Park. King of Prussia is also a major office park hosting firms such as Lockheed Martin
and GlaxoSmithKline
.
The name Merion originates with the north Welsh
district of Meirionnydd
in Gwynedd
. Meirionnydd is translated into Merioneth in the English language.
, built in 1709, captures the historical flavor of the township. It was named by a Prussian immigrant in honor of Frederick the Great, but became known during the Revolutionary War as a center of food and drink. An alternate story says the Inn, first called Berry’s Tavern, got its name to lure in Prussian mercenaries who spent freely.
Upper Merion Township is a township of the second class under Pennsylvania state statutes. A five-member Board of Supervisors, elected at large for staggered six-year terms, governs it. The Board passes legislation and sets overall policy for the Township. A professional township manager runs the day-to-day operations overseeing the activities of 250 full and part-time employees.
In the late 1970s, Upper Merion was also listed as the number one drug school in the magazine "High Times".
, the township has a total area of 17.2 square miles (44.7 km²), of which, 16.9 square miles (43.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (2.20%) is water.
.
After crossing the Schuylkill River at Swedesford on December 13, 1777, General George Washington
and his troops visited Old Swedes Church and encamped there before going on to Valley Forge
.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 26,863 people, 11,575 households, and 7,141 families residing in the township. The population density
was 1,593.3 people per square mile (615.2/km²). There were 12,151 housing units at an average density of 720.7/sq mi (278.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 84.75% White, 4.63% African American, 0.13% Native American, 8.45% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races
, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.79% of the population.
There were 11,575 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples
living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the township the population was spread out with 18.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $65,636, and the median income for a family was $78,690. Males had a median income of $51,247 versus $38,166 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $34,961. About 1.3% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
"The township government is dedicated to providing these services through the efficient and effective use of the community's available resources in an honest, open and caring manner."
The Supervisors hire a township manager to run the operations of the township. The current township manager is Ronald Wagenmann.
.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 28,395 at the 2010 census.
Located 16 miles (26 km) from Philadelphia, it consists of the villages of King of Prussia
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
, Swedeland, Swedesburg, Gulph Mills
Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania
Gulph Mills is an unincorporated community in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is served by the Upper Merion Area School District....
, and Wayne
Wayne, Pennsylvania
Wayne is an unincorporated community located on the Main Line, centered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. While the center of Wayne is in Radnor Township, Wayne extends into both Tredyffrin Township in Chester County and Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County...
.
The westernmost part of the township is the site of Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, as well as comprising the largest part of Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site where the Continental Army spent the winter of 1777–1778 near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolutionary War. The National Historical Park preserves the site and interprets the history of the Valley Forge encampment. ...
.
The township is the home of the King of Prussia Mall
King of Prussia Mall
The King of Prussia Mall is the largest shopping mall on the East Coast of the United States, and largest shopping mall in the United States of America in terms of leasable retail space....
as well as the 1300 acres (5 km²) Valley Forge National Park. King of Prussia is also a major office park hosting firms such as Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
and GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
.
The name Merion originates with the north Welsh
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
district of Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd is a coastal and mountainous region of Wales. It has been a kingdom, a cantref, a district and, as Merionethshire, a county.-Kingdom:...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. Meirionnydd is translated into Merioneth in the English language.
History
The Township's incorporation dates to 1713 when the King of Prussia Inn, the Bird-In-Hand Inn in Gulph Mills, and later the Swedes Ford Inn were required to pay 6 shillings to the Legislature for licenses. The King of Prussia InnKing of Prussia Inn
The King of Prussia Inn is a historic tavern in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.-History:...
, built in 1709, captures the historical flavor of the township. It was named by a Prussian immigrant in honor of Frederick the Great, but became known during the Revolutionary War as a center of food and drink. An alternate story says the Inn, first called Berry’s Tavern, got its name to lure in Prussian mercenaries who spent freely.
Upper Merion Township is a township of the second class under Pennsylvania state statutes. A five-member Board of Supervisors, elected at large for staggered six-year terms, governs it. The Board passes legislation and sets overall policy for the Township. A professional township manager runs the day-to-day operations overseeing the activities of 250 full and part-time employees.
In the late 1970s, Upper Merion was also listed as the number one drug school in the magazine "High Times".
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 17.2 square miles (44.7 km²), of which, 16.9 square miles (43.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (2.20%) is water.
Notable sights
Old Swedes Church (Christ Church) was dedicated June 25, 1760 in Swedesburg, replacing a simple log cabin dating to 1735. The original church had served as both a church and school until Christ Church was built. The stained glass windows tell the story of the history of the Swedish colony of New SwedenNew Sweden
New Sweden was a Swedish colony along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America from 1638 to 1655. Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware, was the first settlement. New Sweden included parts of the present-day American states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
.
After crossing the Schuylkill River at Swedesford on December 13, 1777, General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and his troops visited Old Swedes Church and encamped there before going on to Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the township was 76.0% White, 5.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 14.7% Asian, and 2.1% were two or more races. 3.9% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA.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 26,863 people, 11,575 households, and 7,141 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 1,593.3 people per square mile (615.2/km²). There were 12,151 housing units at an average density of 720.7/sq mi (278.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 84.75% White, 4.63% African American, 0.13% Native American, 8.45% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.66% 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 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.79% of the population.
There were 11,575 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the township the population was spread out with 18.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $65,636, and the median income for a family was $78,690. Males had a median income of $51,247 versus $38,166 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 $34,961. About 1.3% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Township Mission Statement
"To promote community vitality, economic prosperity and cultural harmony, Upper Merion Township will provide services which are responsive to the health, safety and general welfare needs of the community.""The township government is dedicated to providing these services through the efficient and effective use of the community's available resources in an honest, open and caring manner."
Government and Politics
Upper Merion Township is run by an elected five person Board of Supervisors, each of whom serve six year terms. The current supervisors are Ed McBride (R), William Jenaway (R), Joseph Bartlett (R), Erika Spott (D) and Greg Waks (D). All township meetings are televised.The Supervisors hire a township manager to run the operations of the township. The current township manager is Ronald Wagenmann.
| Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 40.1% 5,694 | 59.1% 8,791 |
| 2004 | 43.1% 6,380 | 56.5% 8,375 |
| 2000 | 43.5% 5,455 | 54.2% 6,801 |
| 1996 | 40.8% 4,231 | 48.8% 5,062 |
| 1992 | 32.3% 5,099 | 42.6% 5,528 |
Education
Public school students in Upper Merion Township attend schools in the Upper Merion Area School DistrictUpper Merion Area School District
The Upper Merion Area School District serves Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, and West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania...
.
See also
- King of PrussiaKing of Prussia, PennsylvaniaKing of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe 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...