Douglassville, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Douglassville is a community in Amity
, Union Townships
, and Douglass Townships
Berks County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Douglassville is situated along U.S. Route 422. Developments include the Amity Gardens subdivision
, the West Ridge subdivision, the Briarwood subdivision, and the High Meadow subdivision. Douglassville also includes Cider Mill and The Woods Edge subdivision along Pennsylvania Route 562.
. Swedish Lutheran Minister Andreas Rudman
secured an order from William Penn on October 21, 1701 setting aside 10000 acres (40.5 km²) up the Schuylkill
, near Manatawny Creek
, for members of his congregation. The boundaries of Amity Township are almost identical to the boundaries of the original area known as Swedes’ tract. Morlatton Village, an early settlement which became part of what is now Douglassville, was Berks County's first settlement site along the Schuylkill River
. The settlement later became the location of Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church
or Old Swedes, founded in 1720 as the oldest church in Berks County. The site also included the Mounce Jones House, built by Swedish settlers in 1716. The house is the oldest documented dwelling in Berks County.
- (Oct 1734 - Sept 1820) An American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States.
Amity Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Amity Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,867 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimate put the population at 11,067...
, Union Townships
Union Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Union Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,453 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,453 people, 1,324 households, and 1,035 families residing in the township. The population density was 148.9 people per square...
, and Douglass Townships
Douglass Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Douglass Township is a township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,327 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.Adjacent townships*Colebrookdale...
Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, 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...
. Douglassville is situated along U.S. Route 422. Developments include the Amity Gardens subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
, the West Ridge subdivision, the Briarwood subdivision, and the High Meadow subdivision. Douglassville also includes Cider Mill and The Woods Edge subdivision along Pennsylvania Route 562.
History
Swedish pioneers were the first European settlers in present Berks County on land granted by William PennWilliam 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...
. Swedish Lutheran Minister Andreas Rudman
Andreas Rudman
Andreas Rudman was a pioneer Swedish-American Lutheran minister. He was pastor of Gloria Dei Church and was appointed Suffragan bishop of the Lutheran Church in America.-Background:...
secured an order from William Penn on October 21, 1701 setting aside 10000 acres (40.5 km²) up the Schuylkill
Schuylkill
Schuylkill may refer to the* Schuylkill River, Pennsylvania, United StatesPlaces:* Schuylkill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, neighborhood in South Philadelphia* Schuylkill Expressway, portion of I-76 in Philadelphia* Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania...
, near Manatawny Creek
Manatawny Creek
Manatawny Creek is an tributary of the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania in the United States.Manatawny Creek joins the Schuylkill River at Pottstown in Montgomery County.-References:...
, for members of his congregation. The boundaries of Amity Township are almost identical to the boundaries of the original area known as Swedes’ tract. Morlatton Village, an early settlement which became part of what is now Douglassville, was Berks County's first settlement site along the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
. The settlement later became the location of Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church
Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church
Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church is a historic church on U.S. 422 in Douglassville, Pennsylvania.It was built in 1801 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978....
or Old Swedes, founded in 1720 as the oldest church in Berks County. The site also included the Mounce Jones House, built by Swedish settlers in 1716. The house is the oldest documented dwelling in Berks County.
Lake Drive Park and Recreation Area
It is on Lake Drive in the Amity Gardens Subdivision. Facilities include Basketball and Tennis Courts, a skateboard park, a pavilion, and a picnic area.Monocacy Hill Preserve
Monocacy Hill Preserve is an undeveloped park used for hiking and environmental education on Monocacy Hill, it is right outside of Douglassville.Notable Residents
Daniel BooneDaniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
- (Oct 1734 - Sept 1820) An American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States.