Fairfield Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Fairfield Township is a township in Lycoming County
, Pennsylvania
, in the United States. The population was 2,659 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport
, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
was read in court in August 1825. Historical records do not record when the township was formed, but court documents cite Fairfield Township as the residence of a defendant
in a lawsuit in a Columbia County
court session in 1826.
John Andrew Shulze
retired to Fairfield Township following his 1823-1829 term as governor of Pennsylvania. Shulze bought 500 acres (2 km²) in western Fairfield Township, now part of Montoursville
for $12,000. His plan was to spend his retirement farming in the West Branch Susquehanna Valley
. Shulze quickly made am impact in Fairfield Township. He built a brick house on his farm and donated an acre of land for the construction of Union Church which was shared by the Lutheran and Presbyterian congregations of Montoursville and Fairfield Township. Ultimately Shulze's time in Fairfield Township can be described as a sad failure. His repeated attempts at farming
were unsuccessful. He also lost a lawsuit filed by William Cameron of Lewisburg
for $3,835.49. Shulze was apparently unable to pay the suit and his property was seized and sold to pay his debt. Governor Shulze then took up residence in Montoursiville, lost even more lawsuits and eventually moved to Lancaster
in 1846 where he lived until his death in 1852. As of 2007, Schulze's Montoursville home is the "Governor Schulze House" Bed and Breakfast
".
Fairfield Township's population has grown since the 1890 census when 468 citizens were counted. The census of 2000 counted 2,659 citizens. Fairfield Township has many residential neighborhoods that are contiguous with the neighboring borough
of Montoursivlle.
to the south. The western border is bounded by Montoursville
and Loyalsock Creek
which forms the border with Loyalsock Township to the west. As the crow flies
, Lycoming County is about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 165 miles (266 km) east-northeast of Pittsburgh.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 11.7 square miles (30.3 km²).11.6 square miles (30.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.02%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,659 people, 1,020 households, and 781 families residing in the township. The population density
was 228.8 people per square mile (88.4/km²). There were 1,100 housing units at an average density of 94.7/sq mi (36.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.97% White, 0.60% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.04% from other races
, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 1,020 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $43,438, and the median income for a family was $49,570. Males had a median income of $37,034 versus $22,826 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $19,807. About 4.1% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
, 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...
, in the United States. The population was 2,659 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
The exact date of the formation of Fairfield Township is not known, but court records point to sometime between August 1825 and December 1826. A petition for the division of Muncy TownshipMuncy Township, Pennsylvania
Muncy Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 1,059 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.The unincorporated village of Pennsdale is located here...
was read in court in August 1825. Historical records do not record when the township was formed, but court documents cite Fairfield Township as the residence of a defendant
Defendant
A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute...
in a lawsuit in a Columbia County
Columbia County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,151 people, 24,915 households, and 16,568 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 27,733 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
court session in 1826.
John Andrew Shulze
John Andrew Shulze
John Andrew Shulze was a Pennsylvania political leader and the sixth Governor of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Muhlenberg family political dynasty....
retired to Fairfield Township following his 1823-1829 term as governor of Pennsylvania. Shulze bought 500 acres (2 km²) in western Fairfield Township, now part of Montoursville
Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Montoursville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,777. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for Madame Montour, a Native American leader and skilled interpreter...
for $12,000. His plan was to spend his retirement farming in the West Branch Susquehanna Valley
West Branch Susquehanna Valley
The West Branch Susquehanna Valley of central Pennsylvania, United States, in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians, is the low lying area draining into the West Branch Susquehanna River southeast of the Allegheny Front, northeast of the Bald Eagle Valley, southwest of the Wyoming Valley and nort of...
. Shulze quickly made am impact in Fairfield Township. He built a brick house on his farm and donated an acre of land for the construction of Union Church which was shared by the Lutheran and Presbyterian congregations of Montoursville and Fairfield Township. Ultimately Shulze's time in Fairfield Township can be described as a sad failure. His repeated attempts at farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
were unsuccessful. He also lost a lawsuit filed by William Cameron of Lewisburg
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
for $3,835.49. Shulze was apparently unable to pay the suit and his property was seized and sold to pay his debt. Governor Shulze then took up residence in Montoursiville, lost even more lawsuits and eventually moved to Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
in 1846 where he lived until his death in 1852. As of 2007, Schulze's Montoursville home is the "Governor Schulze House" Bed and Breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
".
Fairfield Township's population has grown since the 1890 census when 468 citizens were counted. The census of 2000 counted 2,659 citizens. Fairfield Township has many residential neighborhoods that are contiguous with the neighboring borough
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
of Montoursivlle.
Geography
Fairfield Township is bordered by Upper Fairfield Township to the north, Muncy Township to the east and the West Branch Susquehanna RiverWest Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
to the south. The western border is bounded by Montoursville
Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Montoursville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,777. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for Madame Montour, a Native American leader and skilled interpreter...
and Loyalsock Creek
Loyalsock Creek
Loyalsock Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located chiefly in Sullivan and Lycoming counties in Pennsylvania in the United States...
which forms the border with Loyalsock Township to the west. As the crow flies
As the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...
, Lycoming County is about 130 miles (209 km) northwest of Philadelphia and 165 miles (266 km) east-northeast of Pittsburgh.
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 township has a total area of 11.7 square miles (30.3 km²).11.6 square miles (30.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.02%) is water.
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 2,659 people, 1,020 households, and 781 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 228.8 people per square mile (88.4/km²). There were 1,100 housing units at an average density of 94.7/sq mi (36.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.97% White, 0.60% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.04% 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 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 1,020 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the township the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $43,438, and the median income for a family was $49,570. Males had a median income of $37,034 versus $22,826 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 $19,807. About 4.1% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
See also
For histories of the other townships in Lycoming County see- History of the Townships of Lycoming County, PennsylvaniaHistory of the Townships of Lycoming County, PennsylvaniaLycoming County was formed from Northumberland County on April 13, 1795. At the time it was formed the county was much larger than it is today. It took up most of the land that is now north central Pennsylvania....