Horsham Township, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Horsham Township is a home rule municipality
in Montgomery County
, Pennsylvania
, United States. Although it retains the word "Township
" in its official name, it has been governed by a home rule charter since 1975 and is therefore not subject to the Pennsylvania Township Code. The population was 26,147 at the 2010 census, and was chosen as the 15th best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in their 2007 Top 100 Best Places to Live. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove is located in Horsham Township. NAS JRB Willow Grove will continue supporting its mission through 2010 and final closure will occur by the end of September 2011. At that time, it is anticipated that the Pennsylvania Air National Guard
will take custody and the facility will carry an interim designation as Willow Grove Air National Guard Base.
in the historic county
of Sussex
in the South of England. Horsham is one of several townships in Montgomery County whose name and size were determined by master survey lines drawn by William Penn
's engineers as they first plotted this part of the colony for sale and settlement. Parallel lines, projected at intervals of a mile and a half and extending in a northwesterly direction from settlements along the Delaware, served not only as base lines for measurement of individual land grants but also as courses for future highways. County Line Road, Horsham Road, and Welsh Road are examples of highways so laid out. The effect of these survey lines upon the development pattern of Eastern Montgomery County is very much in evidence today.
In 1684, the entire township of 17 square miles (44 km²) was made available to individual purchasers. Samuel Carpenter
, from the town of Horsham in the historic county of Sussex, England, after which the township is named, purchased 5000 acres (20.2 km²), 4200 acres (17 km²) within the present boundaries of the township. In 1709, Carpenter, then Treasurer of Pennsylvania, began to sell tracts of land to migrating Quakers
. In 1717, Horsham Township was established as a municipal entity by a vote of the people.
In 1718, Sir William Keith
, then Provincial Governor of Pennsylvania, acquired 1200 acres (4.9 km²) of Carpenter's land on which he erected a house in keeping with the dignity of his office. The development of Keith's "plantation" proved to be a step in establishing closer ties between Horsham and neighboring communities, particularly those of Hatboro
and Willow Grove
. He was responsible for the construction of the present Easton Road
(PA Highway 611
) from the old York Road junction at Willow Grove to his mansion on County Line Road in 1722.
The first significant settlement in the Township centered around the junction of Horsham and Easton Roads and was known as Horshamington. Keith's extension of Easton Road prompted the establishment of the Horsham Friends Meeting House.
The township's early social and economic life revolved around this Meeting House. In a similar way, Prospectville, originally known as Cashtown, was established at the junction of two roads, Limekiln Pike and Horsham Road. This portion of Limekiln Pike was an extension of the original segment established in 1693 to provide a thoroughfare between Old York Road and the limekilns of Thomas Fitzwater in Upper Dublin Township. Prospectville, on a high elevation point within the township, offering a resting spot with a tavern for those traveling along either Limekiln Pike or Horsham Road. Here lived several generations of the Simpson family, one of whom was the mother of Ulysses S. Grant
, the 18th President of the United States.
The hamlet of Davis Grove grew at the intersection of Keith's Road (now called Governors Road) and Privet Road and was once a focal point of community life. It was here the residents of the township came to vote, discuss politics, and attend community meetings. The "Golden Ball Inn", which at one time was used for housing guests of Governor Keith, enjoyed much Revolutionary splendor. The two roads were formerly through links. Keith's Road extended from Easton Road to Keith Valley Road and Privet Road, from Horsham Road to Easton Road. Expansion of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station caused the closing of these roads and the absorption of the hamlet. Today, there are virtually no remaining signs of the original settlement.
Through most of the early and the middle 19th Century, Horsham's population grew slowly. Its character was not altered in any significant way until about 1872, when the North Pennsylvania Railroad extended a rail line from Glenside to New Hope and established a station in the nearby community of Hatboro, two and three-quarter miles east of the nucleus of Horshamville. Horsham-Hatboro-Byberry Road provided easy access to Hatboro's station and, as a result, residential development began along the road virtually linking the two communities together. By 1890, the township's population reached 1,300.
In 1896, the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company's northern extension of the Philadelphia-Willow Grove trolley service was extended to Doylestown along Easton Road from the Willow Grove Amusement Park at Easton and Welsh Roads. This provided various connections to other trolley lines.
In 1926, Harold F. Pitcairn, a pioneer in the development of the autogiro, a forerunner of the helicopter, outgrew his flying field in Bryn Athyn and purchased 191 acre (0.77295026 km²) of farmland along Easton Road in the vicinity of Graeme Park. The new "Pitcairn Field" remained in operation for testing "autogiros" until 1942 when the United States Navy purchased the field. On May 28, 2006, the Base Realignment and Closure commission recommended that this base be closed as part of the 2005 BRAC round, that the tenant Air Force Reserve Command airlift wing be deactivated and that Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve flying units relocate to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey as tenant units. Final closure of NAS JRB Willow Grove will occur on September 15, 2011.
, the township has a total area of 17.3 square miles (44.8 km²), all of it land. One branch of the Pennypack Creek
arises in Horsham.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 24,232 people, 9,082 households, and 6,448 families residing in the township. The population density
was 1,398.6 people per square mile (539.9/km²). There were 9,269 housing units at an average density of 535.0 per square mile (206.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.82% White
, 3.73% African American
, 0.17% Native American
, 4.80% Asian
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
, 0.55% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races
. Hispanics or Latinos
of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 9,082 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples
living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.18.
The age distribution was 27.0% under 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $61,998, and the median income for a family was $72,608. Males had a median income of $48,036 versus $34,505 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $28,542. About 1.4% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
, a professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats
, played high school basketball at Hatboro-Horsham High School
in Horsham under coach Walt Ostrowski. He played college basketball at the University of Notre Dame
. His brother, Pat, starred at Saint Joseph's University
. His grandfather, legendary Pennsylvania high school coach Don Graham began Carroll Camps, a basketball camp run by the brothers to teach the fundamentals of basketball, specifically shooting.
Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania)
A Home Rule Municipality in Pennsylvania is one incorporated under its own unique charter, created pursuant to the state's Home Rule and Optional Plans Law and approved by referendum. "Local governments without home rule can only act where specifically authorized by state law; home rule...
in Montgomery County
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. Although it retains the word "Township
Township (Pennsylvania)
A township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America, is one of four types of municipalities in the state . Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to forty square miles...
" in its official name, it has been governed by a home rule charter since 1975 and is therefore not subject to the Pennsylvania Township Code. The population was 26,147 at the 2010 census, and was chosen as the 15th best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in their 2007 Top 100 Best Places to Live. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove is located in Horsham Township. NAS JRB Willow Grove will continue supporting its mission through 2010 and final closure will occur by the end of September 2011. At that time, it is anticipated that the Pennsylvania Air National Guard
Pennsylvania Air National Guard
The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is, along with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, an element of the Pennsylvania National Guard. It is considered a part of the United States Air Force, as well as of the state.-Overview:The...
will take custody and the facility will carry an interim designation as Willow Grove Air National Guard Base.
History
Horsham Township is named after the town of HorshamHorsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
in the historic county
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
in the South of England. Horsham is one of several townships in Montgomery County whose name and size were determined by master survey lines drawn by William Penn
William 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...
's engineers as they first plotted this part of the colony for sale and settlement. Parallel lines, projected at intervals of a mile and a half and extending in a northwesterly direction from settlements along the Delaware, served not only as base lines for measurement of individual land grants but also as courses for future highways. County Line Road, Horsham Road, and Welsh Road are examples of highways so laid out. The effect of these survey lines upon the development pattern of Eastern Montgomery County is very much in evidence today.
In 1684, the entire township of 17 square miles (44 km²) was made available to individual purchasers. Samuel Carpenter
Samuel Carpenter
Samuel Carpenter was a Deputy Governor of colonial Pennsylvania. He signed the historic document "The Declaration of Fealty, Christian Belief and Test" dated 10 September 1695; the original is in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania...
, from the town of Horsham in the historic county of Sussex, England, after which the township is named, purchased 5000 acres (20.2 km²), 4200 acres (17 km²) within the present boundaries of the township. In 1709, Carpenter, then Treasurer of Pennsylvania, began to sell tracts of land to migrating Quakers
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
. In 1717, Horsham Township was established as a municipal entity by a vote of the people.
In 1718, Sir William Keith
William Keith (Colonial Governor)
Sir William Keith, Bt was a lieutenant-governor of colonial Pennsylvania and Delaware.Keith was born in Boddam Castle near Peterhead, Scotland to Sir William Keith, Baronet, of Ludquhairn, Scotland and Lady Jean Keith. He was baptised on 16 February 1680. As eldest son, he stood to inherit the...
, then Provincial Governor of Pennsylvania, acquired 1200 acres (4.9 km²) of Carpenter's land on which he erected a house in keeping with the dignity of his office. The development of Keith's "plantation" proved to be a step in establishing closer ties between Horsham and neighboring communities, particularly those of Hatboro
Hatboro, Pennsylvania
Hatboro is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,360 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hatboro is located at ....
and Willow Grove
Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Willow Grove is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A community in Philadelphia's northern suburbs, the population was 15,726 at the 2010 census. It is located in Abington Township and Upper Moreland Township...
. He was responsible for the construction of the present Easton Road
Pennsylvania Route 611
Pennsylvania Route 611 is a major state highway in Pennsylvania, United States, running from Interstate 95 south of downtown Philadelphia north to Interstate 380 in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania in The Poconos....
(PA Highway 611
Pennsylvania Route 611
Pennsylvania Route 611 is a major state highway in Pennsylvania, United States, running from Interstate 95 south of downtown Philadelphia north to Interstate 380 in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania in The Poconos....
) from the old York Road junction at Willow Grove to his mansion on County Line Road in 1722.
The first significant settlement in the Township centered around the junction of Horsham and Easton Roads and was known as Horshamington. Keith's extension of Easton Road prompted the establishment of the Horsham Friends Meeting House.
The township's early social and economic life revolved around this Meeting House. In a similar way, Prospectville, originally known as Cashtown, was established at the junction of two roads, Limekiln Pike and Horsham Road. This portion of Limekiln Pike was an extension of the original segment established in 1693 to provide a thoroughfare between Old York Road and the limekilns of Thomas Fitzwater in Upper Dublin Township. Prospectville, on a high elevation point within the township, offering a resting spot with a tavern for those traveling along either Limekiln Pike or Horsham Road. Here lived several generations of the Simpson family, one of whom was the mother of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, the 18th President of the United States.
The hamlet of Davis Grove grew at the intersection of Keith's Road (now called Governors Road) and Privet Road and was once a focal point of community life. It was here the residents of the township came to vote, discuss politics, and attend community meetings. The "Golden Ball Inn", which at one time was used for housing guests of Governor Keith, enjoyed much Revolutionary splendor. The two roads were formerly through links. Keith's Road extended from Easton Road to Keith Valley Road and Privet Road, from Horsham Road to Easton Road. Expansion of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station caused the closing of these roads and the absorption of the hamlet. Today, there are virtually no remaining signs of the original settlement.
Through most of the early and the middle 19th Century, Horsham's population grew slowly. Its character was not altered in any significant way until about 1872, when the North Pennsylvania Railroad extended a rail line from Glenside to New Hope and established a station in the nearby community of Hatboro, two and three-quarter miles east of the nucleus of Horshamville. Horsham-Hatboro-Byberry Road provided easy access to Hatboro's station and, as a result, residential development began along the road virtually linking the two communities together. By 1890, the township's population reached 1,300.
In 1896, the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company's northern extension of the Philadelphia-Willow Grove trolley service was extended to Doylestown along Easton Road from the Willow Grove Amusement Park at Easton and Welsh Roads. This provided various connections to other trolley lines.
In 1926, Harold F. Pitcairn, a pioneer in the development of the autogiro, a forerunner of the helicopter, outgrew his flying field in Bryn Athyn and purchased 191 acre (0.77295026 km²) of farmland along Easton Road in the vicinity of Graeme Park. The new "Pitcairn Field" remained in operation for testing "autogiros" until 1942 when the United States Navy purchased the field. On May 28, 2006, the Base Realignment and Closure commission recommended that this base be closed as part of the 2005 BRAC round, that the tenant Air Force Reserve Command airlift wing be deactivated and that Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve flying units relocate to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey as tenant units. Final closure of NAS JRB Willow Grove will occur on September 15, 2011.
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 17.3 square miles (44.8 km²), all of it land. One branch of the Pennypack Creek
Pennypack Creek
Pennypack Creek is a creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through eastern Montgomery County, lower Bucks County, and the northeast section of Philadelphia, before emptying into the Delaware River.-Name:...
arises in Horsham.
Government and politics
| 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 | 45.8% 6,334 | 53.6% 7,409 |
| 2004 | 51.2% 6,733 | 48.3% 6,353 |
| 2000 | 51.5% 5,464 | 45.9% 4,868 |
| 1996 | 45.6% 3,878 | 41.2% 3,500 |
| 1992 | 43.0% 4,102 | 33.8% 3,227 |
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, Horsham Township was 86.0% White, 4.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 7.2% Asian, and 1.3% were two or more races. 2.9% 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 24,232 people, 9,082 households, and 6,448 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 1,398.6 people per square mile (539.9/km²). There were 9,269 housing units at an average density of 535.0 per square mile (206.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.82% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 3.73% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.17% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 4.80% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 0.55% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
. Hispanics or Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of any race were 1.60% of the population.
There were 9,082 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% 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, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.18.
The age distribution was 27.0% under 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $61,998, and the median income for a family was $72,608. Males had a median income of $48,036 versus $34,505 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 $28,542. About 1.4% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
Matt CarrollMatt Carroll (basketball)
Matthew Carroll is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA.Carroll is tall and weighs . He played high school basketball at Hatboro-Horsham High School in Horsham, Pennsylvania under coach Walt Ostrowski. He played college basketball at the University of...
, a professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
, played high school basketball at Hatboro-Horsham High School
Hatboro-Horsham High School
Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School is a comprehensive public high school, serving grades 9 -12, located in Horsham, Pennsylvania, about 17 miles outside of Philadelphia. It is the only high school in the Hatboro-Horsham School District which includes part of Ambler as well as Horsham and Hatboro...
in Horsham under coach Walt Ostrowski. He played college basketball at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. His brother, Pat, starred at Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
. His grandfather, legendary Pennsylvania high school coach Don Graham began Carroll Camps, a basketball camp run by the brothers to teach the fundamentals of basketball, specifically shooting.