Sellersville, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Sellersville is a borough in Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 4,249 at the 2010 census. Sellersville is part of Pennridge School District
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.69%) is water. It is located in Southeastern Pennsylvania as part of Northern Bucks County (colloquially referred to as Upper Bucks) which borders Philadelphia County
.
that connected Philadelphia
to Bethlehem
and the rest of what was then far Western Pennsylvania
. The town was very small and its most notable feature was a large inn
. The Inn is today called the Washington House because it is believed to have been visited at least once by George Washington
during the Revolutionary War. The town grew slowly over the years until the Industrial Revolution
. In the 1860s the North Pennsylvania Railroad
was built, running parallel to Bethlehem Pike: this stimulated the growth of light textile industries and brought a wave of population growth. The East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
runs through the town which connects it to an adjacent town of Perkasie
. This creek was dammed in the early 20th century creating a small body of water known as Lake Lenape. Along the length of the lake a park was built on Perkasie and Sellersville lands. In the 1920s and 1930s this park housed a carousel, a roller coaster and several other amusements. The railroad brought hundreds of people from Philadelphia in the summer time, and it became a well known vacation spot for blue collar city workers.
Today the town is still relatively small, sandwiched in between a ridge line and the larger town of Perkasie
. The center of town still runs along Bethlehem Pike which is now called Old Route 309. The Washington House still stands and has recently been restored to become an upscale restaurant. The creek is still dammed but only the carousel in Perkasie remains of the amusements. The textile industry has long moved out of the area and Sellersville has become mainly a residential town for people working in the many urban centers that are only a short commute away. The addition of Grandview Hospital on the ridgeline overlooking Sellersville has provided some local jobs. The town is surrounded on three sides by open country and spread out housing developments.
of 2010, there were 4,249 people residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 93.6% White, 1.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races
, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 4,564 people, 1,770 households, and 1,198 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 3,934.1 people per square mile (1,519.1/km²). There were 1,827 housing units at an average density of 1,574.8 per square mile (608.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.30% White, 0.57% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races
, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 1,770 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,500, and the median income for a family was $55,313. Males had a median income of $38,018 versus $27,056 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $19,970. About 5.4% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Lizzie High Doll Factory, a world-renowned doll manufacturer, has made its home in Sellersville. The old manufacturing facility has revamped its facilities to include a doll museum and other businesses in addition to doll manufacturing.
Sellersville Theater, an old run-down movie theater that closed in 2001, was bought and renovated by the owners of the Washington House restaurant to become the premiere music hall in the area. The theater, an old stable to the Washington House, was renovated in keeping with the Victorian era in which it was built. Many acts have come through its doors, including such well-known artists as Richie Havens, Rosanne Cash and George Winston.
Bux-Mont Awards, Opened in 1991, Bux-Mont Awards is the awards and engraving supplier of Bucks and Montgomery counties. Started out of the Sellersville basement of the owner, Greg Bencsik, Bux-Mont Awards moved into the building at 201 North Main Street owned by the Odd Fellows
in 1997, and marked its 15th year in business by opening a second store and expanding its web presence. Recently Bux-Mont Awards moved one block north on Main St. to the historic Baum House. After severe degradation in the structure of the house and having been in the Baum family since it was built, the Baum house was bought and renovated by local businessman Kelly Fox, of Fox Construction.
Zohf Design, Inc., a premier web design and graphic design firm based on the principles of clean design, compliant code, and quick turn around time. Located on Grove circle in Sellersville, and founded in 2004 by Josh Laincz, it continues to be a successful local small business.
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, 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 4,249 at the 2010 census. Sellersville is part of Pennridge School District
Pennridge School District
Pennridge School District is located approximately north of Philadelphia in Bucks County, Southeast Pennsylvania.-The District:Pennridge School District, covers approximately with a total population of 45,000 and encompasses eight municipalities including the boroughs of Dublin, Perkasie,...
.
Geography
Sellersville is located at 40°21′31"N 75°18′36"W (40.358565, -75.310082).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 borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (1.69%) is water. It is located in Southeastern Pennsylvania as part of Northern Bucks County (colloquially referred to as Upper Bucks) which borders Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
.
History
Sellersville began in the early 18th century. It was centered on a major road known as Bethlehem PikeBethlehem Pike
Bethlehem Pike is a historic 41 mi long road in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, connecting Philadelphia and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It began as a Native American path called the Minsi Trail which evolved into a colonial highway called the King's Road in the 1760s. Most of the route...
that connected Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem 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,...
and the rest of what was then far Western 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...
. The town was very small and its most notable feature was a large inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
. The Inn is today called the Washington House because it is believed to have been visited at least once by 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...
during the Revolutionary War. The town grew slowly over the years until the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. In the 1860s the North Pennsylvania Railroad
North Pennsylvania Railroad
North Pennsylvania Railroad was a railroad company formed in 1855, and served Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania.-History:...
was built, running parallel to Bethlehem Pike: this stimulated the growth of light textile industries and brought a wave of population growth. The East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.Perkiomen Creek begins in Hereford Township, Berks County, initially flows eastward into Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, and turns southward to reenter...
runs through the town which connects it to an adjacent town of Perkasie
Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Perkasie is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. Establishments in the borough early in the twentieth century included silk mills, baseballs, brickyards, lumber mills, tile works, a stone crusher, and manufacturies of cigars, tags and labels, wire novelties, etc. The...
. This creek was dammed in the early 20th century creating a small body of water known as Lake Lenape. Along the length of the lake a park was built on Perkasie and Sellersville lands. In the 1920s and 1930s this park housed a carousel, a roller coaster and several other amusements. The railroad brought hundreds of people from Philadelphia in the summer time, and it became a well known vacation spot for blue collar city workers.
Today the town is still relatively small, sandwiched in between a ridge line and the larger town of Perkasie
Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Perkasie is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. Establishments in the borough early in the twentieth century included silk mills, baseballs, brickyards, lumber mills, tile works, a stone crusher, and manufacturies of cigars, tags and labels, wire novelties, etc. The...
. The center of town still runs along Bethlehem Pike which is now called Old Route 309. The Washington House still stands and has recently been restored to become an upscale restaurant. The creek is still dammed but only the carousel in Perkasie remains of the amusements. The textile industry has long moved out of the area and Sellersville has become mainly a residential town for people working in the many urban centers that are only a short commute away. The addition of Grandview Hospital on the ridgeline overlooking Sellersville has provided some local jobs. The town is surrounded on three sides by open country and spread out housing developments.
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 2010, there were 4,249 people residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 93.6% White, 1.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.0% 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 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.
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 4,564 people, 1,770 households, and 1,198 families residing in the borough. 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 3,934.1 people per square mile (1,519.1/km²). There were 1,827 housing units at an average density of 1,574.8 per square mile (608.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.30% White, 0.57% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.48% 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 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.
There were 1,770 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% 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, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $46,500, and the median income for a family was $55,313. Males had a median income of $38,018 versus $27,056 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 borough was $19,970. About 5.4% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
Notable current and former residents of Sellersville include:- Walter Emerson BaumWalter Emerson BaumWalter Emerson Baum was an American artist and educator active in the Bucks and Lehigh County areas of Pennsylvania in the United States...
, noted Pennsylvania impressionistPennsylvania ImpressionismPennsylvania Impressionism refers to an American Impressionist movement from the first half of the 20th century that was centered in and around Bucks County, Pennsylvania, particularly the area around the town of New Hope...
painter and art educator - Chris CollingwoodChris CollingwoodChris Collingwood, born in 1967 in USA, is a singer, songwriter, and founding member of the power pop band Fountains of Wayne. Collingwood's major influences are The Beatles, The Zombies, The Hollies, Aztec Camera, Squeeze, and Blue Öyster Cult....
, co-founder of the power popPower popPower pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
band, Fountains of WayneFountains of WayneFountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:... - Jamie MoyerJamie MoyerJamie Moyer is an American professional left handed baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. At the time of his last game to date , he was the oldest player in the major leagues and had the most wins, losses, and strikeouts of any active Major League pitcher...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the... - Kyle BlanksKyle BlanksKyle Nathaniel Blanks is a Major League Baseball player for the San Diego Padres.-Early life:Blanks grew up in Moriarty, New Mexico where he was a stand-out for the Moriarty High Pintos...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielderOutfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, of the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
Local businesses
In addition to the Washington House, Sellersville is home to some unique businesses, including the following:Lizzie High Doll Factory, a world-renowned doll manufacturer, has made its home in Sellersville. The old manufacturing facility has revamped its facilities to include a doll museum and other businesses in addition to doll manufacturing.
Sellersville Theater, an old run-down movie theater that closed in 2001, was bought and renovated by the owners of the Washington House restaurant to become the premiere music hall in the area. The theater, an old stable to the Washington House, was renovated in keeping with the Victorian era in which it was built. Many acts have come through its doors, including such well-known artists as Richie Havens, Rosanne Cash and George Winston.
Bux-Mont Awards, Opened in 1991, Bux-Mont Awards is the awards and engraving supplier of Bucks and Montgomery counties. Started out of the Sellersville basement of the owner, Greg Bencsik, Bux-Mont Awards moved into the building at 201 North Main Street owned by the Odd Fellows
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
in 1997, and marked its 15th year in business by opening a second store and expanding its web presence. Recently Bux-Mont Awards moved one block north on Main St. to the historic Baum House. After severe degradation in the structure of the house and having been in the Baum family since it was built, the Baum house was bought and renovated by local businessman Kelly Fox, of Fox Construction.
Zohf Design, Inc., a premier web design and graphic design firm based on the principles of clean design, compliant code, and quick turn around time. Located on Grove circle in Sellersville, and founded in 2004 by Josh Laincz, it continues to be a successful local small business.