Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

This article is about the township in Bucks County. For Bristol Borough, see Bristol, Pennsylvania. For the defunct township that was in Philadelphia County, see Bristol Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
Bristol Township, Pennsylvania
Township
Phineas Pemberton House, built starting 1687
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Bucks
Elevation 16 ft (4.9 m)
Coordinates 40°07′00″N 74°51′59″W / 40.11667°N 74.86639°W / 40.11667; -74.86639Coordinates: 40°07′00″N 74°51′59″W / 40.11667°N 74.86639°W / 40.11667; -74.86639
Area 17.2 sq mi (44.5 km2)
 - land 16.1 sq mi (42 km2)
 - water 1.1 sq mi (3 km2), 6.4%
Population 54,582 (2010)
Density 3,439.4/sq mi (1,328.0/km2)
Formed 1692
Timezone EST (UTC-5)
 - summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Area code 215
Location of Bristol Township in Bucks County
Location of Bristol Township in Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Website: http://www.bristoltwp.com

Bristol Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 54,582 at the 2010 census, making it the 13th largest municipality in the state. Bristol Township, along with Bristol Borough, is a cultural hub for Lower Bucks County, hosting celebrations of African and Latino heritage. Parts of the township consist of the neighborhoods of Fairless Hills and Levittown, Pennsylvania.

History

Before Bristol Township was settled, it was populated by Delaware Indians. It was formed as Buckingham Township in 1692 and was renamed Bristol Township in 1702. The springs at Bath, in Bristol Township, were popular among wealthy Philadelphians for a while, but lost popularity to the ones in Saratoga, New York. The Delaware Canal was built in 1831 and connected Bristol to Easton, 60 miles to the north. Still, until the 1950s Bristol Township was largely agricultural. In 1952 William Levitt began construction of his Levittown, which was located partly in Bristol Township.

The Phineas Pemberton House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1]

The War Dog Memorial, located in front of the Bristol Township Municipal Building, was dedicated in 2006.[2]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 17.2 square miles (45 km2), of which, 16.1 square miles (42 km2) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) of it (6.33%) is water.

Bristol Township is located at a crossroads of U.S. Route 13, Pennsylvania Route 413, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and Interstate 95. Some of these roads mentioned originated as Lenni Lenape river trails along the Delaware River. This has made Bristol Township an ideal location.

 Middletown Falls Bordentown Township
Hulmeville Tullytown, Florence
   Bristol Township  
Bensalem Bristol Burlington Township

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18901,591—
19001,397−12.2%
19101,99242.6%
19205,027152.4%
19304,381−12.9%
19405,85733.7%
195012,184108.0%
196059,298386.7%
197067,49813.8%
198058,733−13.0%
199057,129−2.7%
200055,521−2.8%
201054,582−1.7%
[3]

As of the 2010 census, the township was 77.3% Non-Hispanic White, 10.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.8% Asian, and 2.8% were two or more races. 7.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[4]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 55,521 people, 19,733 households, and 14,503 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,439.4 people per square mile (1,328.2/km²). There were 20,486 housing units at an average density of 1,269.1/sq mi (490.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 86.13% White, 8.45% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.85% of the population.

There were 19,733 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $48,090, and the median income for a family was $54,308. Males had a median income of $38,112 versus $28,797 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,090. About 5.4% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Bristol Township students attend schools in the Bristol Township School District, and the notable public high school is Harry S. Truman High School.

Until 1990, for a period of over 12 years, the Lower Bucks Christian Academy leased the Benjamin Franklin Junior High School facility. That year the school district denied renewal of the lease since it wished to repurpose the building as an elementary school. [6]

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ War Dog Memorial, Bristol Township, PA
  3. ↑ "CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  4. ↑ Census 2010: Pennsylvania. Usatoday.Com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
  5. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ Gallagher, David F. "School's Prospects More Dim" (Archive). Philadelphia Inquirer. June 27, 1991. Retrieved on November 29, 2015.
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