Springfield Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

History

The Jacob Funk House and Barn, Knecht's Mill Covered Bridge, Springhouse Farm, and Springtown Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was also the location of the formerly listed Haupt's Mill Covered Bridge.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 30.8 square miles (79.7 km²), all of it land. It is located in the Delaware watershed and, while most of the township is drained directly eastward into the Delaware River by Tohickon Creek and Cooks Creek (both of which start in Springfield,) a very small area in the extreme west is drained by the Unami Creek into the Perkiomen Creek and Schuylkill River.

Springfield Township's villages include Hilltop, Passer, Pleasant Valley, Springtown, and Zionhill. Many longtime residents share ties with the Saucon Valley (the nearby Coopersburg and Hellertown areas of the Lehigh Valley.) Most of the township enjoys mutual local calling with the Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton as well as Quakertown telephone exchanges. Many township residents have Coopersburg, Quakertown or Hellertown addresses.

Springfield has three numbered routes: 309, 212, and 412. The four-lane highway 309 crosses the west end north-to-south en route from Allentown to Quakertown while 212 comes north from Quakertown and 412 comes SE from Bethlehem to join eastward through Springtown and diverge to end on Route 611 in Durham Furnace and Harrow, respectively. Other local roads of note include north-to-south Old Bethlehem Pike in the extreme west, Old Bethlehem Road in the SE, and Richlandtown Pike, and east-to-west Passer Road, Peppermint Valley/Slifer Valley/Lehnenberg Road, and State Road.

Neighboring municipalities

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,963 people, 1,900 households, and 1,470 families residing in the township. The population density was 161.2 people per square mile (62.3/km²). There were 1,972 housing units at an average density of 64.1/sq mi (24.7/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 98.61% White, 0.60% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 1,900 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 17.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% 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 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $60,061, and the median income for a family was $64,909. Males had a median income of $45,063 versus $30,592 for females. The per capita income for the township was $29,355. About 2.5% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Board of supervisors

Springfield is a second class township that elects five at-large Supervisors.

Education

Springfield Township is in the Palisades School District.

Notable People