Bath is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
in
Northampton County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. As of the 2020 census, Bath had a population of 2,808. It is part of the
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th most populous
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
in the U.S. as of the 2020 census.
History
Bath is located at the head of the
Monocacy Creek (Lehigh River tributary)
Monocacy Creek (pronounced muh-naw-cuh-see) is a tributary of the Lehigh River in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Keystone Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2004.
One of only 56 limestone streams in the state ...
in an area of the
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
that was once rich in agriculture. The greater area of the town, however, lies east of the Monocacy Valley.
Bath was established in 1728 as a
Scotch-Irish settlement before the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
as the first settlement by white people in the Forks of the Delaware. It is named for Bath, Somerset, England by Margaret DeLancey, who sold land under her father, lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army, William Allen, in the 1700s.
On March 3, 1737, the 247 acres of land that is currently inside the boundaries of Bath was purchased and surveyed for Daniel Craig.
According to borough historians, this land spans from Chestnut Street to the north of Northampton Street. William Allen conveyed the greater part of Bath's land to his son, Andrew, in 1776, the same year American declared its freedom from the British. That same year, Andrew Allen sold 150 acres of the land to John Lattimore. Andrew Allen also owned land west of the Monocacy, which was eventually confiscated and sold to local families in the area. Today, Bath's current acreage is 576 acres and is less than 1 sq. mi. in area.
On August 18, 2012, Bath celebrated its 275th anniversary.
In 1999, the Bath Business and Community Partnership (BBCP) was established for managing urban revitalization initiatives, including creating a greener town, organizing volunteers, and developing economic restructuring/asset enhancement.
Geography
Bath is located at (40.726556, -75.390338).
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the borough has a total area of , all land. Bath is located north of
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
and west of
Nazareth
Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
, at the intersection of Pennsylvania Routes
248
__NOTOC__
Year 248 ( CCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Philippus and Severus (or, less frequently, year 1001 '' ...
and
512. Bath is also 100 miles (160 km) southwest of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and 60 miles (96 km) northwest of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. It is also located near Wind Gap as well as the Delaware and Lehigh water gaps. Bath's elevation is above sea level as of 2011. The Monocacy Creek, a tributary of the Lehigh River, flows through the town's center. A small park around the creek is located between Main and Northampton streets. Many mills have been built using the creek's water in millraces.
Government
Bath's government involves a mayor, seven council members, and a tax collector. The current mayor is Fiorella ‘Fi’ Reginelli-Mirabito; Michele Ehrgott is Council President; Frank Hesch is Council Vice President. Michele Ehrgott made local history as the first woman to serve as Borough Council President.
The town's general budget is $1.6 million with an assessed valuation of over $53.1 million. Bath represents the
138th House of Representatives District, the
16th Senate District, and the
7th Congressional District.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
estimates
of 2011, there were 2,699 people living in Bath, an increase of 0.7% from 2000. There are 1,298 males (48.2%) and 1,398 females (51.8%). The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 2,890 people per square mile (1,148.9/km
2). There were 1,126 housing units at an average density of 1,244.8 per square mile (483.1/km
2). Racially, the borough consists of 88.9%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 2.2%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.01%
Native American, 1.0%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 1.3% from two or more races.
The most common ancestries in Bath are
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
(33.2%),
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
(13.1%),
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
(10.2%),
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
(4.7%), and
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
(3.7%). The percentage of married families in Bath is 52.5%, while those who have never been married are 24.4%. Divorced residents account for 11.8%, followed by widowed (8.9%) and separated (2.3%) residents. The number of people over the age of 25 with at least a high school diploma is 76.9%. Those with a bachelor's degree or higher is 14.8% and residents with at least a graduate or professional degree is 5.9%. The
unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...
percentage in August 2012 was 8.7%. In 2009, the median income for a household in the borough was $43,983 and the
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $21,999. The average house or condo value was $194,522 and the average cost for rent was $791. For houses with
mortgages
A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any ...
, the average
property tax
A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...
was $3,051. About 6.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.
Community organizations
Bath is home to several organizations, including include the American Legion Eckley E. Patch Post 470, the BBCP, the Bath-East Allen Youth Club, Bath Improvements Committee, Bath Museum Committee, Bath Lions Club, Bath Lioness Club, Bath Lions Midget Football Committee, Governor Wolf Historical Society, Historical Architectural Review Board, Mid-County Senior Center, and the Park, Recreation, & Shade Tree Commission. There is also a Crime Watch in place.
The Monocacy Creek Watershed Association is active in Bath, which helps protect the Monocacy Creek. They hold creek cleanups and other conservation efforts throughout the year.
The four recreational areas in Bath include the Volunteer Firefighter's Park, Keystone Park, Ciff Cowling Field, and Carl L. Rehrig Park.
Locations
* Bath Farmer's Market is located adjacent to the American Legion on Rt. 329 and offers local, fresh products from vegetables and bakery items to handmade soap. It is open from May–September on Fridays from 3-7 p.m.
* The Wesselhoeft House was the first homeopathic school of medicine, located on Chestnut Street in 1829.
* The Bath Museum is located at the municipal building. Items from the 1800s and up are displayed and the committee who runs the Museum are responsible for the permanent care of the artifacts. The Bath Museum is open 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. every third (3rd) Saturday of the month with the exception of December, when it will be open the first (1st) Saturday, per the Museum's website.
*The
Daniel Steckel House was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1982.
Daniel Steckel built this house for his wife, Rebecca, in 1804, and raised 6 children. Steckel was a prominent man in Bath in the 1800s and lived to be 101 years old. The house was featured in ''Early American Life'' magazine in October 2011 and is registered with the National Register, the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places, and the Bath Historic District. It is currently a bed-and-breakfast.
* The
Lee and Virginia Graver Arboretum is owned by
Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Luthe ...
and located in Bath. The arboretum is free and features native and rare trees and various species of flowers.
* Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a Catholic church located on Washington Street. After the affiliated Sacred Heart School closed, Kolbe Academy Recovery High School has opened at the location.
[https://www.sacredheartbath.org/]
* Malta Hall is a building located at 143 E Main Street Bath, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1855. In 1874, it was Bath Marbleworks, which was owned by Jeremiah Reinhard. It manufactured marble mantels, tombstones, monuments, and brownstone. After the marbleworks left, it became Carpenter Hall, then Bath High School, Scout Hall, Bath Public Library, and more. It is now a private home.
Public education
The borough is served by the
Northampton Area School District
Northampton Area School District is a public school district located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania.
Students in grades nine through 12 attend Northampton Area High School in Northampton ...
. Students in grades nine through 12 attend
Northampton Area High School
Northampton Area High School is a public high school in the Northampton Area School District and located in Northampton, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area of eastern Pennsylvania.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had ...
in
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
.
The borough is also home to George Wolf Elementary School, which opened in 1968. It has twenty-three classrooms, a library, music room and a multipurpose room. In 1974, additions were added that included a gymnasium and twelve more classrooms. They also have three Intermediate Unit #20 classrooms. George Wolf Elementary School is named after
George Wolf
George Wolf (August 12, 1777March 11, 1840) was the seventh governor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835. On June 29, 1888, he was recognized as the "father of the public-school system" in Pennsylvania by the erection of a memorial gateway at E ...
, a local resident and Governor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835. He is known as the father of the free public school system in Pennsylvania because of his effort in passing of the Free School Act of 1834. His original Wolf Academy is located approximately one mile from the school.
As of 2022, Kolbe Academy Recovery High School is now located on Washington Street in Bath. It is the first Catholic recovery school in the United States.
Media
''The Home News'' is a weekly newspaper focusing on Bath and surrounding communities. It was first published in 1942.
Notable people
*
Matt Christopher, former children's author
*
Arthur Granville Dewalt, former U.S. Congressman
References
External links
Borough of Bath official website
{{authority control
1816 establishments in Pennsylvania
Boroughs in Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Boroughs in Pennsylvania
Populated places established in 1816