Bethel Township is a
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
in
Berks County
Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading.
The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River ...
,
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, ...
. The population was 4,072 at the
2020 census.
History
Spannuth Mill was listed on 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 1990.
Geography
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 township has a total area of , of which is land and (0.05%) is water. It is drained by the
Little Swatara Creek
Little Swatara Creek (once known as Jackson Creek) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of Swatara Creek in southeast Pennsylvania in the United ...
into the
Swatara Creek
Swatara Creek (nicknamed the Swatty) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River in east-central Pennsylvania in the United Sta ...
and the
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
. Its natural northern boundary is
Blue Mountain. Its villages include
Bethel
Bethel ( he, בֵּית אֵל, translit=Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God",Bleeker and Widegren, 1988, p. 257. also transliterated ''Beth El'', ''Beth-El'', ''Beit El''; el, Βαιθήλ; la, Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanct ...
, Crosskill Mills (also in Tulpehocken Township,)
Frystown, Grimes, Meckville, and
Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
.
Adjacent townships
*
Upper Tulpehocken Township (east)
*
Tulpehocken Township (south)
*
Bethel Township, Lebanon County (west)
*
Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill County (northwest)
*
Washington Township, Schuylkill County (north)
*
Wayne Township, Schuylkill County (northeast)
Recreation
Portions of the
Pennsylvania State Game Lands The Pennsylvania State Game Lands (SGL) are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hun ...
Number 80 and
Number 110, through which passes the
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...
, are located along the northern border of the township.
[https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/advanced-viewer/ The National Map, retrieved 27 October 2018][Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 80](_blank)
retrieved 27 October 2018[Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 110](_blank)
retrieved 29 October 2018
Demographics
As of the 2000 census,
there were 4,166 people, 1,466 households, and 1,150 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,551 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.36%
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 ...
, 0.55%
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 ...
, 0.10%
Native American, 0.65%
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 ...
, 0.77% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.58% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
people of any race were 1.56% of the population.
There were 1,466 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the township, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $47,015, and the median income for a family was $52,115. Males had a median income of $32,439 versus $23,929 for females. 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 township was $18,116. About 4.1% of families and 6.5% 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 9.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
As of 2020, there were of public roads in Bethel Township, of which were maintained by the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Yassmin Gramian. Presently, Pe ...
(PennDOT) and were maintained by the township.
Bethel Township's main west-to-east route is
Interstate 78
Interstate 78 (I-78) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Northeastern United States, running from I-81 northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, through Allentown to western and northern New Jersey and terminating at the Holland T ...
/
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22 (US 22) is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 in the Newark Airport Intercha ...
, which spans the length of the township. Interchanges within the township link it with
Pennsylvania Route 645
Pennsylvania Route 645 (PA 645) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs from U.S. Route 422 (US 422) in Myerstown, Lebanon County north to PA 443 in Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill County. PA 645 heads north from M ...
,
Pennsylvania Route 501
Pennsylvania Route 501 (PA 501) is a north–south state highway in south central Pennsylvania that runs for . Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 222 (US 222) and PA 272 north of Lancaster, and its northern terminus is PA 895 southeast ...
and
Pennsylvania Route 419
Pennsylvania Route 419 (PA 419) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route runs from U.S. Route 322 (US 322) in West Cornwall Township, Lebanon County north to PA 183 in Bethel Township, Berks County. The route heads eas ...
.
Pennsylvania Route 183
Pennsylvania Route 183 (PA 183) is a route that runs north to south in southeastern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 422 Business (US 422 Bus.) in Reading in Berks County. Its northern terminus is at PA&n ...
also serves the township, briefly passing through the northeastern corner.
Notable person
*
Sussel-Washington Artist,
fraktur
Fraktur () is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. The blackletter lines are broken up; that is, their forms contain many angles when compared to the curves of the Antiqu ...
artist; the artist is anonymous, but produced a group of works associated with this community
References
External links
Bethel Township official site
{{authority control
Townships in Berks County, Pennsylvania
Townships in Pennsylvania