Caernarvon 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 ...

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 4,252 at the 2020 census. It is often referred to as Morgantown, the township's largest village.

History

Caernarvon was so named by

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

settlers after the town of

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is ...

North Wales , area_land_km2 = 6,172 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = LL, CH, SY , image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg , map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...

. In 1718, William Davies and a band of Welsh settlers obtained land warrants stretching from the headwaters of the

Conestoga River The Conestoga River, also referred to as Conestoga Creek, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Susquehanna River flowing through the cente ...

and reaching several miles downstream. When Lancaster County was established in 1729, this region was given the name Caernarvon Township in honor of its inhabitants. When a portion of Lancaster County was transferred to the newly organized

in 1752, the new boundary ran through existing Caernarvon Township as well as neighboring Brecknock Township. Morgantown Historic District 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 1995. On May 28, 2019, an EF2

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

hit Caernarvon Township, causing substantial damage to the area. Several residents and businesses were displaced as a result of the storm. It was the most powerful tornado to hit Berks County since the 1998

Lyons Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of th ...

tornado.

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 0.11% is water. The township is partially located in the Hopewell Big Woods.

Adjacent townships

* Brecknock Township, Berks County (NW) * Robeson Township, Berks County (N) * West Nantmeal Township, Chester County (SE) * Honey Brook Township, Chester County (S) * Caernarvon Township, Lancaster County (SW) * Brecknock Township, Lancaster County (W)

Adjacent boroughs

* New Morgan (N) * Elverson (SE)

Recreation

A portion of

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 43 and Number 52, are located in the township.Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 43
retrieved 25 October 2018Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 52
retrieved 25 October 2018

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 2,312 people, 888 households, and 658 families residing in the township. 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 260.3 people per square mile (100.5/km). There were 925 housing units at an average density of 104.1/sq mi (40.2/km). The racial makeup of the township was 97.79%

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 ...

, 0.30%

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 ...

, 0.78%

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 ...

, 0.22% 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 0.91% 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 ...

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 ...

of any race were 0.87% of the population. There were 888 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.05. In the township, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $49,041, and the median income for a family was $57,574. Males had a median income of $37,639 versus $27,273 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 $21,250. About 2.9% of families and 6.1% 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 12.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

As of 2018, there were of public roads in Caernarvon Township, of which were maintained by the

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is an agency created in 1937 to construct, finance, operate, and maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike (both the mainline and the Northeast Extension). The commission consists of five members. Four membe ...

(PTC), 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. Caernarvon Township is a convergence point for several major highways. The most prominent of these is the

Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...

(

I-76 Interstate 76 may refer to: Interstate Highways in the United States * Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska) * Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania Video gaming * ''Interstate '76 ''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...

), which follows a northwest-southeast alignment across the western and southern portions of the township.

Interstate 176 Interstate 176 (I-176) is a spur route of eastern I-76 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. I-176, known locally as the Morgantown Expressway, travels from I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) in Morgantown north to US Route 422 (US 422) in ...

follows the Morgantown Expressway northwestward across the central and northwestern portions of the township from its southern terminus at the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Pennsylvania Route 10 Pennsylvania Route 10 (PA 10) is a state route in southeastern Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at PA 472 in Oxford. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Route 222 Business (US 222 Bus.) in Reading. PA 10 is mostly a two-lane undivided road ...

follows Main Street and Morgantown Road along a southwest-northeast alignment through the central portion of the township.

Pennsylvania Route 23 Pennsylvania Route 23 (PA 23) is an state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. The route begins at PA 441 in Marietta and heads east to U.S. Route 1 (US 1) at City Avenue on the border of Lower Merion Township and Philadelphia. PA 23 begins a ...

follows Main Street along an east-west alignment across the southern portion of the township, sharing a brief concurrency with PA 10. Finally,

Pennsylvania Route 401 Pennsylvania Route 401 (PA 401) is a east–west state route in Berks and Chester counties, located in southeast Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 23 in Caernarvon Township, across the county line from Elverson. The eastern ter ...

heads southeast along Conestoga Road from its western terminus at PA 23 in the southeastern corner of the township.

Education

The school district is

Twin Valley School District Twin Valley School District (TVSD) is a school district headquartered in Caernarvon Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, with an Elverson postal address. Profile page- Compare to the addressThe zoning map published by the township Within Berks C ...

. The following are in the township (all of which have Elverson postal addresses):
Profile page
- Compare to the address
The zoning map published by the township
the district administration, the high school, and the middle school.

References

External links

* http://www.caernarvon.org {{authority control Townships in Berks County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania Welsh-American culture in Pennsylvania