Hellam Township is a township in
York 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, ...
, United States. The population was 5,921 at the 2020 census.
Founded in 1739, it was the first township in the area, and it originally included the entirety of modern York and
Adams counties. Fire department services are provided jointly by the Hellam and Wrightsville fire departments located in the boroughs of
Hallam and
Wrightsville.
History
The Mifflin House, an
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
site in the township dating to the 1700s, was used by the Mifflin family in the 19th century to "hide freedom-seekers and ferry them across 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 ...
on their way to Philadelphia."
The house was sold into the Huber family in 1856, who sold it to the Blessing family in 1959. As of May 2017, the property was at risk of demolition for development of a
business park
A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typicall ...
.
By December 2017, a funding campaign was started to help pay for a legal challenge to save the property, reportedly eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In July 2018, a York County
Court of Common Pleas
A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...
judge ruled in favor of a township zoning officer's decision (and zoning hearing board's support) to deny a demolition permit for the house. The developer appealed the decision to the
Commonwealth Court. In February 2019, township supervisors approved unanimously a subdivision plan that includes a two-year moratorium on development of more than surrounding Mifflin House, to give preservationists time to raise enough money to save it.
![Codorus Furnace YorkCo PA 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Codorus_Furnace_YorkCo_PA_3.JPG)
Geography
According to the
United States 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 , or 0.14%, is water.
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 ...
of 2000, there were 5,930 people, 2,395 households, and 1,726 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 214.3 people per square mile (82.7/km
2). There were 2,538 housing units at an average density of 91.7/sq mi (35.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.81%
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 ...
, 0.74%
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 ...
, 0.03%
Native American, 0.34%
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 ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.19% 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 0.86% 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 ...
of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 2,395 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were
married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the township the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $49,750, and the median income for a family was $55,700. Males had a median income of $40,000 versus $28,558 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 $22,345. About 3.6% of families and 5.8% 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 9.1% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Hellam Township is served by the
Eastern York School District
The Eastern York School District is a midsized, suburban, public school district. It covers approximately of east, central York County in the South Central region of Pennsylvania. The District overlooks the Susquehanna River and is made up of ...
.
Before 1950, education in the township was provided in small schoolhouses, most of them having only one room. These schools included:
Notable residents
*
Keith J. Gillespie
Keith J. Gillespie (born September 18, 1952) is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 47th District and was elected in 2002.
Career
Prior to entering politics, Gillespie was a paramedic at Memorial Hospital ...
, state representative for
District 47 since 2003
*
Jon Witman
Jon Doyle Witman (born June 1, 1972) is an American former professional football player. He played college football at Penn State and was a Pittsburgh Steelers fullback for six seasons (1996–2001).
Early life
Witman was born in 1972 to young p ...
, former football player with
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
and the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
*
John Wright, a colonial-era businessman who established
Wright's Ferry
Wright's Ferry was a Pennsylvania Colony settlement established by John Wright in 1726, that grew up around the site of an important Inn and Pub anchoring the eastern end of a popular animal powered ferry (1730–1901) and now a historic part of ...
and after whom the
Wrightsville borough is named
See also
*
Hallam, Pennsylvania
Hallam is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,774 at the 2020 census.
History
Before 1736, all parts of Pennsylvania west of the Susquehanna River, including present-day Hallam Borough and the surroundin ...
, including an origin of the name
*
William C. Goodridge#Underground Railroad activism in York city
References
External links
Official websiteHellam Fire CompanyWrightsville Fire & Rescue Company
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1721
Townships in York County, Pennsylvania
Townships in Pennsylvania
1721 establishments in Pennsylvania