Little Britain Township is a township in southeastern
Lancaster 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 4,134 at the 2020 census.
It is part of the
Solanco School District
Solanco School District is a large, rural public school district located in the southern end of Lancaster County (SoLanCo - Southern Lancaster County), Pennsylvania. Solanco School District encompasses approximately . Solanco School District s ...
.
History
On February 7, 1738, a petition was signed by many citizens of
Drumore Township,
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, ...
to create a new township, due to Drumore getting too big. They had a hard time thinking of a new name, though finally John Jamison, one of the oldest and most prominent citizens, proposed that it be called Little Britain Township in memory of most of the settlers' mother country. For over one hundred years, Little Britain Township's boundaries remained unchanged, until 1844 when
Fulton Township was formed. Although
Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the (also known as ''Clermont''). In 1807, that steamboat ...
, credited with the development of the steamship, was born in Little Britain, his birthplace is within the border of present-day Fulton Township.
The
Kirks Mills Historic District and
Pine Grove Covered Bridge
The Pine Grove Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the East Branch of Octoraro Creek on the border between Lancaster County and Chester County in Pennsylvania, United States. It is the longest covered bridge in Lancaster County. The bri ...
are 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 ...
.
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, of it is land and of it (0.54%) is water. It includes the unincorporated communities of
Little Britain Little Britain may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show
** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off
* "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album '' Second Light''
...
, Kings Bridge, Fairmount, White Rock, Oak Shade, Tayloria, Pine Grove, Oak Hill, Oakryn, Summerhill, Kirks Bridge,
Kirks Mills, Eastland, and part of Wrightsdale.
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 3,514 people, 1,115 households, and 931 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 128.3 people per square mile (49.5/km
2). There were 1,156 housing units at an average density of 42.2/sq mi (16.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the township was 98.12%
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 ...
, 0.65%
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, 0.23%
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 ...
, 0.11% 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 0.85% 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 1.20% of the population.
There were 1,115 households, out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.5% 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, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 13.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.47.
In the township the population was spread out, with 33.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,017, and the median income for a family was $51,549. Males had a median income of $42,063 versus $25,694 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 $18,563. About 8.8% of families and 13.6% 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 19.5% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
As of the 2020 election, no Democratic Party nominee for president has ever won Little Britain dating back to Andrew Jackson's second campaign in 1828. Every presidential ticket nominated by the GOP has carried Little Britain, Pennsylvania, with five of the last six tickets winning the township with over 70% of the vote. Six of the seven Whig tickets carried the town as well, with that party not being put on the ballot in Pennsylvania in 1832. The Anti-Masonic party nominee
William Wirt won the township in that election.
The best showing by a Republican to date is
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
in 1928. The best showing by a Democrat is the 48.99% won by
Winfield S. Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a United States Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service ...
in 1880. He lost by eight votes. In 1856, Lancaster native
James Buchanan
James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...
was the Democratic nominee and received 39.94% of the vote.
Presidential election results since 1812 except for 1820 are all presented below:
References
External links
*
{{Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Populated places established in 1714
Townships in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Townships in Pennsylvania
1714 establishments in Pennsylvania