New Britain 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
Bucks County
Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
,
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 11,070 at the
2010 census.
History
New Britain Township was founded in 1723. The Township was comprised more than 15,000 acres and included land which is now occupied by Chalfont Borough and New Britain Borough as well as the later established Doylestown Township. The Township currently encompasses 14.7 square miles (9900 acres). According to historical research conducted by Township volunteers, it is estimated that the Lenni Lenape Indians arrived in New Britain Township as early as 1397. The
Morgan James Homestead
The Morgan James Homestead is an historic, American home that is located in New Britain Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
History and architectural features
This original ...
and
Pine Valley Covered Bridge
The Pine Valley Covered Bridge, also known as the Iron Hill Bridge, is an historic, American, wooden covered bridge that is located in New Britain, Pennsylvania, New Britain Borough, near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsy ...
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 15.2 square miles (39.5 km
2), of which 14.7 square miles (38.1 km
2) is land and 0.6 square mile (1.4 km
2) (3.61%) is water. It is drained by the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
via the
Neshaminy Creek
Neshaminy Creek is a United States Geological Survey. National Hydrography DatasetThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 stream that runs entirely through Bucks County, Pennsylvania, rising south of the borough of Chalfont, where its north ...
. Its villages include Christy (also in Montgomery County,) Fountainville,
Line Lexington (also in Hilltown Township and Montgomery County,) Naces Corner, New Galena, and
Newville.
[MacReynolds, George, ''Place Names in Bucks County, Pennsylvania'', Doylestown, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA, 1942, P1.] Brittany Farms-The Highlands CDP is also located in the township.
Natural features include Cooks Run, Iron Hill,
Neshaminy Creek
Neshaminy Creek is a United States Geological Survey. National Hydrography DatasetThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 stream that runs entirely through Bucks County, Pennsylvania, rising south of the borough of Chalfont, where its north ...
, Pine Run, Prospect Hill, and Royal Hill.
[ New Britain Township is home to Peace Valley Park, a county park that surrounds Lake Galena, a reservoir along the North Branch Neshaminy Creek.
]
Neighboring municipalities
* Hilltown Township (northwest)
* Plumstead Township (northeast)
* Doylestown Township (east)
* New Britain (east)
* Chalfont (east)
* Warrington Township (southeast)
* Montgomery Township, Montgomery County (south)
* Hatfield Township, Montgomery County (southwest)
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, New Britain Township, Pennsylvania has a hot-summer, wet all year, humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Dfa''). Dfa climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (≤ 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months, episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index
The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the shade. The result is als ...
values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). On average, the wettest month of the year is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...
activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< -18 °C). The plant hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
is 6b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of -1.4 °F (-18.6 °C). The average seasonal (Nov-Apr) snowfall total is between 30 and 36 inches (76 and 91 cm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter
A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use ...
activity.
Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 1907–1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system in widespread use in the United States. Some of this database has bec ...
U.S. potential natural vegetation
In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event ...
types, New Britain Township, Pennsylvania would have an Appalachian Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
(''104'') vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...
Forest (''25'') vegetation form.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the township was 92.0% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.3% Asian, and 0.9% were two or more races. 2.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.
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 10,698 people, 3,895 households, and 3,034 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 727.6 people per square mile (281.0/km2). There were 3,969 housing units at an average density of 270.0/sq mi (104.2/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 96.26% 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 o ...
, 1.35% 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 ...
, 0.12% Native American, 1.14% 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 ...
, 0.43% 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 0.70% 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 1.28% of the population.
There were 3,895 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $71,194, and the median income for a family was $77,896. Males had a median income of $57,188 versus $34,390 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 $28,923. About 1.4% of families and 1.9% 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 2.3% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
References
External links
New Britain Township
{{Authority control
Townships in Bucks County, Pennsylvania