Newberry 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
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 15,657 at the
2020 census.
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 is land and , or 0.91%, is water. The township is located in northern York County in south-central Pennsylvania. 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 ...
forms the eastern border of the township, and the western part of the township entirely surrounds the borough of
Lewisberry.
History
Prior to the coming of the first settlers in 1736, Newberry Township was inhabited by the
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people, also called the Conestoga by some English settlers or Andastes were Iroquoian Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, ranging from its upper reaches in the southern p ...
Indians. Before 1736, all settlement in Pennsylvania was kept east of 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 ...
, but the Indian Treaty of 1736 extended
Lancaster County's boundary westward indefinitely.
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
families from Lancaster and
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
counties immediately set out across the Susquehanna to find new land. These settlers utilized the
Middletown Ferry to access the west bank of the river, and once they reached what is now Newberry Township, settled throughout the Fishing Creek and Bennetts Run valleys. Newberry Township was organized in 1742 and included what is now
Fairview Township.
Prior to the start of the
Revolutionary War, the early Quaker settlers became dissatisfied with the quality of the farmland within Newberry Township and began moving out of it.
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
families from central York County, and
Berks and Lancaster counties, soon arrived to take over the vacant farmland.
By the late 18th century, several towns had sprung up throughout the township.
Lewisberry and Newberrytown were early Quaker settlements. Newberrytown began as a tract of Quaker meeting land, with a log meetinghouse built in 1745. Later, a new meetinghouse was built halfway between Lewisberry and the Newberrytown meeting land, and the tract was developed as a town in 1791. Newberrytown was situated on the road from
Lancaster to
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
(which crossed the Susquehanna River at the
York Haven Ferry) and became an important stopping place along the way. Lewisberry was also surveyed and platted in the 1790s. Its stores became busy and prosperous. Schools were operated in both communities.
Early settlers were also attracted to the vicinity of Yocumtown because of the water power of Fishing Creek. Along its banks they built fulling mills that carded wool for area farmers, woolen cloth mills, and grist mills. By the mid-1820s, the village of Yocumtown had established itself with a log schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a tannery.
Goldsboro and York Haven prospered due to their location on the Susquehanna River and adjoining canal route. A ferry was also established at the site of Goldsboro in 1738. Both Goldsboro and the village of Cly were located along the important stagecoach route between
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
and
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
, where a
turnpike
Turnpike often refers to:
* A type of gate, another word for a turnstile
* In the United States, a toll road
Turnpike may also refer to:
Roads United Kingdom
* A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
was completed between the two towns in 1816. The railroad, built in the late 1830s, also ran through Goldsboro. However, the village remained small through the first half of the 19th century.
![Newberry TWP YorkCo PA Potts Hill at Old Quaker Rd 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Newberry_TWP_YorkCo_PA_Potts_Hill_at_Old_Quaker_Rd_2.JPG)
York Haven, also a ferry point, began as a flour milling town. In 1814, the York Haven Company, which built four large mills, prepared the town plan. Large hotels, dry goods and hardware stores, copper shops that manufactured flour barrels, and a sawmill all became part of the town's healthy economy. Large
keelboat
A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open wat ...
s of wheat were brought down the river to the mills in York Haven, then the flour was sent by wagon or canal to
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. The town became a popular resort, with city boarders in the summer and gambling at the hotel. Early prosperity began to decline during the 1830s, when the
Codorus Canal The Codorus Navigation Company, based in York in south-central Pennsylvania, was formed in 1829 to make a navigable waterway along Codorus Creek from York, Pennsylvania to the Susquehanna River, a distance of . Plans called for of canal, of slack- ...
was completed into the town of York, luring business away from York Haven. The flour mills closed down but were later replaced with a paper mill.
In 1803, Fairview Township was formed from the northern half of the original Newberry Township. Lewisberry incorporated as a separate borough in 1832, as did Goldsboro in 1864 and York Haven in 1892. With these losses of population and area, Newberry Township reached the beginning of the 20th century with a population of just over 2,000 (only 296 more people than in 1783).
During the first two decades of the 20th century, the population of the township actually declined. The following three decades showed a slow, but steady, increase in population. Development to this point (1950) was mainly concentrated along the major roads and villages in the township. Newberrytown, Cly, Conewago Heights, Yocumtown, Erney, and Pleasant Grove were the centers of population at that time.
The
Hammersly-Strominger House,
Kise Mill Bridge
The Kise Mill Bridge is an historic, American, camelback, stone arch bridge that is located in Newberry Township, York County, Pennsylvania.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It is located in the Kise Mill Bridge ...
, and
Kise Mill Bridge Historic District
The Kise Mill Bridge Historic District, also known as Mickley's Mill, is a national historic district that is located in Newberry Township in York County, Pennsylvania.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Histor ...
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 ...
.
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 14,332 people, 5,399 households, and 4,097 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 470.8 people per square mile (181.8/km
2). There were 5,706 housing units at an average density of 187.4/sq mi (72.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the township was 97.29%
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 ...
, 0.82%
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 ...
, 0.13%
Native American, 0.50%
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 ...
, 0.04%
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 ...
, 0.38% 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 0.84% 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 1.49% of the population.
There were 5,399 households, out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% 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, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the township the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $48,043, and the median income for a family was $51,789. Males had a median income of $38,775 versus $27,007 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 $20,660. About 2.8% of families and 4.7% 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 4.2% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Newberry Township is served by the
West Shore School District
West Shore School District, is a large, suburban, public school district with its main office located in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania. This district serves students in eastern Cumberland County and northern York County. It serves the municipalitie ...
and
Northeastern York School District
The Northeastern School District (also known as Northeastern York School District) is a midsized, suburban public school district in York County in the South Central region of Pennsylvania. Municipalities served by the district include: Mou ...
in the southeastern part of the Township.
References
External links
Newberry Township official websiteNewberry Business AssociationNewberry Towhnship history
{{coord, 40, 08, 00, N, 76, 49, 59, W, type:city_region:US-PA_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title
Populated places established in 1734
Townships in York County, Pennsylvania