Penn 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
Westmoreland 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.
History
Penn Township, officially known as the Township of Penn, was named after Pennsylvania founder
William Penn
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...
. The township was incorporated on February 23, 1855.
In the early years after its founding, numerous
Scotch-Irish Americans
Scotch-Irish (or Scots-Irish) Americans are American descendants of Ulster Protestants who emigrated from Ulster in northern Ireland to America during the 18th and 19th centuries, whose ancestors had originally migrated to Ireland mainly from t ...
came to the area to farm its rich land. Later in the township's history, coal mining contributed heavily to the economy.
Penn Township is also home to the
Bushy Run Battlefield
Bushy Run Battlefield Park is a historical park that is operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) and thBushy Run Battlefield Heritage Societyon in Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States ...
. The
Bushy Run Battlefield
Bushy Run Battlefield Park is a historical park that is operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) and thBushy Run Battlefield Heritage Societyon in Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States ...
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 1966, and is designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
.
In 1957
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
chose the township for a new lab facility.
Geography
Penn Township is located in the western part of
Westmoreland County. It is approximately 25 miles east from
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
and seven miles west of
Greensburg. The township is bordered by north by
Murrysville, to the northeast by
Salem Township, to the east by
Hempfield Township, to the southeast by
Jeannette, to the southwest by
North Huntington Township, to the west-southwest by
Trafford
Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England, with an estimated population of 235,493 in 2017. It covers Retrieved on 13 December 2007. and includes the area of Old Trafford and the towns of Altrincham, Stretford, Ur ...
, and to the west by
Monroeville.
Penn Township maintains nearly 100 miles of roadways. The township has three major transportation routes within its boundaries:
Pennsylvania Route 130
Pennsylvania Route 130 (PA 130) is a state highway located in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 8 in Pittsburgh, and the eastern terminus is at PA 381 near Kregar.
The high ...
,
Pennsylvania Route 993
Pennsylvania Route 993 (PA 993) is a state highway located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 130, PA 130 in Trafford, Pennsylvania, Trafford. The eastern termin ...
, and 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 ...
.
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 30.76 square miles (79.1 km
2), all 0 land.
Penn Township is also part of the
Turtle Creek (Monongahela River tributary)
Turtle Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Monongahela River in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in the U.S. state of Penns ...
watershed.
Government
Penn Township was incorporated in 1855 and became a First Class
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 1958. The township is governed by five commissioners who are publicly elected and serve a four-year term. Penn Township also has a tax collector elected to serve a four-year term.
Like all First Class Townships, Penn Township has a fully functioning police force.
Demographics
Population
As of July 1, 2021, Penn Township has a population of 20,346. This is a 1.5% increase from the 2020 US Census Population.
Age and Sex
Race
Education
Penn Township is within the
Penn-Trafford School District
The Penn-Trafford School District is a public school district that serves western Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and a small portion of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The district is governed by a locally elected, nine member school board wh ...
. The district operates eight schools, six of which are in Penn Township:
* McCullough Elementary School
* Level Green Elementary School
* Sunrise Estates Elementary School
* Harrison Park Elementary School
* Penn Middle School
*
Penn-Trafford High School
Penn-Trafford High School is a public high school located in Harrison City, Pennsylvania in Westmoreland County, and is the secondary school serving the Penn-Trafford School District. It is the result of several mergers of smaller school distri ...
The Murrysville branch of the
Westmoreland County Community College
Westmoreland County Community College is a public community college in Youngwood, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1970 during an era of community college proliferation within the state. Its location on the suburban fringe was designed to attract ...
is located along Mellon Road.
Penn Township has an overall graduation rate of 96.3% and a bachelor's degree rate of 37.7%
[ ]
References
External links
Penn Township - Official Website''Penn-Trafford Star''''Penn Trafford News - Official Newspaper''
{{Coord, 40, 22, 00, N, 79, 36, 59, W, type:city_region:US-PA_source:GNIS-enwiki, display=title
Townships in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania