West Vincent Township is a township in

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire or the County Palatine of Chester, a ceremonial county in the North Wes ...

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, ...

. The population was 4,567 at the 2010 census.

History

The township was named after Sir Mathias Vincent. West Vincent was formed in 1832 when Vincent Township was divided. The remainder of Vincent Township became East Vincent. The Birchrunville General Store, Birchrunville Historic District, Deery Family Homestead, Nicholas East House, French Creek Farm, Robert Rooke House, and

Strickland-Roberts Homestead The Strickland-Roberts Homestead, also known as the Bryncoed Farm, is an historic, American home that is located in West Vincent Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. History ...

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

U.S. 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 0.22%, is water. West Vincent Township is divided from East Vincent Township by French Creek; these two townships were combined as Vincent Township until 1832. The township is partially located in the Hopewell Big Woods. An interesting feature of West Vincent Township is its missing quarte". In 1715, founder Sir Mathias Vincent and others failed to pay taxes to

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 ...

, who took them to court. In the end, in southern West Vincent Township were seized and given to Upper Uwchlan Township. This is shown in modern days by

Pennsylvania Route 401 Pennsylvania Route 401 (PA 401) is a east–west state route in Berks and Chester counties, located in southeast Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 23 in Caernarvon Township, across the county line from Elverson. The eastern term ...

, which, while travelling straight, leaves this township but soon re-enters it.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the township was 93.9% non-Hispanic White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.1% Asian, and 0.9% were two or more races. 1.9% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2000 census, there were 3,170 people, 1,077 households, and 872 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 178.6 people per square mile (69.0/km). There were 1,121 housing units at an average density of 63.2/sq mi (24.4/km). The racial makeup of the township was 97.79%

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 ...

, 0.60%

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, 0.66%

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 ...

, 0.06% 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 0.73% 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 ...

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 0.57% of the population. There were 1,077 households, out of which 38.8% 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, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.0% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.15. In the township, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males. The median income for a household in the township was $92,024, and the median income for a family was $106,223. Males had a median income of $70,670 versus $42,371 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 $43,500. About 3.2% of families and 6.8% 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 5.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Weatherstone

Weatherstone is a housing development built by the Hankin Group located at the intersection of PA Route 100 and PA Route 401 ( Ludwigs Corner). It contains about 270 homes and the Hankin Library. Construction started in 2002. The original plans called for a retail development as well. As of 2017, the land still remains vacant, but plans have not been abandoned.

Education

It is in the Owen J. Roberts School District.

Owen J. Roberts High School Owen J. Roberts High School is a high school in the Owen J. Roberts School District. It is located in Bucktown, in South Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. It has a Pottstown postal addres ...

is the zoned comprehensive high school. Henrietta Hankin Branch of the Chester County Library System is in the township.

Notable residents

Graceanna Lewis Graceanna Lewis (August 3, 1821 – February 25, 1912) was an American naturalist, illustrator, and social reformer. An expert in the field of ornithology, Lewis is remembered as a pioneer female American scientist as well as an activist in the ...

(1821-1912) American naturalist, suffragist, and anti-slavery activist, was born in West Vincent Township. *

Charles Lewis Fussell Charles Lewis Fussell (1840–1909) was an American landscape painter in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Fussell lived near Philadelphia for most of his life and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with his close friend, m ...

(1840-1909) American landscape painter and nephew of Graceanna Lewis, was born in West Vincent Township. *

Henry Shimer Henry Shimer (September 21, 1828 – July 28, 1895) was a naturalist and physician in Mount Carroll, Illinois. He was also a teacher at the Mount Carroll Seminary, which later became Shimer College; he was the husband of the seminary's founder ...

(1828-1895) entomologist, instructor and physician at

Shimer College Shimer Great Books School (pronounced ) is a Classic_book#University_programs, Great Books college that is part of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Prior to 2017, Shimer was an independent, accredited college on the south side of ...

, was born in West Vincent Township. *

Owen J. Roberts Owen Josephus Roberts (May 2, 1875 – May 17, 1955) was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1930 to 1945. He also led two Roberts Commissions, the first of which investigated the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the seco ...

(1875-1955) Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, purchased the

in West Vincent Township in 1927, and died there in 1955.

Footnotes

External links

West Vincent Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Chester County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania