West Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
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West Earl Township is a township in northeastern 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 8,565 at the 2020 census. The township was founded by its first settler, Hans Conrad Groff (1661-1746) in 1717.


History

The Bridge in West Earl Township, Bitzer's Mill Covered Bridge, and Zook's Mill Covered Bridge 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 ...
.


First settler

Hans Conrad Groff, originally from
Bäretswil Bäretswil is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Hinwil (district), Hinwil in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Zürich (canton), Zürich in Switzerland. History Bäretswil is first mentioned in 741 as ''Berofov ...
in Zürich, Switzerland immigrated to Pennsylvania Colony in 1695, settling in Germantown before making his way to Lancaster County in 1696. He was West Earl Townships first settler and founder in 1717. Upon having relocated to West Earl Township, Groff established his farm in Groffdale and constructed the first mill in the area, with the community beginning to flourish as a result. His brother, Martin Groff (1685-1759) was the townships first ever constable. Groffdale Church was built years following Groffs death in 1755, and would become an important area of congregation for the areas Mennonites.


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 t ...
, the township has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.00%, are water. The township includes the unincorporated communities of Fairmount, Farmersville, Brownstown, Talmage, and Center Square.


Notable people

Floyd Landis, winner of the
2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between the 1st and the 23rd of July. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of Floyd Landis. Due to the United ...
, is from Farmersville in the township. Landis left such a mark on the Tour de France that when a contending rider completes a seemingly impossible long-distance attack it is referred to as "Doing a Landis", as
Chris Froome Christopher Clive Froome ɹɪs fɹuːm (born 20 May 1985) is a Kenyan/British road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He has won seven Grand Tours: four editions of the Tour de France (in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017), one ...
did on Stage 19 of the
2018 Giro d'Italia The 2018 Giro d'Italia was the 101st edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The race started in Jerusalem on 4 May, with a individual time trial followed by two additional stages within Israel. After a rest day, there ...
.


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 in ...
of 2000, there were 6,766 people, 2,201 households, and 1,785 families residing in the township. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was 383.5 people per square mile (148.1/km). There were 2,283 housing units at an average density of 129.4/sq mi (50.0/km). The racial makeup of the township was 96.63%
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 ...
, 0.35%
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 ...
, 0.06% Native American, 2.13% Asian, 0.47% 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 0.35% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
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 1.51% of the population. There were 2,201 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.7% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.36. In the township the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $51,503, and the median income for a family was $54,360. Males had a median income of $37,227 versus $22,037 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 $21,457. About 5.1% of families and 8.4% 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 9.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.


Education

The township is served by the Conestoga Valley School District.


See also

* Bridge in West Earl Township


References


External links

* {{Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1719 Townships in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania 1719 establishments in Pennsylvania