Whitpain Township is a township in Montgomery County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States. Founded in 1701, it has grown to a total population of 20,333 as of the 2020 census.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the township has a total area of , of which 0.08% is water. Whitpain Township is approximately four and a half miles by three miles. There are two

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

s in the township,

Wissahickon Creek Wissahickon Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, Pennsylvania. Wissahickon Creek rises in Montgomery County, runs approximately passing through and dividing Northwest Philadelphia before emp ...

(which was once known as "Whitpaine's Creek") and Stony Creek.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the township was 80.0% White, 5.2% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 10.9% Asian, and 1.3% were two or more races. 2.6% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 18,562 people, 6,960 households, and 5,206 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 7,305 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 86.31%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 4.69%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.06% Native American, 7.82% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population. There were 6,960 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.10. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males. The median income for a household in the township was $88,933, and the median income for a family was $103,613. Males had a median income of $68,125 versus $44,079 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the township was $41,739. About 1.7% of families and 3.1% 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 ...

, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

Whitpain is one of the oldest townships in Montgomery County. Richard Whitpaine, a London butcher, purchased a tract of land as part of

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...

’s "Holy Experiment". His 16-year-old son, Zechariah, travelled to Pennsylvania on the ship ''Welcome'' with Penn in 1682 to settle his father's properties and escape persecution of his

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

beliefs. By 1685, Zechariah had established a plantation house along

near Mount Pleasant, with his bride Sarah Songhurst, whom he had met on the ''Welcome''. In Holme's Map of 1681, Whitpain Township is called "Whitpain's Creek". Whitpain Township has been an independent township since 1701, as it appears as "Whitpain's Township" in the survey of all the townships in the Commonwealth ordered by William Penn. The borders of Whitpain Township changed dramatically in 1733, when Worcester Township was created, taking away a significant portion of its area. For a brief period in 1762, Whitpain and Plymouth Township, by act of the Assembly, became one district with one supervisor from each township. Dissatisfaction by the populace of both townships led the Assembly to repeal the act in 1763. By 1734, Whitpain Township had 24 landowners. It maintained steady growth for more than two centuries, expanding from 771 people in 1800 to 3,063 people in 1950. In recent years, the township has experienced rapid growth. Today, Whitpain Township is home to over 18,000 residents. Early settlers to Whitpain Township were farmers. Industry came to the region in 1727, when Jacob Yost began a

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

enterprise in Centre Square. Charles Mather built an additional mill in 1804. Although a rural farming community for decades, the growth of recent years has included business development, making Whitpain Township home to several of the Philadelphia region's largest corporations, including Aetna US Healthcare and

Unisys Unisys Corporation is a global technology solutions company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The company provides cloud, AI, digital workplace, logistics, and enterprise computing services. History Founding Unis ...

. Although today Whitpain Township is home to residents of many religions and nationalities, its earliest settlers were

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and

. Prior to the Revolutionary War, the township had two churches: Boehm's Reformed Church (circa 1740), and St. John's Lutheran Church (circa 1769). Whitpain Township earned a place in history during the Revolutionary War, when

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and many of his generals spent time in the township. Dawesfield, a home on Lewis Lane, is considered the most significant historic site in the township because it was Washington's headquarters from October 21 to November 2, 1777. Dawesfield was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1991.

Communities within Whitpain Township

Today, Whitpain Township is a composite of several small communities established before and after the Revolutionary War. They include West Ambler, Center Square, Blue Bell, Broad Axe, Custer, Franklinville, Washington Square and Belfry. Most of Whitpain Township is covered by the Blue Bell,

ZIP code. In recent years the name "Blue Bell" has become largely synonymous with much of the township, eclipsing many of the older community designations.

Government

Under Pennsylvania law, Whitpain Township is a Township of the Second Class. It is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors elected at-large by the electorate. Members of the Board of Supervisors serve six year terms. Every two years, two of the seats come up for election. The exception is in the sixth year in the cycle, when only one seat comes up for election. Most, if not all, of the executive and legislative powers allocated to Whitpain Township in the State Second Class Township Code are vested in the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors is empowered to appoint professionals to assist it in the operation of the Township and to furnish advice and counsel on technical matters. Additionally, the Board appoints all the members of the various boards and commissions as well as the Zoning Hearing Board and the Planning Commission. Also, the Board of Supervisors hears conditional use applications in accordance with the Municipalities Planning Code and the Whitpain Township Zoning Ordinance. The levying of township taxes and the appropriations to the various departments and subsidiary boards and commissions is the responsibility of the Board of Supervisors. During the months of November and December, public hearings are held for the purpose of reviewing the budget for the following year. The current membership of the Board of Supervisors (as of the election of November 2023) consists of: :*Scott Badami, Chair :*Kimberly J. Koch, Vice Chair :*Jeffrey Campolongo, Secretary :*Joyce Keller, Treasurer :*Sara Selverian, Assistant Secretary The township government is located at 960 Wentz Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422. Federally, Whitpain Township is part of the 4th Congressional District, represented by Democrat

Madeleine Dean Madeleine Dean Cunnane (born June 6, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district since 2019. The district includes almost all of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Mont ...

Economy

and

Kappa Publishing Group Kappa Publishing Group, Inc. is a Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based publishing company concentrating on adult puzzle books and magazines as well as children's magazines and maps. It is a private company founded in 1955 with $11.5 million in ann ...

are headquartered in Blue Bell in Whitpain Township.

Top employers

According to Whitpain Township's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the township are:

Education

The Wissahickon School District provides public education to the children of Whitpain Township, as well as those from Lower Gwynedd Township and Ambler Borough. Within the township are three of the district's five elementary schools: Blue Bell Elementary School, Shady Grove Elementary School, and Stony Creek Elementary School. Wissahickon Middle School and Wissahickon High School are located outside of the township. Also situated within the township is one college, Montgomery County Community College.

Transportation

As of 2021 there were of public roads in Whitpain Township, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), were maintained by the

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll. PennDOT ...

(PennDOT) and were maintained by the township. The major roadways in Whitpain Township are

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...

(DeKalb Pike) and

Pennsylvania Route 73 Pennsylvania Route 73 (PA 73) is a long east–west state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. It runs from PA 61 near Leesport southeast to the New Jersey state line on the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge over the Delaware River ...

(Skippack Pike). The two roadways intersect in Center Square. Both roads are mostly two-lane highways, though US 202 is currently under construction to become a four-lane divided highway throughout the township. Other key roads within the township include Penllyn-Blue Bell Pike and Walton Road. Butler Pike, North Wales Road, Township Line Road and Morris Road are all major roads that mainly form the boundaries of the township.

Interstate 476 Interstate 476 (I-476) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The highway runs from I-95 near Chester north to I-81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor through ea ...

(the Northeastern Extension of the

Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike, sometimes shortened to Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road which is operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in Pennsylvania. It runs for across the southern part of the st ...

) passes through the township but, as it has no interchanges within the township boundaries, is not directly accessible. The township contains one airport, Wings Field. It is used for general aviation. Several train lines cross the township. There are no active passenger train stations within the township borders, but several are located in neighboring municipalities, including

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

and Ambler, which are both served by

SEPTA Regional Rail The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network owned by SEPTA and serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its suburbs and satellite town ...

Lansdale/Doylestown Line The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City, Philadelphia, Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown (SEPTA station), Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Until 1981, SEPTA diesel service, diesel-powered tr ...

SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...

provides Suburban Bus service to Whitpain Township along routes , and .

Community associations

Whitpain Residents Organization

A community association known as WhitpainResidents was founded in 2006 as a non-profit group with the stated goal of promoting "responsible development and preserving the quality of life in Whitpain Township.""Whitpain residents made difference in 2006," ''The Ambler Gazette'', January 2, 2007
/ref> The group rose to prominence through the vocal opposition to a planned hospital on grounds formerly occupied by

."Neighbors oppose building hospital", ''Philadelphia Business Journal'', May 5, 2006
/ref>

References

External links

*
Wissahickon School District
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1701 Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania 1701 establishments in Pennsylvania