Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Schwenksville is a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
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. The population was 1,431 at the 2020 census. It is notable for being located near the site of the Philadelphia Folk Festival. The borough was founded in 1684, when the Lenni-Lenape Indians ceded to William Penn the land along the Perkiomen Creek; it was incorporated in 1903. The borough was named for George Schwenk, whose son, Jacob Schwenk, served in
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 ...
's army. The town was the inspiration for the protagonist in Catherine Gilbert Murdock's 2006 novel '' Dairy Queen''. The Hall & Oates song "Perkiomen" was written about the Perkiomen Creek, which constitutes Schwenksville's eastern border. "Perkiomen" is
Lenape The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historica ...
for "muddy waters" and "where the cranberries grow." Schwenksville is also the gateway to the Perkiomen Trail, a nineteen-mile section of the former Reading Railroad's Perkiomen Valley corridor. It now serves as a multi-use
rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
and was completed in 2003.


Geography

Schwenksville is located at (40.256418, −75.465012). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and 2.38% of which is water.


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Schwenksville has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


History

General George Washington and the Continental Army camped in and around Schwenksville – September 26 to 29 and October 4 to 8, 1777 – prior to and immediately following the October 4 Battle of Germantown. Washington's headquarters probably was at the Henry Kelly House (demolished), just southwest of the town that he called "Pawling's Mill." The bulk of the Army camped on the opposite side of the Perkiomen Creek, at Pennypacker Mills. The borough was originally part of Perkiomen Township and home to the first copper mine in Pennsylvania. Ice harvesting was a major industry in the area. Several large icehouses were located along the creek, and ice was regularly shipped to Philadelphia. Mills devoted to grain and textiles were also very prominent which is evident by the existing historic structures. Its location along the Perkiomen Creek made the Borough a great summer resort community during its early existence, and Schwenksville was once home to The Perkiomen Inn, Spring Mountain House, and The Woodside Inn. It was home to the Schwenksville Union School District until amalgamation with the Perkiomen Joint School District to form Perkiomen Valley School District in 1969. Today the Borough is a residential community. Commercial and industrial businesses are located along the Main Street corridor. Schwenksville Elementary School; the Perkiomen Valley Branch of the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library; the Schwenksville post office; two banks; three churches - Heidelberg United Church of Christ, Jerusalem
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
, and Eden
Mennonite Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...
; and a 6.47-acre park along the Perkiomen Creek are located within the borough. The Pennypacker Mansion and Sunrise Mill are 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 ...
.


Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the borough was 86.2% White, 9.22% Black or African American, 0.84% Asian, and 1.47% were two or more races. 2.31% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestr

There were 626 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were Marriage, married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.8% were non-families. 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.91. In 2000, 17.7% of the population under the age of 18, with 26.5% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $44,514, and the median income for a family was $55,000. Males had a median income of $37,566 versus $31,200 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 borough was $19,679. About 3.3% of families and 5.4% 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 ...
, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.


Politics and government

Schwenksville has a
city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
form of government with a
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and a five-member borough council. In 2007, Democrats took control of the borough council for the first time in the borough's history. Currently, Council consists of 3 Democrats, 1 Republican, and 1 Independent. The borough also has active Activity and Historical Committees. The goal of the Activity Committee is to plan and support various community activities to promote a sense of vitality in the community. Accordingly, Community Day was started in 2009 to promote the businesses and non-profit organizations in Schwenksville with a fun community event. Committee members may plan other events through the year as well. The Historic Committee was formed by the borough for the purpose of exploring ways to save meaningful older buildings from being destroyed and to keep the rich history of Schwenksville intact for future generations. The borough is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean), Pennsylvania's 147th Representative District (represented by Rep. Matt Bradford) and the 24th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick). It is home to Meadow Park, which has a pavilion and provides a relaxing spot for people to walk and fish in the Creek. The borough intends to further develop the Park by adding a walking path and other activities as our funding and grant funding allow. The Perkiomen Trail also runs through the Schwenksville borough, providing access to recreational activities along the trail.


Transportation

As of 2020 there were of public roads in Schwenksville, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and were maintained by the borough. Pennsylvania Route 29 and Pennsylvania Route 73 traverse the borough concurrently. The two routes follow Main Street on a general north-south alignment through the borough.


Education

Schwenksville is part of the Perkiomen Valley School District. Residents are zoned to Schwenksville Elementary School, Middle School West,Middle school boundary maps
Perkiomen Valley School District. Retrieved on October 9, 2018. and Perkiomen Valley High School.


See also

* Pennypacker Mills * Philadelphia Folk Festival * Perkiomen Trail * Perkiomen Creek


References


External links


History of Schwenksville
{{authority control Populated places established in 1739 Boroughs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania 1739 establishments in Pennsylvania