Thornbury Township is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

in Delaware 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. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the population was 8,028, up from 7,093 at the 2000 census. It is adjacent to, and was once joined with, Thornbury Township in

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...

. It includes part of the

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

of Cheyney University.

Geography

Thornbury Township is in western Delaware County. It is bordered by Thornbury Township,

to the north and northwest, Edgmont Township to the east, Middletown Township to the southeast, Concord Township, and Chester Heights to the south and Chadds Ford Township to the southwest. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.34%, is water. Waterways in Thornbury Township include Brinton Lake and Chester Creek.

Demographics

As of 2010 census, the racial makeup of the township was 72.4%

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 ...

, 20.6%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.6% 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 2.4% of the populatio

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 7,093 people, 1,360 households, and 1,153 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,387 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 64.68%

, 31.09%

, 0.11% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 2.10% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population. There were 1,360 households, out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.9% 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, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.2% were non-families. 12.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.33. In the township, the population was spread out, with 27.7% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 172.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 160.5 males. The median income for a household in the township was $82,441, and the median income for a family was $91,179. Males had a median income of $65,671 versus $36,750 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 $21,987. About 0.9% of families and 14.2% 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 0.8% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

History

Thornbury Township lies in the drainage area of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

, named in honor of Thomas West, governor of the

colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia was a British Empire, British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776. The first effort to create an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and established in 1585; the resulting Roanoke Colo ...

. The river and its bay were explored by

Henry Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States. In 1607 and 16 ...

in 1609, and over the next several decades the region was variously claimed by the Swedes, the Dutch, and the English. Its original human inhabitants were the Lenni-Lenape tribe of American Indians. Once the Dutch were defeated, King

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

made his grant to

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 ...

in order to found the colony which came to be named

. The land within the present boundaries of Thornbury Township was taken up by "first purchasers" from William Penn. The original grant documents were copper-plate prints on parchment; some still survive and show a price of 100 English pounds for . The

Court of Equity A court of equity, also known as an equity court or chancery court, is a court authorized to apply principles of Equity (law), equity rather than principles of law to cases brought before it. These courts originated from petitions to the Lord Cha ...

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

recognized a separate Thornbury Township in 1687, and appointed township officers. At the time, the area was in

, one of the original counties chartered by William Penn; Delaware County had not yet been formed. Thornbury was named after the English birthplace of the wife of George Pearce, who in 1685 had been granted title to in the township. The

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Am ...

, the only major battle of the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

fought in Pennsylvania, was within sight and sound of the western part of the township; follow-up military operations took place in the township (see below). In 1769, the Pennsylvania Assembly authorized the division of Chester County and the creation of Delaware County. In plotting the boundary between the two, Thornbury Township was divided. Border landowners were asked if they wished to remain in Chester County or be in Delaware County. The line thus drawn was quite irregular, and as a result, the northern boundary of the Delaware County township (like the southern boundary of its Chester County counterpart) is distinctly jagged (see map). Thornbury Township was enlarged by annexing the northern portion of Aston Township in 1837; that township was dissolved. The boundaries of Thornbury have remained unchanged since. The township is the location of "Thornbury" house, home of Revolutionary War figure Persifor Frazer. After the Battle of Brandywine, his wife Mary stood down a British raiding party in a celebrated incident. The house and barn survived the war, but are now in ruins. Chester Creek Historic District, John Cheney Log Tenant House and Farm, Melrose, and Thornton Village Historic District 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 ...

. In September 2000, the Delaware Nation of Oklahoma received 11.5 acres of land in Thornbury Township.

Government and infrastructure

The George W. Hill Correctional Facility (Delaware County Prison) is partially located in the township.Chapter 7 7-11
." Comprehensive Zoning Plan. Thornbury Township. Retrieved on September 6, 2011. "The three major institutions found in the Township, the Delaware County Prison, Glen Mills Schools and Cheyney University .. Another section is in Concord Township. The

U.S. Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Cheyney, Glen Mils, and Thornton post offices.

Education

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1837 as the Institute for Colored Youth, it is the ...

is partially located in Thornbury Township, Delaware County, and partially in Thornbury Township, Chester County. West Chester Area School District serves the township.West Chester Area Council of Governments Map
" On the website of West Goshen Township. Retrieved on September 26, 2018. Three elementary schools serve sections of the township: Penn Wood, Sarah Starkweather, and Westtown-Thornbury. All residents are zoned to Stetson Middle School and Bayard Rustin High School. The area library is the Rachel Kohl Library.

Transportation

As of 2020, there were of public roads in Thornbury Township, of which were maintained by

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. Thornbury Township is bordered by Pennsylvania Route 926 to the northwest. Pennsylvania Route 352 cuts through the northeast section of Thornbury Township.

Notable people

* Persifor Frazer * Joseph Hemphill

Community

Glen Mills Schools, a residential facility for male juvenile delinquents, is in Thornbury Township.Thornbury township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
"

. Retrieved on September 6, 2011.

References

External links

Thornbury Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania