Kennett Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania

Kennett Township
Township
Kennett Meeting House
Flag
Location in Chester County and the state of Pennsylvania.
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Coordinates: 39°50′57″N75°40′02″W / 39.84917°N 75.66722°W / 39.84917; -75.66722
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Chester
Area [1]
• Total	15.48 sq mi (40.10 km2)
• Land	15.34 sq mi (39.73 km2)
• Water	0.14 sq mi (0.37 km2)
Elevation	404 ft (123 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	8,289
• Density	540/sq mi (210/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code	610
FIPS code	42-029-39344
Website	www.kennett.pa.us

Kennett Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the birthplace of Louise Brewer Shepard, the wife of the first American in space, Alan Shepard. The population was 8,289 at the 2020 census. ^[2]

History

Chandler Mill Bridge, Joseph Gregg House, Hamorton Historic District, Harlan Log House, Old Kennett Meetinghouse, and the Wiley-Cloud House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[3]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 15.6 square miles (40 km²), of which 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²), or 0.13%, is water. The northwestern part of the township encircles the separate borough of Kennett Square, while the census-designated place of Hamorton is in the northeastern part of the township.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	1,343		—
1940	1,767		31.6%
1950	2,145		21.4%
1960	3,026		41.1%
1970	3,394		12.2%
1980	4,201		23.8%
1990	4,624		10.1%
2000	6,451		39.5%
2010	7,565		17.3%
2020	8,289		9.6%
[4] 2020 [2]

At the 2020 census, the township was 75.5% non-Hispanic White, 5.7% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 2.2% were two or more races. 14.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. ^[5]

As of the 2020 census ^[6] of 2020, there were 8,289 people, 3,308 households in the township. The population density was 493.2 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 88.1% White, 5.7% African American, 0.0% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.4% of the population.

The township is home to a large and rapidly growing Hispanic (primarily Mexican) community.^{[ citation needed ]}

In the township the population was spread out, with 5.7% under the age of 5, 21.3% under the age of 18, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. 57.1% of the township population is female. ^[5]

The median income for a household in the township was $118,520, with 6.4% of the township persons in poverty. ^[5]

Current board of supervisors and township officials

• Richard Leff, Chairman of the Board
• Scudder Stevens, Vice Chair
• Geoffrey Gamble, Esq, Member ^[7]
• Eden Ratliff, Township Manager
• Gretchen Porterfield, Executive Assistant ^[8]
• Amy Heinrich, Township Treasurer ^[9]
• Matthew Gordon, Chief of Police ^[10]

Township Embezzlement Charges

In April 2019, township manager, Lisa Moore, was fired after allegations of theft and embezzlement came to light. On October 4, 2021, Moore appeared in Chester County Common Pleas Court and admitted she stole $3.249 million from township residents. The township’s once-trusted employee admitted to all that she had violated the trust placed in her. Her judicial presumption of innocence was removed by her guilty plea to five criminal counts, theft by deception, dealing in unlawful proceeds, forgery, tampering with public records and access device fraud. Moore was ordered to repay the full $3.249 million she stole from the township. ^[11] In December 2021, the Township reported they had recovered $1.7 million, which includes a cash settlement of $1.27 million from Moore, $355,000 from the sale of Moore's house, and $83,000 that a recovery team located and seized from Moore's personal account. The Township is still looking to recover $1.5 million. ^[12]

Transportation

US 1 northbound in Kennett Township

As of 2020, there were 72.85 miles (117.24 km) of public roads in Kennett Township, of which 17.04 miles (27.42 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 55.81 miles (89.82 km) were maintained by the township. ^[13]

U.S. Route 1 is the most prominent highway serving Kennett Township. It follows the Kennett-Oxford Bypass and Baltimore Pike on a west-east alignment along the northern edge of the township. Pennsylvania Route 41 follows Gap Newport Pike along a northwest-southeast alignment across the southwestern corner of the township. Pennsylvania Route 52 follows Kennett Pike, Baltimore Pike and Lenape Road along a northwest-southeast alignment across the northeastern part of the township, including a short concurrency with US 1. Finally, Pennsylvania Route 82 follows Creek Road and Union Street along a northwest-southeast alignment through western portions of the township.

References

1. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
2. "QuickFacts: Kennett township, Chester County, Pennsylvania". census.gov. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
4. "DVRPC > Site Search". Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
5. "U.S. Census website" . Retrieved May 16, 2022.
6. "U.S. Census website" . Retrieved May 16, 2022.
7. "Board of Supervisors". May 16, 2022.
8. "Administration". May 16, 2022.
9. https://kennett.pa.us/DocumentCenter/View/4484/010421-Reorg-Agenda ^{[ dead link ]}
10. "Kennett Township Police Department". May 16, 2022.
11. "Lisa Moore pleads guilty, sentenced to state prison; pays $1.27 million toward restitution". May 16, 2022.
12. "Kennett Township still looking to recover $1.5 million in embezzling case". May 16, 2022.
13. "Kennett Township map" (PDF). PennDOT. Retrieved March 13, 2023.

External links

• Kennett Township