Solebury Township | |
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![]() Location of Solebury Township in Bucks County | |
Coordinates: 40°23′00″N74°59′49″W / 40.38333°N 74.99694°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Pennsylvania |
County | Bucks |
Incorporated | ≈1702 [1] |
Area | |
• Total | 27.15 sq mi (70.3 km2) |
• Land | 26.57 sq mi (68.8 km2) |
• Water | 0.58 sq mi (1.5 km2) |
Elevation | 279 ft (85 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 8,709 |
• Estimate (2021) [4] | 8,693 |
• Density | 320.8/sq mi (123.9/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP Code | 18963 [5] |
Area code(s) | 215, 267 and 445 |
FIPS code | 42-017-71752 |
Website | www |
Solebury Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,709 at the 2020 census. [3]
Migrating English Quakers began to settle down in an area of Buckingham Township. Around 1702, this area was incorporated into a new township called Solebury—carved out of lands deeded to William Penn. Records indicate that sometime in 1703, Solebury Township had 24 landowners and farmers owning 28 tracts of land, each averaging about 414 acres. Solebury Township once included the area of present-day New Hope until the incorporation of The Borough of New Hope in 1837.
Settlers began to move to Solebury Township after hearing about the township's fertile soils and location on the Delaware River. At first, moderately-sized log homes were constructed, followed by more traditional fieldstone houses. These fieldhouses can still be found in the township today.
Solebury Township's resources were put to use, and industries began to spring up. While farming continued as a significant industry, mills meant to cut wood, ground grain, pulverize paper, produce silk, and ground limestone were constructed along streams through the township. When villages started to form in the township, they contained a church, store, post office, and blacksmith shop, making the villages self-sustaining. [1] From 1857 to 1873 when it was relocated to Warminster, Emlen Institute, a boarding school for orphaned African American and Native American children established by a bequest from Samuel Emlen Jr. was in Solebury. [6] [7] Samuel Beecher Hart, captain of the "Gray Invincibles" and a state legislator who proposed successful legislation for a monument to Pennsylvania's African American soldiers was an alumnus.
In the 1900s, New Hope and the surrounding area in Solebury Township hosted landscapes used in the Pennsylvania Impressionism movement. [8] Impressionists William Lathrop, Edward Redfield, Daniel Garber, Fern Coppedge, Morgan Colt, and Mary Elizabeth Price all resided in Solebury Township, as well as illustrator Charles Hargens, a resident of Carversville, a village in Solebury Township. [9] Today, Solebury Township remains an enclave to artists.
In 1970, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War marched through the town as part of Operation RAW, leaving flyers that said "if you were Vietnamese, we would have" committed specific war crimes against you. [10]
American woodworker George Nakashima's home and studio are in Solebury Township. The studio is still in operation today through his daughter Mira. The George Nakashima Woodworker Complex is a National Historic Landmark. [11]
Solebury Township contains four National Historic Landmarks, six National Historic Districts, and more than 400 homes built in the 18th or 19th century. More than 30% of its land is preserved. Solebury Township continues to have an active farming community.
The Atkinson Road Bridge, Center Bridge Historic District, Cuttalossa Valley Historic District, George Nakashima House, Studio and Workshop, Honey Hollow Watershed, Isaiah Paxson Farm, Phillips Mill Historic District, Upper Aquetong Valley Historic District, and Van Sant Covered Bridge are places in Solebury Township that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [12]
According to the United States Census Bureau, Solebury Township has a total area of 27.2 square miles (70.6 km2), of which 26.6 square miles (69.0 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) is water. It is drained by the Delaware River, which separates Solebury Township from New Jersey. Past and present villages include Aquetong, Bowman Hill (also in Upper Makefield Township), Carversville (also in Plumstead Township), Center Bridge, Clayton, Cottageville, Fleecyville, Glendale, Highton (also in Buckingham Township,) Lahaska, Limeport, Lumberton, Lumberville, Naylors Corner, Peters Corners, Phillips Mill, Rosenthal, Ruckmans, Solebury, Stony Hill, Tooqueminsey, and Winnahawchunick. [13]
Natural features include Aquetong Creek, Aquetong Spring, Brun Bridle Hill and Forest, Canada Hill, Coppernose (hill), Cuttalossa Creek, Dark Hollow Run, Honey Hollow (valley), Kitchens Hill, Lahaska Creek, Little Buckingham Mountain, Paunacussing Creek, Phillips Creek, Pidcock Creek, Rabbit Run, and Solebury Mountain. [13]
As of 2018 there were 110.15 miles (177.27 km) of public roads in Solebury Township, of which 42.80 miles (68.88 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 67.35 miles (108.39 km) were maintained by the township. [14]
U.S. Route 202 is the most prominent highway serving Solebury Township. It traverses southern and eastern portions of the township on a southwest–northeast alignment via Lower York Road, crossing the New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge over the Delaware River into New Jersey. Pennsylvania Route 32 follows River Road on a northwest–southeast alignment across northern and eastern portions of the township, parallel to the Delaware River. Pennsylvania Route 263 follows Upper York Road along a southwest–northeast alignment through central portions of the township, crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey via the Centre Bridge–Stockton Bridge. Pennsylvania Route 232 follows Windy Bush Road along a southwest–northeast alignment in southeastern portions of the township. Finally, Pennsylvania Route 179 extends eastward along an old alignment of US 202 to provide access from US 202 to New Hope borough.
Trans-Bridge Lines provides intercity bus service to Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City from a stop at the Logan Square shopping center along a route that originates in Quakertown. [15] [16]
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Solebury Township, Pennsylvania has a hot-summer, wet all year, humid continental climate (Dfa). Dfa climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (≤ 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months, episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). On average, the wettest month of the year is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< -18 °C). The plant hardiness zone is 6b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of -1.3 °F (-18.5 °C). [17] The average seasonal (Nov-Apr) snowfall total is between 30 and 36 inches (76 and 91 cm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.
Climate data for Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (1981 – 2010 averages) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 38.9 (3.8) | 42.4 (5.8) | 50.7 (10.4) | 62.7 (17.1) | 72.7 (22.6) | 81.6 (27.6) | 85.9 (29.9) | 84.0 (28.9) | 77.1 (25.1) | 65.7 (18.7) | 54.7 (12.6) | 43.3 (6.3) | 63.4 (17.4) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 33.1 (0.6) | 40.6 (4.8) | 51.4 (10.8) | 61.2 (16.2) | 70.4 (21.3) | 75.0 (23.9) | 73.4 (23.0) | 66.1 (18.9) | 54.4 (12.4) | 44.8 (7.1) | 34.9 (1.6) | 53.1 (11.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.5 (−5.8) | 23.9 (−4.5) | 30.6 (−0.8) | 40.2 (4.6) | 49.6 (9.8) | 59.3 (15.2) | 64.2 (17.9) | 62.7 (17.1) | 55.1 (12.8) | 43.1 (6.2) | 34.9 (1.6) | 26.4 (−3.1) | 42.7 (5.9) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.46 (88) | 2.75 (70) | 4.08 (104) | 4.07 (103) | 4.28 (109) | 4.50 (114) | 5.13 (130) | 4.01 (102) | 4.43 (113) | 4.08 (104) | 3.75 (95) | 4.12 (105) | 48.66 (1,236) |
Average relative humidity (%) | 66.8 | 63.1 | 59.0 | 58.0 | 62.3 | 67.2 | 67.2 | 69.7 | 70.9 | 69.9 | 68.6 | 68.3 | 65.9 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 20.5 (−6.4) | 21.9 (−5.6) | 27.4 (−2.6) | 37.1 (2.8) | 48.2 (9.0) | 59.0 (15.0) | 63.4 (17.4) | 62.9 (17.2) | 56.4 (13.6) | 44.8 (7.1) | 35.1 (1.7) | 25.5 (−3.6) | 41.9 (5.5) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group [18] |
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Solebury Township would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form. [19]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1930 | 1,564 | — | |
1940 | 1,689 | 8.0% | |
1950 | 2,208 | 30.7% | |
1960 | 2,972 | 34.6% | |
1970 | 3,547 | 19.3% | |
1980 | 4,827 | 36.1% | |
1990 | 5,998 | 24.3% | |
2000 | 7,743 | 29.1% | |
2010 | 8,692 | 12.3% | |
2020 | 8,709 | 0.2% | |
[3] [20] |
As of the 2020 census, [3] there were 8,709 people and 3,633 households residing in the township. The population density was 320.8 inhabitants per square mile (123.9/km2). There were 3,747 housing units at an average density of 138.0/sq mi (53.3/km2). [21]
Ethnically, Solebury Township was approximately:
Of the population, 3.4% were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. Of the 3,498 occupied housing units (not households):
The remaining are either family groups (families without a householder), or people living alone. The average household size was 2.36, and the average family size was 2.65. Of the 3,633 households, 31.6% had one or more children under 18 years old, and 52.7% had one or more adults at least 60 years old. Solebury Township is approximately:
The median age was estimated to be 52.7 years. The estimated male-to-female ratio was 1.061 to 1.
The approximate median income for a household in the township was $139,879, and the median income for a family was $160,739.
Of the 8,513 whose poverty status could be determined, approximately 2.9% were below the poverty level. This includes 1.6% of males and 4.4% of females. Approximately 3.6% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those aged 65 or older were below the poverty level.
The Solebury School, a private co-educational day and boarding school, is located in the township.
The New Hope-Lambertville Winter Festival takes place in Solebury Township yearly. Solebury Township contains a portion of the Washington Crossing Historic Park across the river from the larger Washington Crossing State Park.
The Bucks County Audubon Society at Honey Hollow maintains a nature preserve with six miles of hiking trails open to the public from dawn to dusk every day for hiking and birdwatching.
Bowman's Hill Wild Flower Preserve contains over 700 of Pennsylvania's 2,000 native plant species that grow naturally on 134 acres.
Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English county of Buckinghamshire.
Buckingham Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 20,075 at the 2010 census. Buckingham takes its name from Buckingham in Buckinghamshire, England. Buckingham Township was once known as Greenville and was once the historic county seat of the English Bucks County.
Doylestown Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 17,565 at the 2010 census. Adjacent to the county seat, the township hosts many county offices and the county correctional facility. Doylestown Central Park is a park in the township.
New Britain Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,070 at the 2010 census.
New Hope is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,612 at the 2020 census. New Hope is located approximately 30 mi (48 km) north of Philadelphia, and lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. New Hope and neighboring Solebury and Upper Makefield townships are part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The two-lane New Hope–Lambertville Bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the Delaware to Lambertville, New Jersey, on the east bank. New Hope's primary industry is tourism.
Plumstead Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 12,442 at the 2010 census.
Richland Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,100 at the 2010 census.
Springfield Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,035 at the 2010 census.
Tinicum Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,995 at the 2010 census.
Wrightstown Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,995 at the 2010 census.
Pennsylvania Route 179 and Route 179 is an 8.7-mile (14.00 km) state highway in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States, running along an old alignment of U.S. Route 202 from west of New Hope, Pennsylvania, northeast through Lambertville, New Jersey, to Ringoes, where it ends at an intersection with US 202 and Route 31. Past this intersection, the road continues east as County Route 514. It is two-lane, undivided highway for most of its length with the exception of a four-lane stretch in Lambertville. The route crosses the Delaware River on the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge, where the designation changes from PA 179 to Route 179.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly 140 miles (230 km) along the Delaware River from Philadelphia and Bucks County in southeast Pennsylvania and then north through the Lehigh Valley and to Pennsylvania-New York state border.
Pennsylvania Route 32 is a scenic two-lane highway that runs along the west side of the Delaware River in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Signed north-south, it runs from U.S. Route 1 in Falls Township outside of Morrisville northwest to PA 611 in the village of Kintnersville in Nockamixon Township. PA 32 passes through Washington Crossing Historic Park, a Revolutionary War-themed historical park on the site of George Washington's crossing on the night of December 25–26, 1776. It also passes through the boroughs of Morrisville, Yardley, and New Hope.
Pennsylvania Route 263 (PA 263) is a north–south state highway located in southeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at PA 611 in Willow Grove, Montgomery County. The northern terminus is at the Centre Bridge–Stockton Bridge over the Delaware River in Centre Bridge, Bucks County, where the road continues into Stockton, New Jersey, as Bridge Street to an intersection with Route 29. PA 263 follows the routing of Old York Road, a historic road that connected Philadelphia to New York City, and carries the name York Road from the southern terminus to Lahaska and Upper York Road north of there. From Willow Grove to Buckingham, PA 263 runs mostly through suburban areas as a four-lane road, passing through Hatboro, Warminster, and Jamison. The route forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 202 (US 202) in Buckingham and narrows to a two-lane road, splitting with that route in Lahaska. From here, the route continues through rural areas to Centre Bridge.
The New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge carries U.S. Route 202 (US 202) over the Delaware River, connecting Delaware Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, with Solebury Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The bridge, which opened in 1971, was built and is currently operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The commission is also responsible for maintenance and operation of the interchanges with Route 29 in New Jersey and Pennsylvania Route 32 (PA 32) on the Pennsylvania side.
U.S. Route 202 is a US Highway running from New Castle, Delaware, northeast to Bangor, Maine. The route runs through the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, passing through the western and northern suburbs of Philadelphia in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. US 202 serves largely as a toll-free bypass around the city, avoiding the busy traffic and congestion on Interstate 95 (I-95). It is signed north–south and follows a general southwest–northeast direction through the state, serving West Chester, King of Prussia, Bridgeport, Norristown, Montgomeryville, Doylestown, and New Hope. US 202 enters Pennsylvania from Delaware and heads north as a divided highway, where it becomes concurrent with US 322 at an intersection with US 1 in Painters Crossing. The two routes run north and become a freeway that bypasses West Chester to the east, with US 322 splitting from US 202. US 202 continues north and east along the freeway to King of Prussia, where it reverts to an at-grade divided highway following an interchange with I-76. The route becomes a one-way pair as it passes through Bridgeport and Norristown before both directions rejoin and the road continues northeast. US 202 follows an expressway-grade parkway between Montgomeryville and Doylestown prior to bypassing Doylestown to the south along a freeway. The route continues northeast as an at-grade road to New Hope, where it turns into a freeway again before it crosses the Delaware River on the New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge into New Jersey.
Pidcock Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Rising in Buckingham Township, it flows into the Delaware in Solebury Township after a short side trip within Upper Makefield Township.
Dark Hollow Run is a tributary of the Delaware River contained wholly within Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, meeting with the Delaware south of New Hope.
Aquetong Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in Solebury Township and New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Rising from the Aquetong Spring, now known as Ingham Spring, just south of the intersection of U.S. Route 202, Lower Mountain Road, and Ingham Road, it runs about 10.75 miles (17.30 km) to its confluence with the Delaware.
Aquetong is populated place in Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States, situated along U.S. Route 202, approximately 2.9 miles (4.7 km) west of New Hope.
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