East Norriton Township, Pennsylvania

History

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the area that would become East Norriton Township witnessed visits from several prominent historical figures traveling through Montgomery County. Local tradition holds that General George Washington passed through the area in December 1777 while moving the Continental Army toward Valley Forge, following skirmishes near Whitemarsh. The Marquis de Lafayette is also recorded as having passed through Norriton Township during his celebrated 1825 tour of the United States, when crowds gathered along the Germantown Pike to greet him en route to Philadelphia.

In the early nineteenth century, naturalist John James Audubon, residing nearby at Mill Grove, frequently explored the countryside surrounding Norriton and is believed to have made several sketches of local bird species along the Stony Creek and the open meadows that once stretched across East Norriton. Later in the century, abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke at public meetings in Norristown, and contemporary Quaker records suggest that he dined at a farmhouse in present-day East Norriton during his visit to the area in the 1860s.

On March 9, 1909, Norriton Township was divided into East Norriton Township and West Norriton Township.

The Barley Sheaf Inn and Old Norriton Presbyterian Church are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

East Norriton Township is located at (40.148744, -75.33291).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 6.1 sqmi, of which 6.1 sqmi is land and 0.16% is water. East Norriton was recognized by Business Week as one of the nation's top five Best Affordable Suburbs in 2009. East Norriton is a former farming community 8 mi northwest of Philadelphia's city limits, consisting of residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Shopping malls close to East Norriton are the Plymouth Meeting Mall, which is the closest one at 4 mi away, and King of Prussia. The township is situated on the US 202 corridor, north of King of Prussia and Norristown. East Norriton has a little league program.

Neighboring municipalities

• Worcester Township (north)
• Whitpain Township (east)
• Plymouth Township (southeast)
• Norristown (south)
• West Norriton Township (southwest)
• Lower Providence Township (tangent to the west)

Government and politics

East Norriton Township is a second-class township that elects five supervisors at-large.

• Dennis DeSanto Jr., Chair
• Ashley DiPiero, Vice-chair
• Joseph Gavanus
• Kevin McDevitt
• Laura Rivera

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the township was 82.0% White, 9.0% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 6.3% Asian, and 1.5% were two or more races. 3.2% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,211 people, 5,156 households, and 3,547 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,172.7 PD/sqmi. There were 5,310 housing units at an average density of 873.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 88.79% White, 6.06% African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.84% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.

There were 5,156 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the township the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $60,536, and the median income for a family was $70,162. Males had a median income of $49,737 versus $33,642 for females. The per capita income for the township was $28,749. About 1.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

As of 2018, there were 66.54 mi of public roads in East Norriton Township, of which 16.50 mi were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 50.04 mi were maintained by the township.

US 202 is the only numbered highway directly serving the township. It mostly follows Dekalb Pike along a northeast-southwest alignment across the southeastern portion of East Norriton. Southbound US 202 breaks off from Dekalb Pike to follow Johnson Highway along the border with Norristown for a short stretch before turning left into Norristown via Markley Street.

SEPTA provides Suburban Bus service to East Norriton Township along Route 90, which runs between the Norristown Transportation Center and the Plymouth Meeting Mall; Route 96, which runs between the Norristown Transportation Center and Lansdale; and Route 98, which runs between the Norristown Transportation Center and Blue Bell via the Plymouth Meeting Mall.

Economy

Einstein Medical Center, the major hospital for Montgomery County sits on 87 acres, the former land of Wood's Golf Center

Genuardi's, a division of Safeway Inc., formerly had its headquarters in the township.

Education

The township is in the Norristown Area School District.

Holy Rosary Regional Catholic School in Plymouth Meeting and Plymouth Township is the area Catholic school. It was formed in 2012 by the merger of Our Lady of Victory in East Norriton, Epiphany of Our Lord School in Plymouth Meeting, and St. Titus in East Norriton.

References

References

1. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates".
3. Clement, John. ''Pennsylvania Campaign Routes of 1777–1778''. Philadelphia Historical Society, 1894, pp. 201–203.
4. Greene, Charles J. ''Lafayette’s American Journey: The Pennsylvania Tour''. Harrisburg Press, 1926, p. 77.
5. Rhodes, E.M. ''Audubon in Pennsylvania''. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1932, pp. 54–56.
6. Sanders, L. ''Freedom’s Pathways: Abolition and the Quaker Presence in Montgomery County''. Norristown Historical Review, vol. 12, no. 4, 1958, p. 19.
7. "Norriton, Township of (defunct) {{!}} Government Detail {{!}} PA {{!}} Local Geohistory Project".
8. {{NRISref
9. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. Gopal, Prashant. (February 19, 2009). "Best Affordable Suburbs 2009". Business Week.
11. "DVRPC > Site Search".
12. "Census 2020".
13. "Census 2010: Philadelphia gains, Pittsburgh shrinks in population". [[USA Today]].
14. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
15. "East Norriton Township map". PennDOT.
16. "SEPTA Official Transit & Street Map Suburban". SEPTA.
17. "Einstein Medical Center Montgomery - Einstein Medical Center Montgomery - Einstein Health".
18. "[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/product-compint-0000361353-page.html Genuardi's Family Markets L.P.]" Goliath. Retrieved on December 23, 2009.
19. "[http://www.eastnorritontwp.org/Uploads/FileManager/Code%20Enforcement/ENT_ZoningMap2009.pdf Zoning Map] {{Webarchive. link. (March 5, 2016 ." East Norriton Township, Pennsylvania. Retrieved on December 23, 2009.)
20. (July 15, 2012). "2012 Catholic grade school consolidations/closings". Catholicphilly.com.
21. (January 13, 1998). "St. Titus". [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia]].