Douglassville, Pennsylvania Explained

Official Name:Douglassville, Pennsylvania
Settlement Type:Census-designated place
Pushpin Map:Pennsylvania#USA
Pushpin Label:Douglassville
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Pennsylvania
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Berks
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Amity
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:1.81
Area Land Km2:1.67
Area Water Km2:0.14
Area Total Sq Mi:0.70
Area Land Sq Mi:0.65
Area Water Sq Mi:0.05
Population As Of:2020
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population Total:518
Population Density Km2:309.90
Population Density Sq Mi:803.10
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation Ft:194
Coordinates:40.2578°N -75.7264°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:19518
Area Code:610 and 484
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:1173428

Douglassville is a census-designated place (CDP)[3] in Amity Township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Douglassville is situated along U.S. Route 422 and Pennsylvania Route 724. Developments include the Amity Gardens subdivision, the West Ridge subdivision, the Briarwood subdivision, and the High Meadow[4] subdivision. Douglassville also includes Cider Mill and the Woods Edge subdivision along Pennsylvania Route 562. As of the 2020 census, the population of the CDP was 518 residents.[5]

History

Swedish pioneers were the first European settlers in present Berks County on land granted by William Penn. Swedish Lutheran Minister Andreas Rudman secured an order from William Penn on October 21, 1701, setting aside 10000acres up the Schuylkill, near Manatawny Creek, for members of his congregation. The boundaries of Amity Township are almost identical to the boundaries of the original area known as Swedes' tract. Morlatton Village, an early settlement which became part of what is now Douglassville, was Berks County's first settlement site along the Schuylkill River. The settlement later became the location of Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church or Old Swedes, founded in 1720 as the oldest church in Berks County. The site also included the Mouns Jones House, built by Swedish settlers in 1716. The house is the oldest documented dwelling in Berks County.[6] [7]

Geography

Douglassville is located on the Schuylkill River and mainly upon its left bank. The CDP has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 30.7 °F in January to 75.5 °F in July. https://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/ The hardiness zone is 7a bordering upon 6b. https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx

Demographics

Parks and recreation

Lake Drive Park and Recreation Area is in the Amity Gardens subdivision. Facilities include basketball and tennis courts, a skateboard park, a pavilion, and a picnic area. Hill Road Park is located in the West Ridge subdivision, and includes a baseball field and a pavilion. Monocacy Hill Preserve is an undeveloped park used for hiking and environmental education outside Douglassville. The park has trails going around the mountain.

Infrastructure

Klein Transportation provides bus service from Douglassville to Reading, Kutztown, Wescosville, Hellertown, and Midtown Manhattan in New York City.[8]

Notable people

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ArcGIS REST Services Directory . United States Census Bureau . October 12, 2022.
  2. Web site: Census Population API . United States Census Bureau . October 12, 2022.
  3. Web site: 2010 U.S. Census website . . February 10, 2013.
  4. Web site: New Homes in PA for sale - Houses for Sale - Pennsylvania Home Builder - TH Properties . www.thproperties.com . April 20, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062839/http://www.thproperties.com/listing_detail.aspx?dev=High%20Meadow%20Estates . March 4, 2016 . dead.
  5. Web site: Census.gov . US Census . Bureau . www.census.gov . April 20, 2018.
  6. Mouns Jones House (1716) (Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County) Web site: Historic Preservation Trust: Preserving Berks County's Living History . April 20, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090713011917/http://www.historicpreservationtrust.org/hist_sites/mjhouse.html . July 13, 2009.
  7. Andreas Rudman and his Family (by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig . Swedish Colonial News, Volume 2, Number 1 . Winter 2000) Web site: Pastor Andreas Rudman and his Family . September 7, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091115094946/http://www.colonialswedes.org/Forefathers/Rudman.html . November 15, 2009.
  8. Web site: Klein Transportation and OurBus announce introductory schedule and rates . February 10, 2019 . WFMZ-TV . Allentown, PA . February 10, 2019.