Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Borough of Phoenixville | |
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| Borough | |
 Phoenixville, looking across the Phoenix Iron Works site and French Creek.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Chester |
| Area | 3.8 sq mi (9.8 km²) |
| - land | 3.6 sq mi (9.3 km²) |
| - water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²), 5.26% |
| Center | |
| - coordinates | Coordinates: |
| - elevation | 138 ft (42.1 m) |
| Population | 14,788 (2000) |
| Density | 4,120.0 /sq mi (1,590.7 /km²) |
| Incorporated | March 6, 1849 [1] |
| Mayor | Leo Scoda |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Zip code | 19460 |
| Area code | 610, 484, 835 |
  Location of Phoenixville in Pennsylvania
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 Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
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| Website : http://www.phoenixville.org | |
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population was 14,788 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
Phoenixville was settled in 1732 and incorporated as a borough in 1849. In its industrial heyday early in the twentieth century, it was an important manufacturing center and it was the site of great iron and steel mills such as the Phoenix Iron Works, boiler works, silk mill, underwear and hosiery factories, a match factory, and the famous (and now highly collectible) Etruscan majolica pottery. Like so many American towns and cities, Phoenixville owes its growth to its waterways. It is not only situated on the broad Schuylkill River, an historic thoroughfare to Native Americans and early settlers alike, but it is bisected by the fast-flowing French Creek, which was quickly harnessed for water power.
[edit] Attractions
Phoenixville is home to the Colonial Theatre, opened in 1903. In 1958, the theatre, along with some other parts of the borough, was featured in the motion picture The Blob. Beginning in 2000, Phoenixville has celebrated this with the annual BlobFest. Festivities include a reenactment of the scene featuring the Colonial. The Colonial Theatre shows old movies weekly as a treat to residents of Phoenixville.
The Valley Forge Christian College, located in neighboring Schuylkill and Charlestown Townships, is a part of this community, using the land belonging to the former Valley Forge General Hospital. The hospital was built in 1942 to accommodate the wounded of World War II. It was scheduled to be closed around 1949, but remained open until after the Vietnam War, closing in 1975.
Every year the Phoenixville Jaycees host their annual Dogwood Festival. The festival begins in April with the crowning of the Dogwood Queen and the annual Dogwood Pageant. In the weeks following, a celebration for newly crowned Queen and her court occurs as the public is invited to join in at the Dogwood Ball. Typically the Dogwood Fair begins the third week in May at Reeves Park and continues for six days (Monday-Saturday). The fair is full of carnival rides, food vendors, and local entertainment and attracts over 90,000 individuals every year[citation needed]. To cap off the festival, Saturday brings the community together for the annual Dogwood Parade, the largest parade in Chester County.
On a site where a busy steel mill once stood, an office park will soon rise amid miles of recreation trails. This Phoenix Property Group project, is a planned 120-acre waterside setting compatible with the current Phoenixville renaissance. The indigenous, winding French Creek will be an integral part of the landscape. Along with the recreations trails and retail within walking distance, it is anticipated that the office park will project more of a village streetscape atmosphere.
Also marking Phoenixville's renaissance is the recent, highly successful addition of the Iron Hill Brewery and the re-opening of the unique Steel City Coffeehouse. Bridge Street, Phoenixville's main drag, is a hotbed of revitalization with the addition of new retail shops -- everything from specialty cheeses to Scottish kilts.
Retail includes several gift shops, new and used bookstores such as Wolfgang Books, multiple antique shops, music shop, liquor store, children's clothing, and more. Restaurants include Majolica, Iron Hill Brewery, The Columbia Hotel, and several casual-style pizza and bar joints. Phoenixville is also home to Irish Joe's Cafe, named for 1950's era local boxer Irish Joe Rowan.
[edit] Geography
Phoenixville is located at (40.130819, -75.519061).[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.7 km²), of which, 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (4.27%) is water. Phoenixville was home to Showalter's Dairy until it closed in the early 1980s. Phoenixville is home of the highest recorded temperature in Pennsylvania, 111 degrees Fahrenheit, set in 1936.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 14,788 people, 6,460 households, and 3,675 families residing in the borough. The population density was 4,120.0 people per square mile (1,590.4/km²). There were 6,793 housing units at an average density of 1,892.6/sq mi (730.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 86.94% White, 7.66% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.92% of the population.
There were 6,460 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $42,500, and the median income for a family was $54,424. Males had a median income of $40,319 versus $32,295 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $22,911. About 4.2% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notables
- Mike Piazza, designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, is a graduate of Phoenixville Area High School.
- André Thornton, former Major League Baseball player, is a graduate of Phoenixville Area High School.
- Creighton Gubanich former Major League Baseball player with Boston Red Sox, is a graduate of Phoenixville Area High School.
- The Fountain Inn in Phoenixville was the farthest point inland reached by the British in the Northern Colonies during the Revolutionary War.[4]
- John-Paul Lavoisier, soap opera actor on "One Life to Live" is a graduate of Phoenixville Area High School.
- "The Sundance Kid", Harry A. Longabaugh, moved from Mont Clare, Pennsylvania, to Phoenixville at an early age. He worked on farms and attended school in Phoenixville. His parents & sister are buried in the Morris Cemetery in Phoenixville.
- David White (Daniel David White). Although born in Colorado, the actor who portrayed Larry Tate in the TV series Bewitched was a 1933 graduate of Phoenixville High School.
- Neal Olkewicz, born January 30, 1957 in Phoenixville, is a former American Football linebacker who played his entire eleven year career with the Washington Redskins from 1979 to 1989 in the National Football League.
[edit] References
- ^ Pennypacker, Samuel Whitaker (1872). Annals of Phoenixville and Its Vicinity: From the Settlement to the Year 1871. Phoenixville, PA: Bavis & Pennypacker, printers, p. 148.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Twadell, Meg Daly (September 1984). Inns, Tales, and Taverns of Chester County. Country Publications.
[edit] External links
- Website of the Borough of Phoenixville
- From Steel to Steal
- Main Street
- Downtown Phoenixville
- Phoenixville Historical Society
- Phoenixville Chamber of Commerce
- Phoenixville Jaycees
- Phoenixville's Renaissance
- Phoenixville Area School District
- Phoenixville Hospital
- "The Phoenix" - Phoenixville's Daily Newspaper
- Phoenixville Magazine, a Guide to Phoenixville and Chester County
- Bridge and Main
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