South Park Township, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also South Park (disambiguation)
  |
South Park Township is located in the southern part of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. It borders and/or touches the municipalities of Bethel Park, Jefferson Hills Borough, Pleasant Hills Borough and Baldwin Borough in Allegheny County, and Union Township in Washington County. The population was 14,340 at the 2000 census.
A large portion of the township is covered by a county park of the same name [1]. Activities provided in the park include ice skating rinks, tennis courts, a roller hockey rink, a championship golf course, picnic areas, shelters, playgrounds, ballfields, sled riding areas, summer concerts, horse-back riding, walking and biking trails, a very large, wave-action swimming pool, and a large dog park.
Contents |
[edit] History
Composed of portions of St. Clair and Jefferson Townships in 1845, South Park was originally called Snowden Township, named after John M. Snowden, a prominent businessman, politician and former Pittsburgh mayor, who had died earlier that year. In the 1930s, Allegheny County acquired several large parcels of farm land mostly within Snowden Township and created a regional recreational area named South Park. The huge success of South Park, and the fact the facility occupies roughly one-third of the community's total area, eventually prompted a 1966 referendum in which the township was renamed.
The area in and around South Park Township was settled in the mid-1700s. It is the location of the Oliver Miller Homestead where, in 1794, the first shots of the Whiskey Rebellion were fired. A log house was originally built on the site in 1772; it was replaced by a stone structure in the early 1800s, which is open for public tours.
[edit] Geography
South Park Township is located at (40.298382, -80.002097)[1].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km²).Negligible area is covered by streams and creeks, most notably Peters Creek. South Park, a 1,999 acre (3.1 sq mi) recreational area operated by Allegheny County, is located mostly within the boundaries of South Park Township, although a portion is located in adjacent Bethel Park.
[edit] Education
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2006) |
[edit] Elementary (Kindergarten-4th Grade)
In the early 20th century, three elementary schools were built. Two, Library and Broughton, accepted students from their respective districts. A third, Stewart School, educated Kindergarten and first grade students from both districts. In 1998, the township announced that a new elementary school would be built. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on February 12, 2000, with school superintendent Dr. Lawrence L. Muir and school board members digging the first dirt. In 2001, the South Park Elementary Center opened.
[edit] High (9th Grade-12th Grade)
A new South Park Senior High School opened in 2005. That fall, both the boys' football team and the boys' soccer team won the PIAA state championship finishing their respective seasons undefeated. The boys' soccer team also won the PIAA state championship in 2006. (2007) The girls' soccer team recently won the PIAA state championship. Arizona Cardinals Reggie Wells graduated from South Park High School. The school districts mascot is the Eagles.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 14,340 people, 5,422 households, and 4,028 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,563.6 people per square mile (603.8/km²). There were 5,616 housing units at an average density of 612.4/sq mi (236.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.15% White, 3.21% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,422 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,001, and the median income for a family was $57,290. Males had a median income of $41,002 versus $27,138 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,538. About 4.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] References
- ^ 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.
[edit] External links
- South Park Township
- South Park Historical Society
- South Park School District
- South Park Township Public Library (More information about South Park)
- South Park Township, Pennsylvania is at coordinates Coordinates:
