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Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia
Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia
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External links
History
The land that comprises Abington today was
purchased from the native Lenape by William Penn
during the 1680s. By the next decade, a handful of
European settlers built and lived in Hill Township, at
the crossroads of Susquehanna Street Road and Old
York Road. After brief times under other names, the
township incorporated as Abington in 1704. The Location of Abington Township in Montgomery
town's name is likely taken from parishes in England County
formed over 900 years ago in Northamptonshire or
Cambridgeshire.[7] A local 1734 census counted 42
resident landowners.[8] During the American
Revolutionary War, there was a small battle that took
place at Edge Hill. (See: Battle of White Marsh).[6]
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The communities are unofficial, unincorporated subdivisions of the township, corresponding roughly to
voting districts and elementary school placement. Their primary importance, aside from community
identity, is the postal system (e.g., to send a letter to someone living in the Glenside community, the
letter would be addressed to Glenside, Pennsylvania rather than Abington Township, Pennsylvania).
Additionally, some portions of some of these subdivisions, including Glenside, Huntingdon Valley, North
Hills, Willow Grove, and Elkins Park, are actually in neighboring townships.[2]
Local civic associations include Crestmont Civic Association, Glenside Gardens Civic Association,
Hollywood Civic Association, Lower Huntingdon Valley Civic Association, McKinley Civic Association,
Rydal-Meadowbrook Civic Association (http://www.rydal-meadowbrook.org/) and Tall Trees
Association. The civic associations work together on Traffic Summits in even years (2012, 2014, 2016,
etc.) and Economic Summits in odd years (2013, 2015, 2017, etc.). These Summits focus on eliminating
traffic congestion that interferes with the growth of businesses in the Township. Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation's Traffic Calming Handbook (https://web.archive.org/web/2011121102
3524/http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/pdHwyIntHS.nsf/frmTrafficCalming) recommends the
formation of a Local Traffic Advisory Committee to work with officials to identify ways to improve safety
of the community.
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high 37 42 50 62 72 81 85 84 77 65 54 43 63
°F (°C) (3) (6) (10) (17) (22) (27) (29) (29) (25) (18) (12) (6) (17)
Average low 21 42 32 41 51 63 67 65 56 43 34 26 45
°F (°C) (−6) (6) (0) (5) (11) (17) (19) (18) (13) (6) (1) (−3) (7)
Average
3.44 3.01 4.32 4.12 4.37 4.60 5.05 3.98 4.53 3.82 3.94 4.23 49.41
precipitation
(87) (76) (110) (105) (111) (117) (128) (101) (115) (97) (100) (107) (1,254)
inches (mm)
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Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the township was 79.7% White, 12.4% Black or Historical population
African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.9% Asian, and 2.1% were Year Pop. ±%
two or more races. 3.2% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino 1890 2,703 —
ancestry.[13] 1900 3,803 +40.7%
As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated there were 55,234 1910 5,896 +55.0%
people, 21,252 occupied households, and 14,819 families residing in 1920 8,684 +47.3%
the township. The population density was 3,563 people per square 1930 18,648 +114.7%
mile (1,377/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 80% White, 1940 20,857 +11.8%
12% Black, 3% Asian, a fraction of a percent Pacific Islander, 1% from 1950 28,988 +39.0%
other races, and 3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of 1960 55,831 +92.6%
any race were 3% of the population. 1970 63,625 +14.0%
1980 58,836 −7.5%
There were 21,252 households, out of which 32% had children under 1990 56,322 −4.3%
the age of 18 living with them, 11% had a female householder with no 2000 56,103 −0.4%
husband present, 56% were married couples living together, and 30% 2010 55,310 −1.4%
were non-families. 26% of all households were made up of 2016 55,557 +0.4%
individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of [11]
Source:
age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average Source:
family size was 3.11. U.S. Decennial Census[12]
In the township the population was spread out, with 22% under the
age of 18, 9% from 18 to 24, 25% from 25 to 44, 29% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or
older. The median age was 42 years. The population was 47% male, and 53% female.
The median income for a household in the township was $77,363, and the median income for a family
was $94,473. The per capita income for the township was $38,737. About 2% of families and 3% of the
population were below the poverty line, including 1% of those under age 18 and 5% of those age 65 or
over.[4]
Government
Abington Township does not have a mayor. Rather it is governed Presidential elections results[14]
by a Board of Commissioners, who are elected one from each of
the township's fifteen wards. A President of the Board is elected Year Republican Democratic
from among these commissioners, and serves as the head of 2016 30.5% 9,983 65.0% 21,287
government for Abington Township. John Spiegelman (D) is the
current Commission President.[2] 2012 35.7% 11,253 63.1% 19,871
2008 34.4% 11,244 64.8% 21,210
All of the township is in the Fourth Congressional District and is
represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean (D). 2004 38.0% 12,116 61.7% 19,667
2000 38.4% 10,808 59.0% 16,586
All of the township falls within the 4th Senatorial District in the
Pennsylvania Senate and is Represented by Art Haywood (D). 1996 37.2% 9,670 53.6% 13,933
1992 37.9% 13,933 46.3% 13,736
All of the township falls within the 153rd Legislative District in the
PA House of Representatives and is represented by Ben Sanchez
(D).
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In 2004, Pennsylvanian political scientists Dr. G. Terry Madonna and Dr. Michael Young identified
Abington Township as an especially interesting political bellwether — a local area "looked to for early
readings of how national elections will turn out."[15]
Economy
The economy of the township includes manufacturing of pressed steel, chemicals, and metal and plastic
products.[6]
Top employers
According to Abington Township's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[16] the top employers
in the township are:
Infrastructure
Transportation
Several SEPTA Regional Rail stations are located in Abington Township, providing commuter rail service
to Center City Philadelphia. The Lansdale/Doylestown Line stops at the North Hills station, the
Warminster Line stops at Crestmont, Roslyn, and Ardsley stations, and the West Trenton Line stops at
Meadowbrook, Rydal, and Noble stations. The Glenside station serving the Lansdale/Doylestown Line
and Warminster Line is located just outside the township's borders in Cheltenham Township. SEPTA
provides bus service to Abington Township along City Bus Routes 22, 24, 28, 55, 77, 80, 88, 310, and 311
and Suburban Bus Route 95, serving area shopping centers, hospitals, and employers, along with
offering connections to Philadelphia and other suburbs.[19] Fullington Trailways provides intercity bus
service to Abington Township along a route running between the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal in
Philadelphia and Williamsport, serving several places in northern Pennsylvania. Fullington Trailways
buses stop along PA 611 at Baeder Road.[20][21]
Utilities
Electricity and natural gas in Abington Township is provided by PECO Energy Company, a subsidiary of
Exelon.[22][23][24] Water in Abington Township is provided by Aqua Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Aqua
America.[25] Sewer service is provided by the township's Wastewater Utilities Department, with
wastewater treated either at the Abington Wastewater Treatment Plant or the Philadelphia Northeast
Treatment Plant.[26] Trash and recycling collection is provided by the township's Refuse/Recycling
Department.[27] Cable, telephone, and internet service to the area is provided by Xfinity and Verizon.
Abington Township is served by area codes 215, 267, and 445.[28]
Health care
Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health and Holy Redeemer Hospital are both located in Abington
Township. Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health, located along Old York Road in the Abington section of
the township, has 665 beds and over 5,500 employees, including more than 1,100 physicians, and is one
of the largest employers in Montgomery County. It has the Pennock Emergency Trauma Center, an
emergency room with the only Level II trauma center in Montgomery County. Other services offered at
Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health include The Heart and Vascular Institute, The Sidney Kimmel
Cancer Center at Abington-Jefferson Health, Neurosciences Institute, Orthopaedic and Spine Institute,
Diamond Stroke Center, Muller Institute for Senior Health, and the Institute for Metabolic and Bariatric
Surgery. Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health is a non-profit, regional referral center and teaching
hospital with five residency programs and operates the Dixon School of Nursing.[29] Holy Redeemer
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Education
Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health
Schools
Abington is served by the Abington School District. There are seven elementary schools in this township,
which include:
The junior high (grades 7–9) is Abington Junior High School (1,960 students) and the senior high
(grades 10–12) is Abington Senior High School (1,808).
There are several private schools located inside the township, such as Meadowbrook and Abington
Friends School. Penn State’s Abington campus is located in the Rydal section of the township.
The school district received some notoriety in the 1960s when it became one of the key parties in the
school prayer controversy, with Abington School District v. Schempp. The Supreme Court case resulted
in a declaration of the unconstitutionality of school-sanctioned Bible reading.
The Elementary Schools, Junior High School, and Senior High school within Abington School District
have recently undergone a series of renovations and rebuilding, resulting in more up-to-date and
sophisticated structures.
Area Catholic schools include St. Joseph the Protector Regional Catholic School in Glenside and
Abington Township, and Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School in Willow Grove and Upper
Moreland Township. Queen of Angels was formed in 2012 by the merger of Our Lady Help of Christians
in Abington and St. David in Willow Grove. St. Joseph was formed in 2012 by the merger of St. Luke the
Evangelist School in Glenside and Immaculate Conception School in Jenkintown.[32]
Penn State opened the Ogontz Campus in 1950, which was renamed to Penn State Abington.[6]
Notable people
Gail Berman – former president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company and former
president of Viacom's Paramount Pictures; 1974 Abington graduate
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Amar Gopal Bose – MIT professor and founder of the audio company Bose Corporation; attended
Abington Senior High School
David Brumbaugh – former Oklahoma state legislator
Bradley Cooper – actor
Michael Buffer – ring announcer
Ashton Carter (born 1954) – physicist, Harvard University professor, and former United States
Secretary of Defense
Madeleine Dean – current U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
Krista Errickson – actress
Maddy Evans – retired National Women's Soccer League midfielder and defender
Tom Feeney – former U.S. Representative from Florida
Jon D. Fox – former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
Matthew Fox – actor, famous for his portrayal of "Jack" on Lost
Jason Garrett – retired NFL quarterback, offensive coordinator of the New York Giants, and former
head coach of the Dallas Cowboys
Eddie George – retired NFL running back
Adam F. Goldberg – television/film producer and writer, best known as the creator of the television
series Breaking In and The Goldbergs
Drew Gulak – professional wrestler
Joe Hoeffel – former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
Al Holbert – auto racer in Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Deborah Kaplan – screenwriter and film director
Bil Keane – cartoonist of The Family Circus; resided in Roslyn with his family from 1948 to 1959
Chad Kolarik – University of Michigan hockey player, drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes
William Lashner – novelist
Joey Lawrence – actor
Matthew Lawrence – actor (brother of Joey Lawrence)
Benjamin Lay – philanthropist, abolitionist, and Quaker extremist
Stephen Lynch – Tony Award-nominated actor, comedian and musician
James Morrow – science fiction author, born in the area and alludes to the case in his novel
Blameless in Abaddon, whose title community is a parallel of Abington
Jeff Parke – current Major League Soccer player
Mike Richter – retired NHL goaltender
Mike Rossi – DJ and former TV host who cheated in the Lehigh Valley marathon
Bob Saget – actor and comedian
Ellery Schempp – physicist; famous for his involvement as a student in Abington School District v.
Schempp
Susan Seidelman – film and television director, Desperately Seeking Susan, Sex And The City
Allyson Schwartz – former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania
Stephen A. Schwarzman – Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Blackstone Group
Josh Shapiro – Attorney General of Pennsylvania
David Starr – professional wrestler
Kenny Vasoli – lead singer and bassist of The Starting Line and Vacationer[33]
Mike Vogel – actor, known for his roles in the films Grind and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
ZZ Ward – Musician, Singer/Songwriter
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References
1. "Township of Abington" (https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1216850).
Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
2. "Abington Township Website" (http://www.abington.org/). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2010
0418182334/http://www.abington.org/) from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
3. "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files" (https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Ga
zetteer/2016_gaz_place_42.txt). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Aug 14, 2017.
4. "U.S. Census website" (https://www.census.gov). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved
2010-03-20.
5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates" (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tab
les.2016.html). Retrieved June 9, 2017.
6. Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "Abington" (https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/pag
e/33). Encyclopædia Britannica. I: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, Illinois: Encyclopædia Britannica
Inc. pp. 33 (https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/33). ISBN 978-1-59339-837-
8.
7. Shaffer, Helen L. (April 1976). "A Tour of Old Abington, Bicentennial Edition" (http://www.abington.or
g/home/showdocument?id=10). Abington Civic Club. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
8. Edward W. Hocker; et al. (1956). "A History of the Abington Township" (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0101026031600/http://abington.org/info/history/50th%20Anniversary%201906.pdf) (PDF). The Board
of Commissioners of the Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Archived from the
original (http://www.abington.org/info/history/50th%20Anniversary%201906.pdf) (PDF) on 2010-10-
26. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
9. "National Register Information System" (https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP). National Register of
Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
10. "Monthly Averages for Abington, PA (19001)" (http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/month
ly/19001). The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
11. "U.S. Census Bureau" (https://www.census.gov). Retrieved 19 July 2011.
12. "Census of Population and Housing" (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.ht
ml). Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
13. Census 2010: Pennsylvania (https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA#locality-tab).
Usatoday.Com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
14. "Montgomery County Election Results" (http://www.montcopa.org/Archive.aspx?AMID=132).
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
15. Madonna, GT; Young, M (June 30, 2004). "Pennsylvania's Crystal Ball" (https://web.archive.org/web/
20070927005148/http://www.fandm.edu/x4105.xml). Politically Uncorrected Column. Franklin &
Marshall College's Center for Politics & Public Affairs. Archived from the original (http://www.fandm.e
du/x4105.xml) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
16. Township of Abington CAFR (http://www.abington.org/finance/downloads/2012%20Abington%20CAF
R.pdf) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20140415102102/http://www.abington.org/finance/down
loads/2012%20Abington%20CAFR.pdf) April 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
17. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Map) (18th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-775-
2.
18. "Red Light Cameras" (http://www.abingtonpd.org/traffic-safety/red-light-cameras/). Abington
Township Police Department. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
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External links
Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania travel guide from Wikivoyage
Bordering communities
Preceded by Succeeded by
of Philadelphia
Cheltenham Lower Moreland
With: Rockledge
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