Wrightstown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Wrightstown's first settler was John Chapman, who emigrated from England in October 1684, with his wife and children and settled on land which was part of the original William Penn Grant. According to legend, they first lived in a "cave" or "sod hut", probably on what is now Penns Park Road. Twin boys were born in their dwelling during the first winter, originating a long line of descendants, among whom was Henry Chapman Mercer. Although the first dwelling no longer exists, there are seven houses in the Township which were the homes of second and third generation Chapmans. William Smith, who arrived the year after the Chapmans, built a log house which still stands on Mud Road. In addition to the Smith house, there are 140 other houses in the Township which are at least 100 years old.

The boundaries of the Township were established by 1692. A square mile in the center, in the present Penns Park, was reserved for parkland. However, in 1719, this was divided among the surrounding property owners.

In addition to its basically rural character, much of the Wrightstown Township's charm is due to its five villages: Penns Park, Pineville, Rushland, Wrightstown and Wycombe. Each village at one time contained its own post office, a rather distinctive facet of life in the Township. Today, all but the Wrightstown Post Office remain, with home delivery available to approximately 50% of the Township through the Newtown Post Office. A small portion of the township is served with home mail delivery through the Furlong Post Office in neighboring Buckingham Township. Other past villages include Anchor and Chain Bridge.

The Penn's Park General Store Complex, Penns Park Historic District, William Smith House, Waldenmark, Isaiah Warner Farmstead, Wrightstown Friends Meeting Complex, Wrightstown Octagonal Schoolhouse, and Wycombe Village Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 10.0 square miles (25.8 km²), of which 9.9 square miles (25.7 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.30%) is water.

Natural features include Anchor Creek, Jericho Creek, Mill Creek, Neshaminy Creek including the Neshaminy Palisades, Newtown Creek, and Robin Run.MacReynolds, George, Place Names in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Doylestown, Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA, 1942, P1.

{{US Census population

|1930= 716

|1940= 799

|1950= 909

|1960= 1734

|1970= 2266

|1980= 2207

|1990= 2426

|2000= 2839

|2010= 2995

|2020= 3286

|footnote={{Cite web |url=http://www.dvrpc.org/data/databull/rdb/db82/appedixa.xls |title=DVRPC > Site Search |access-date=2014-03-21 |archive-date=2019-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409042424/https://www.dvrpc.org/data/databull/rdb/db82/appedixa.xls |url-status=dead }}

}}

As of the 2010 census, the township was 94.5% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.8% Asian, and 0.8% were two or more races. 1.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA |title=Census 2010: Philadelphia gains, Pittsburgh shrinks in population |work=USA Today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314234139/https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA |archive-date=2011-03-14 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Census 2020 |url=https://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/Portals/48/Features/CountyAndMunicipalPopulationChange_2010to2020.xlsx?ver=2021-08-24-080135-920}}

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 2,853 people, 890 households, and 785 families residing in the township. The population density was {{convert|286.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 986 housing units at an average density of {{convert|99.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.

There were 971 households, out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.1% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the township the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $82,875, and the median income for a family was $92,372. Males had a median income of $66,435 versus $36,125 for females. The per capita income for the township was $42,623. About 2.9% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Wrightstown Township, Pennsylvania has a hot-summer, wet all year, humid continental climate (Dfa). Dfa climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (≤ 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months, episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). On average, the wettest month of the year is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 0 °F (< -18 °C). The plant hardiness zone is 6b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of -1.1 °F (-18.4 °C).{{cite web|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=2019-06-27|title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map}} The average seasonal (Nov-Apr) snowfall total is between 24 and 30 inches (61 and 76 cm), and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

{{Weather box |width=auto

|location = Wrightstown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (1981 – 2010 averages)

|single line = Y

|Jan high F = 39.6

|Feb high F = 42.8

|Mar high F = 51.1

|Apr high F = 63.0

|May high F = 72.8

|Jun high F = 81.8

|Jul high F = 86.1

|Aug high F = 84.4

|Sep high F = 77.5

|Oct high F = 66.2

|Nov high F = 55.1

|Dec high F = 43.9

|year high F= 63.8

| Jan mean F = 31.2

| Feb mean F = 34.0

| Mar mean F = 41.4

| Apr mean F = 52.2

| May mean F = 61.7

| Jun mean F = 71.2

| Jul mean F = 75.8

| Aug mean F = 74.2

| Sep mean F = 67.0

| Oct mean F = 55.3

| Nov mean F = 45.6

| Dec mean F = 35.8

| year mean F = 53.9

|Jan low F = 22.9

|Feb low F = 25.1

|Mar low F = 31.8

|Apr low F = 41.4

|May low F = 50.7

|Jun low F = 60.5

|Jul low F = 65.5

|Aug low F = 64.1

|Sep low F = 56.5

|Oct low F = 44.4

|Nov low F = 36.1

|Dec low F = 27.6

|year low F= 44.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.49

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.75

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.07

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.99

|May precipitation inch = 4.31

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.37

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.19

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.25

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.42

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.90

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.68

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.05

|year precipitation inch= 48.47

| humidity colour = green

| Jan humidity = 66.4

| Feb humidity = 62.7

| Mar humidity = 58.7

| Apr humidity = 57.6

| May humidity = 62.1

| Jun humidity = 66.1

| Jul humidity = 66.6

| Aug humidity = 69.1

| Sep humidity = 70.0

| Oct humidity = 69.3

| Nov humidity = 67.9

| Dec humidity = 68.1

| year humidity = 65.4

| Jan dew point F = 21.3

| Feb dew point F = 22.6

| Mar dew point F = 28.0

| Apr dew point F = 37.7

| May dew point F = 48.6

| Jun dew point F = 59.3

| Jul dew point F = 63.9

| Aug dew point F = 63.4

| Sep dew point F = 56.9

| Oct dew point F = 45.4

| Nov dew point F = 35.6

| Dec dew point F = 26.3

| year dew point F = 42.5

|source 1 = PRISM Climate Group{{cite web|url=http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/|title=PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State U|website=www.prism.oregonstate.edu|access-date=June 26, 2019}}}}

{{stack|File:2022-11-02 10 48 51 View north along Pennsylvania State Route 413 (Durham Road) just north of Pennsylvania State Route 232 (Windy Bush Road-Second Street Pike) in Wrightstown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.jpg}}

As of 2022 there were {{convert|40.27|mi}} of public roads in Wrightstown Township, of which {{convert|19.26|mi}} were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and {{convert|21.01|mi}} were maintained by the township.{{cite web|url=https://gis.penndot.gov/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Type5/09230.pdf|title=Wrightstown Township map|publisher=PennDOT|access-date=March 11, 2023}}

Pennsylvania Route 232 and Pennsylvania Route 413 are the numbered highways traversing Wrightstown Township. PA 232 follows Second Street Pike and Windy Bush Road along a north-south alignment through the central portion of the township, while PA 413 follows Durham Road along a southeast-northwest alignment across northern and eastern portions of the township.

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Wrightstown Township, Pennsylvania would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.{{cite web|url=https://databasin.org/datasets/1c7a301c8e6843f2b4fe63fdb3a9fe39|publisher=Data Basin|access-date=2019-07-31|title=U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.wrightstownpa.org/ Wrightstown Township]

{{Bucks County, Pennsylvania}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Townships in Bucks County, Pennsylvania