Sellersville, Pennsylvania

Geobox Borough
name = Borough of Sellersville
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =
category = Borough


image_size =
image_caption =


flag_size =
symbol =
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nickname =
motto =
country = United States
state = Pennsylvania
region = Bucks
region_type = County
district =
area_imperial = 1.2
area_land_imperial = 1.2
area_water_imperial = 0.04
area_water_percentage = auto
area_percentage_round = 2
area_round = 1
location =
lat_d = 40
lat_m = 21
lat_s = 31
lat_NS = N
long_d = 75
long_m = 18
long_s = 36
long_EW = W
elevation_imperial = 381
elevation_round = 1
population_as_of = 2000
population = 4564
population_density_imperial = 3934.1
population_density_round = 1
government_type =
government =
established_type =
established =
mayor =
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
postal_code = 18960
postal_code_type = ZIP code
area_code = 215 267
area_code_type =
code2_type =
code2 =
free_type =
free =
free1_type =
free1 =


map_size =
map_caption = Location of Sellersville in Bucks County
map1 = Pennsylvania Locator Map.png map1_size =
map1_caption = Location of Sellersville in Pennsylvania
map1_locator = Pennsylvania
map2 = Map of USA PA.svg
map2_caption = Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
website =

Sellersville is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,564 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Sellersville is located at coor dms|40|21|31|N|75|18|36|W|city (40.358565, -75.310082)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.69%) is water. It is located in Southeastern Pennsylvania as part of Northern Bucks County (colloquially referred to as Upper Bucks) which borders Philadelphia County.

Overview and History

Sellersville began in the early 1700s. It was centered on a major road known as Bethlehem Pike that connected Philadelphia to Bethlehem and the rest of what was then far Western Pennsylvania. The town was very small and its most notable feature was a large inn. The Inn is today called the Washington House because it is believed to have been visited at least once by George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The town grew slowly over the years until the Industrial Revolution. In the 1860s the North Pennsylvania Railroad was built, running parallel to Bethlehem Pike: this stimulated the growth of light textile industries and brought a wave of population growth. The East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek runs through the town which connects it to an adjacent town of Perkasie. This creek was dammed in the early 1900s creating a small body of water known as Lake Lenape. Along the length of the lake a park was built on Perkasie and Sellersville lands. In the 1920s and 30's this park housed a carousel, a roller coaster and several other amusements. The railroad brought hundreds of people from Philadelphia in the summer time, and it became a well known vacation spot for blue collar city workers.

Today the town is still relatively small, sandwiched in between a ridge line and the larger town of Perkasie. The center of town still runs along Bethlehem Pike which is now called the old Route 309. The Washington House still stands and has recently been restored to become a five star restaurant. The creek is "still" dammed "but" only the carousel in Perkasie remains of the amusements. The textile industry has long moved out of the area and Sellersville has become mainly a residential town for people working in the many urban centers that are only a short commute away. The addition of Grandview Hospital on the ridgeline overlooking Sellersville has provided some local jobs making the town a home for mainly middle class families. The town is surrounded on three sides by open country and spread out housing developments. On the other side it has grown into Perkasie to the extent that the border is only distinguishable by a few signs.

Saint Joseph's University graduates, and former Hawk baseball players, Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher and 20+ year Major League Baseball veteran are natives of Sellersville.

The painter Walter Emerson Baum was born in Sellersvile and painted many scenes around the local area.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,564 people, 1,770 households, and 1,198 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,934.1 people per square mile (1,519.1/km²). There were 1,827 housing units at an average density of 1,574.8/sq mi (608.1/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.30% White, 0.57% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.99% of the population.

There were 1,770 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the borough the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $46,500, and the median income for a family was $55,313. Males had a median income of $38,018 versus $27,056 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,970. About 5.4% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Sellersville include:
*Chris Collingwood (1968-), co-founder of Fountains of Wayne. [Wise, Brian. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E5DE163AF93BA35751C0A9629C8B63 "Eclectic Sounds of New Jersey, Echoing From Coast to Coast"] , "The New York Times", February 8, 2004. Accessed November 22, 2007.]
*Jamie Moyer (1962-), Major League Baseball pitcher

Local Businesses

In addition to the Washington House, Sellersville is home to some unique businesses, including the following:

Lizzie High Doll Factory, a world-renowned doll manufacturer, has made its home in Sellersville. The old manufacturing facility has revamped its facilities to include a doll museum and other businesses in addition to doll manufacturing.

[http://www.st94.com Sellersville Theater] The Sellersville Theater, an old run-down movie theater that closed in the mid-1990s, was bought and renovated by the owners of the Washington House to become the premiere music hall in the area. The theater, an old stable to the Washington House, was renovated in keeping with the Victorian era in which it was built. Many acts have come through its doors, including such well-known artists as Richie Havens, Roseanne Cash and George Winston.

[http://www.awardsR.us Bux-Mont Awards] Opened in 1991, Bux-Mont Awards is the awards and engraving supplier of Bucks and Montgomery counties. Started out of the Sellersville basement of the owner, Greg Bencsiks, Bux-Mont Awards moved into the building at 201 North Main Street owned by the Odd Fellows in 1997, and marked its 15th year in business by opening a second store and expanding its web presence.

References