Penndel, Pennsylvania

History

Penndel Borough, although small, is rich in history. The area, originally inhabited by the Lenape people, was settled by Thomas Langhorne, an English Quaker preacher, and by Henry Paulin, a Quaker Yeoman, on land grants from William Penn. Penndel remained a farming region until 1876 when the Philadelphia Reading Railroad began service, and the Langhorne train station was established. In 1878 Thomas Eastburn & Co. advertised 130 Building Lots in the area calling it "The Eden of Bucks County." Slowly individual homes and small businesses were built in close proximity to the railroad, and the town expanded from there. It began as the Eden Post Office, was incorporated as the borough of Attleboro on June 22, 1899; the name changed to South Langhorne in February 1911, and finally to Penndel on November 17, 1947. Today Penndel has both a thriving industrial district and residential areas with both new and historically significant homes.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.4 sqmi, all land.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Penndel has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature 32.0 °F, at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F, at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are slightly humid in Penndel, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values 108 °F. Since 1981, the highest air temperature was 102.8 °F on July 22, 2011, and the highest daily average mean dew point was 75.4 °F on August 13, 2016. The average wettest month is July, which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was 6.66 in on August 27, 2011. During the winter months, the average annual extreme minimum air temperature is 1.3 °F. Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was -9.7 °F on January 22, 1984. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur, with wind chill values

| Jan record high F = 71.6 | Feb record high F = 77.9 | Mar record high F = 87.5 | Apr record high F = 94.6 | May record high F = 95.5 | Jun record high F = 96.7 | Jul record high F = 102.8 | Aug record high F = 100.5 | Sep record high F = 98.5 | Oct record high F = 88.5 | Nov record high F = 81.2 | Dec record high F = 76.0 | year record high F = 102.8 | Jan record low F = -9.7 | Feb record low F = -2.4 | Mar record low F = 4.2 | Apr record low F = 18.1 | May record low F = 33.6 | Jun record low F = 42.4 | Jul record low F = 48.5 | Aug record low F = 43.3 | Sep record low F = 36.5 | Oct record low F = 25.5 | Nov record low F = 12.6 | Dec record low F = 0.1 | year record low F = -9.7 | Jan dew point F = 21.8 | Feb dew point F = 23.1 | Mar dew point F = 28.3 | Apr dew point F = 38.0 | May dew point F = 48.8 | Jun dew point F = 59.4 | Jul dew point F = 64.0 | Aug dew point F = 63.6 | Sep dew point F = 57.2 | Oct dew point F = 45.8 | Nov dew point F = 36.0 | Dec dew point F = 26.8 | year dew point F = 42.8

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the borough had a population of 2,507. The racial composition was 63% White, 22% Black or African American, 2% Asian, 6% Hispanic or Latino, and 6% two or more races.

There were 994 households, out of which 20% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 45% of households were married couples living together, 20% had a female householder, and 13% had a male householder. 11% had someone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40.

The population was distributed with 20% under the age of 18, 69% between ages 18 to 64, and 11% aged 65 or older.

The median income for a household in the borough was $75,000.

Arts and culture

Rumpf Factory/Mill - Originally built and completed in 1898 for Mr. Frederick Rumpf's company Rumpf & Sons to manufacture cotton coverlets, table cloths, napkins and other linen goods. The buildings stone was quarried locally on Mr. Rumpf's farm, formerly the Joyce property, and the sand was hauled from a pit just below neighboring Hulmeville Borough. The original main factory building was three stories high, measured 405 feet in length and 38 feet in width. It was connected by rail with the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad allowing railroad conveyance. George C. Dietrich of Philadelphia secured the building contract for $21,500. The original factory structure was completely destroyed by a fire in August 1901 and rebuilt in 1902. The factory building is still standing, it sits mostly empty and its future is uncertain.

Education

Penndel lies within the Neshaminy School District. Students attend Herbert Hoover Elementary School for grades K-4, Maple Point Middle School for grades 5-8, and Neshaminy High School for grades 9-12. Other schooling opportunities in Penndel are offered through the Roman Catholic parish school of Our Lady of Grace, located in the borough.

Infrastructure

Transportation

As of 2019 there were 7.83 mi of public roads in Penndel, of which 2.63 mi were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 5.20 mi were maintained by the borough.

U.S. Route 1 Business is the most significant highway passing through Penndel. It follows the Lincoln Highway on a northeast-southwest alignment across the northwestern portion of the borough. Pennsylvania Route 413 passes through the northern tip of the borough briefly along Bellevue Avenue and Lincoln Highway, becoming concurrent with US 1 Business. Pennsylvania Route 513 starts at PA 413 and heads southward along Bellevue Avenue to the south end of the borough.

SEPTA provides bus service to Penndel along City Bus Route 14, which runs between the Frankford Transportation Center in Northeast Philadelphia and the Oxford Valley Mall, Suburban Bus Route 129, which runs between Frankford Avenue and Knights Road in Northeast Philadelphia and the Oxford Valley Mall, and Suburban Bus Route 130, which runs between Frankford Avenue and Knights Road in Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County Community College in Newtown.Langhorne station, a nearby SEPTA Regional Rail stop in Langhorne Manor, serves the West Trenton Line.

References

• George Bruce. Harbottle's Dictionary of Battles. (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981) ().

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
5. The Philadelphia Inquirer, PA Sat, July 13, 1878, Page 5
6. The Times Philadelphia, PA Fri, June 23, 1899, Page 4
7. The Republic Meyersdale, PA Thu, April 27, 1911, page 6 and The Bucks County Gazette Fri, Feb 24, 1911
8. The Bristol Daily Courier Bristol, PA Mon, November 24, 1947, page 1
9. "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". [[United States Department of Agriculture]].
10. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University".
11. "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau.
12. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". U.S. Census Bureau.
14. "Census 2020".
15. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau.
16. "Penndel borough, Bucks County, PA". Census Reporter.
17. The Bucks County Gazette - Thu, Jun 30, 1898, page 1
18. The Bucks County Gazette Bristol, PA Thu, March 17, 1898, Page 1
19. The Bucks County Gazette - Thu, Aug 22, 1901, page 3
20. "School Info". Penndel Borough.
21. "Our Lady of Grace".
22. "Penndel Borough map". PennDOT.
23. "SEPTA Official Transit & Street Map Suburban". SEPTA.
24. "Getting Around/Map/Mass Transit". Penndel, Pennsylvania.