What are the oldest municipalities in Pennsylvania?
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(WHTM) – Pennsylvania was one of thirteen original colonies and was founded in 1681 by William Penn.
Pennsylvania is home to 2,560 municipalities across 67 counties which are broken up into Boroughs, Townships, Cities, and one Town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Pennsylvania has a population of 12,972,008 which would make it the fifth most populated state behind California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
Although Pennsylvania is the fifth largest in population in the United States, it’s only the 32 largest when it comes to the size in square miles with 44,820 square miles of land area.
So what are the oldest municipalities in Pennsylvania?
Words Pennsylvanians say that are unique to Pennsylvania
5. Allentown
Allentown was founded in 1762 by James Allen and has a population of 125,094 making it the third largest city in Pennsylvania.
According to Lehigh Valley History, George Washington made an appearance in Allentown during the Revolutionary War when he stopped there to rest.
Jobs were available with industries that include furnaces, foundries, wire mills, boiler works, silk mills, breweries thread mills, cigar factories, carriage factories, shoe factories, fire brick and building bricks, flour mills, machines shops, planing mills, oil refineries, blank book manufactory, furniture factories, and more in the area.
These jobs would bring people to the city that is nicknamed the “Queen city of the Valley.”
Allentown has grown into a major city for the Lehigh Valley and plays host to two minor league teams with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Anothe popular attraction in Allentown is Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom which is an amusement park.
To find more things to do in Allentown, click here.
4. Bethlehem
Bethlehem was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1741 and has a current population of 77,617 making is the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania.
Bethlehem is only around 6 miles from Allentown in the Lehigh Valley and is known as the “Christmas City USA.”
The city of Bethlehem is split between two counties, part of the city is in Lehigh County and the other part is in Northampton County.
According to the city of Bethlehem, the Moravians would be pacifists during the Revolutionary War but would support the Americans by providing hides and having a hospital in the Brethren’s House.
Many know Pittsburgh as the steel city but Bethlehem had the second largest steel company where they would invent the first rolled wide-flange structural steel beams.
Bethlehem would help build 1,127 ships for World War II.
In 2001, the Bethlehem Steel Corporation would file for bankruptcy.
According to Lehigh Valley History, Bethlehem is one of eight National Historic Landmark Districts in Pennsylvania, and has two National Historic Landmarks that include; 1741 Gemeinhaus and 1762 Waterworks.
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3. Philadelphia
Believe it or not, Philadelphia is not the oldest place in Pennsylvania as it was founded in 1682 and has the largest population in Pennsylvania with 1,567,258.
Philadephia has a deep history, not only with Pennsylvania but the enitre United States.
The Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution would be signed Indepnedence Hall which is in Philadelphia.
The capital of the United States between 1790 and 1800 would be Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is also the “Mural Capital of the World.” With more than 4,000 murals in the city alone, you can’t possibly see them all. One tour will take you to nearly 20 of them, giving you a taste of the neighborhood and city.
Tourists all over the world come to Philadelphia because of the history, sports teams, and food.
While in Philadelphia, tourists may want to visit the Liberty Bell, the Rockey Statue, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Eastern State Penitentiary.
To find more things to do in Philadelphia, click here.
2. Bristol
Bristol was founded in 1681 by Samuel Clift and has a population of 9,899 which makes it the 70th largest city in Pennsylvania.
According to Bristol Borough, Bristol’s motto is “Welcome a Friend” which greeted Marquis de Lafayette, Washington’s trusted French officer in 1824.
Travelers going from Philadelphia to New York City (or likewise) will travel through Bristol to this day.
In the 1800s and early 1900s, Bristol was a major center for textiles, according to Visit Bristol Borough.
Bristol is located along the Delaware River, so this made the Borough a popular area for shipbuidling and ship repairing. This resulted in many people flocking to Bristol for jobs.
The population would decrease in the 1900s due to the shipyards closing and the textile mills shutting down.
The shipyard would be converted into a aircraft factory and help build military planes for World War II.
Bristol was also home to a ferry from 1681 to 1931 which connected the borough to Burlington, New Jersey.
To find things to do or see in Bristol, visit the Visit Bristol Borough website.
Did you know: This Pennsylvania city was the first United States Capital
1. Chester
The oldest place in Pennsylvania is Chester which was founded in 1644 and has a population of 33,449 making it the sixteenth largest city in Pennsylvania.
Chester was named Upland by the Swedish but was changed by William Penn after he acquired the land as his own.
Chester’s peak population was more than 66,000, according to Chester City, and this was due to World War I and the growth of the industrial industry.
The decline of the population was due to manufacturers leaving the cities and that meant the jobs left the cities as well.
This would cause many to leave Chester and move to towns that had jobs or the suburbs.
According to Chester City, there are multiple nationally registered historic places in Chester including:
1724 Chester Courthouse
Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company
Delaware County National Bank
Old Main and Chemistry Building
Second Street Bridge
William Penn Landing Site
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