Lower Saucon Township | |
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 Lutz-Franklin School, built in 1880 in Lower Saucon Township, June 1970 | |
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 Lower Saucon Township inNorthampton CountyPennsylvania | |
| Coordinates:40°38′00″N75°16′59″W / 40.63333°N 75.28306°W /40.63333; -75.28306 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Northampton |
| Area | |
• Township | 24.51 sq mi (63.48 km2) |
| • Land | 24.27 sq mi (62.86 km2) |
| • Water | 0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2) |
| Elevation | 417 ft (127 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Township | 10,772 |
• Estimate (2016)[2] | 10,813 |
| • Density | 445.5/sq mi (172.02/km2) |
| • Metro | 865,310 (US:68th) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 18015 and 18055 |
| Area code | 610 |
| FIPS code | 42-095-45104 |
| Primary airport | Lehigh Valley International Airport |
| Major hospital | Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest |
| School district | Saucon Valley |
| Website | www |
Lower Saucon Township is atownship inNorthampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The township's population was 10,772 as of the 2010 census. The township is part of theLehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th-most populousmetropolitan area in the U.S. as of the 2020 census.
Lower Saucon Township is located 6 miles (9.7 km) east ofAllentown, 58.9 miles (94.8 km) north ofPhiladelphia, and 83.6 miles (134.5 km) west ofNew York City. Addresses in nearby in township are eitherHellertown orBethlehem.
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Until the mid-17th century,LenapeNative American tribes hunted and inhabited the land of Lower Saucon Township. European traders first arrived in the area in the 17th century, and the Lenape peacefully traded with them with the exception of several periodic skirmishes.William Penn, who later founded thecolonial-eraProvince of Pennsylvania, one of the initialThirteen Colonies, was granted land on March 4, 1681, byKing Charles II to repay a debt owed to Penn's father, aRoyal Navy officer of the same name.
The land grant included what is now Lower Saucon Township. However, Penn soon realized that he needed to purchase the land from the Native Americans to maintain clear ownership. Penn advertised throughout Europe, offering 100-acre (0.40 km2) parcels of land for 40 shillings, subject to a rent of one shilling per annum forever.
In 1737, Penn's sons expanded their land holdings through theWalking Purchase to include most of theLehigh Valley. Although the Lenape did not think this was a legitimate claim, they eventually moved out of the area, allowing Europeans to settle it. Sometime before 1737, Nathaniel Irish established a farm, built a grist and saw mill, and opened a land office forWilliam Penn. He is considered the first European settler in Lower Saucon Township. Irish was the first justice of the peace in the area, and the first King's Highway, fromPhiladelphia to the Lehigh Valley, built in 1737, led to his property. His son, also named Nathaniel Irish (1737-1816), builtNathaniel Irish House in Philadelphia.
Lower Saucon Township was chartered in 1743, when it was still a part ofBucks County. It was established in the rich farmland alongSaucon Creek. The name Saucon comes from the nativeUnami language wordsakunk, meaning “at the mouth of the creek.”[3] The township also includedSouth Bethlehem until 1865 andHellertown until 1872.
German immigrants, convinced by Penn's favorable description of theNew World, settled Lower Saucon Township in large numbers, beginning in the 1730s. Some of the surnames of the early German settlers were Boehm, Wagner, Appel, Riegel, Brunner, Lerch, Laubach, Oberley, Heller, Shimer, and Lutz. These early settlers were hardworking, and their farms prospered. There were numerous mills built to provide sawed wood, flour, textiles, paper, and gunpowder. Other early industry included lime kilns and the extraction ofzinc andiron ore.
During theRevolutionary War, manyGerman farmers enlisted in theContinental Army to fight theBritish. At a time when the Continental Army's reserves were depleted, they offered to sell wheat and rye on credit. In 1777, soldiers of the Continental Army transporting theLiberty Bell toAllentown, passing through Lower Saucon and spending a night in Leithsville. TheMarquis de Lafayette stopped at Wagner's Tavern inHellertown on his way toBethlehem during the Revolutionary War.
The first church, Lower Saucon Church, was established in 1734, soon after the early settlers' arrival. It was built by aGerman Reformed congregation on what is present-day Easton Road. There were ten schools in the township, established by local church congregations, before thePennsylvania state legislature developed the state's public school system in 1834.
North Penn Railroad, connectingPhiladelphia toBethlehem, was completed in 1856. This 55-mile (89 km) line provided an impetus to buildingiron smelters in Bingen,Hellertown, andIron Hill due to the township's wealth ofiron ore andlimestone. The railroad broughtanthracite coal to this industry, transportedpig iron to markets, and provided transportation for Lower Saucon Township's residents.
Lower Saucon Township was impacted by the late 20th century downturn and eventual closure and bankruptcy ofBethlehem Steel, which was the second-largest steel manufacturer in the world for most of the 20th century. Bethlehem Steel executives purchased farmland in Lower Saucon Townships and built large estates in the township, and the steel company became the largest employer in theLehigh Valley region. It underwent a substantial reduction in manufacturing in 1982 and ultimately ceased manufacturing entirely in 1995, resulting in the termination of employment for many township residents.
Four locations in Lower Saucon Township have been named to theNational Register of Historic Places:Ehrhart's Mill Historic District,Michael and Margaret Heller House,Lutz-Franklin School, and Northampton County Bridge No. 15.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 24.3 square miles (62.9 km2), of which 24.1 square miles (62.5 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.4 km2) (0.62%) is water. The township is in the Delaware watershed and borders theLehigh River to the north, which drains Lower Saucon, except for the Leithsville area in the extreme south, which is drained by Cooks Creek east into theDelaware River.
There are nine villages in the township: Bingen,Colesville, Leithsville, Lower Saucon, Redington,Seidersville, Steel City,Wassergass, and Wydnor.
Lower Saucon Township has a hot summerhumid continental climate (Dfa) and thehardiness zone is 6b. Average temperatures in Wassergass range from 28.7 °F in January to 73.2 °F in July, while in Wydnor they average from 28.9 °F in January to 73.6 °F in July.[5]
As of 2021, there were 117.17 miles (188.57 km) of public roads in Lower Saucon Township, which 30.23 miles (48.65 km) are maintained by thePennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 86.94 miles (139.92 km) were maintained by the township.[6]
Interstate 78 is the most prominent highway traversing Lower Saucon Township. It follows a southwest–northeast alignment through the middle of the township. However, the nearest interchanges serving local roads are all in neighboring municipalities.Pennsylvania Route 33 begins at I-78 in the far northeast corner of the township and heads northward.Pennsylvania Route 378 follows Philadelphia Pike along a north–south alignment across the western portion of the township. Finally,Pennsylvania Route 412 follows Leithsville Road along a northwest–southeast alignment across the southern portion of the township.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9,884 | — | |
| 2010 | 10,772 | 9.0% | |
| 2016 (est.) | 10,813 | [2] | 0.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] | |||
As of the 2000 census,[8] there were 9,884 people, 3,735 households, and 2,890 families residing in the township. The population density was 409.4 inhabitants per square mile (158.1/km2). There were 3,915 housing units at an average density of 162.2 per square mile (62.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 96.73%white, 0.56%African American, 0.16%Native American, 1.20%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 0.69% fromother races, and 0.60% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 3,735 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.6% weremarried couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.00. In the township, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males. The median income for a household in the township was $59,964, and the median income for a family was $68,457. Males had a median income of $46,727 versus $30,256 for females. Theper capita income for the township was $30,280. About 2.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Lower Saucon Township andHellertown are served by theSaucon Valley School District. Students in grades nine through 12 attendSaucon Valley High School in Hellertown.
Lower Saucon Township is also home toLehigh University's Goodman athletic campus, the home ofLehigh Mountain Hawks athletics.
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