Breinigsville, PA
| Breinigsville | |
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| census-designated place | |
Center of old town, Breinigsville Rd & Brookdale Rd
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 Location within Lehigh County |
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 Breinigsville
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Breinigsville
Breinigsville (the US)
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| Coordinates: 40°32′12″N 75°37′53″W / 40.53667°N 75.63139°WCoordinates: 40°32′12″N 75°37′53″W / 40.53667°N 75.63139°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Lehigh |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.23 sq mi (8.4 km2) |
| • Land | 3.22 sq mi (8.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 427 ft (130 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,138 |
| • Density | 1,300/sq mi (490/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 18031 |
| Area code(s) | 610 & 484 |
Breinigsville is a census-designated place located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The town is part of Upper Macungie Township, approximately 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Center City Allentown and 7 miles (11 km) east of Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Breinigsville was named for George Ludwig Breinig (January 31, 1733 – May 12, 1812), a German immigrant who came to America on board the ship Lydia, arriving in Philadelphia on October 13, 1749. He originally settled in Weisenberg Township (tax records show he was assessed 9 pounds in 1762). On May 10, 1771, Breinig purchased around 100 acres (40 ha) of land and a stone dwelling for 700 pounds from Peter and Catherine Trexler (of "Trexlertown") along "the great road leading to Philadelphia".
He resided on that land until his death. Breinig was one of the judges of the election at Allentown, on July 8, 1776, when delegates to the first constitutional convention of the state were elected. During the Revolutionary War, Breinig became the colonel of the Second Battalion of Northampton county militia. In 1786, he was commissioned a justice of the district of Macungie and Weisenberg townships. Breinig is buried at Zion Lehigh Lutheran Church, Alburtis.
Among his seven children was Peter Breinig, the youngest son, and the founder of Breinigsville, who owned a 123-acre (50 ha) farm. He built a tavern in the village and operated it for some years. As in most early towns, the tavern served as the center of the community. Today, the tavern is in the location of the Breinigsville Hotel.
In the early 1800s, the village was a center for the mining of iron ore, furnishing employment to many men. Around 1855, the Allentown Railroad was graded through Breinigsville, but the tracks were never laid. In the 1860s, the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad used the grade to build from Trexlertown, on its main line, into Breinigsville, as part of a branch to serve local limonite (iron ore) mines. The largest deposit of pyrite ore in the region was located 2 miles northwest of Breinigsville. Later, the village was served by the Allentown-Reading Traction Company. These mines had shut down by the end of World War I, and the rails through Breinigsville were consequently abandoned. They were finally removed in the 1940s.
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Wikipedia