Lower Swatara Township

Lower Swatara Township, Pennsylvania
Township
The Star Barn Complex, a historic site in the township
Motto: "A Progressive First Class Township"
Location in Dauphin County and state of Pennsylvania.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Dauphin
Settled	1717
Incorporated	1961
Government
• Type	Board of Commissioners
• President	Thomas L. Mehaffie III
Area
• Total	14.8 sq mi (38.3 km2)
• Land	12.3 sq mi (31.9 km2)
• Water	2.5 sq mi (6.4 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	8,268
• Density	671/sq mi (259.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	717
Website	www.lowerswatara.org

Lower Swatara Township is a township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,268 at the 2010 census.Harrisburg International Airport and Penn State Harrisburg are located within the township.

Lower Swatara Township is bordered by the Susquehanna River on the south and Swatara Creek to the east. The township name is derived from a Native American language. The word is thought to be from an Iroquois word meaning "Where we fed on eels." The Natives established a network of pathways through the area. Presbyterian settlers from Scotland and Ireland were followed by settlers from the German Palatinate. The first settlers erected their log homes along the banks of the Susquehanna and Swatara.

The population in Pennsylvania increased. In 1729 Paxtang Township of Lancaster County was established. The spelling "Paxtang" is from the original Native name Peshtank, which meant "standing water".

On March 4, 1785, Dauphin County was formed from Lancaster County, named for the Dauphin of France, heir apparent to the French throne, whose country the area government wanted to honor for its assistance in the Revolutionary War. In August 1787 the legislature separated Paxtang Township into Upper Paxtang, Middle Paxtang and Lower Paxtang townships.