Upper Chichester, Pennsylvania
| Upper Chichester Township, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Township | |
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|
 Location in Delaware County and the state of Pennsylvania. |
|
.svg) Location of Pennsylvania in the United States |
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| Coordinates: 39°50′18″N 75°26′26″W / 39.83833°N 75.44056°WCoordinates: 39°50′18″N 75°26′26″W / 39.83833°N 75.44056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Delaware |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.70 sq mi (17.34 km2) |
| • Land | 6.69 sq mi (17.32 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 98 ft (30 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 16,738 |
| • Estimate (2016) | 16,992 |
| • Density | 2,540.67/sq mi (980.99/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 19061 |
| Area code(s) | 610 |
| FIPS code | 42-045-78776 |
| Communities |
Boothwyn Ogden Twin Oaks |
| Website | www |
Upper Chichester Township is a civil township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 16,738 at the 2010 census.
The Lenni Lenape Indians were the earliest occupants of Upper Chichester. They erected several semi-permanent villages in the area tied to fishing and hunting cycles with some farming.
The Upper Chichester area was claimed by New Sweden in 1643 and the Dutch in 1654, but both nations were primary interested in trading with the Lenni Lenape Indians.
The first European settlers to Upper Chichester were in 1681 under the Penn's Grant of land to William Penn from King Charles II. The first purchasers under Penn's authority were fourteen English and Welshmen, mostly Quakers.
Upper Chichester Township was originally part of the section of Chester County called Chichester. Chichester comprised the area now known as Upper and Lower Chichester. It is named after the town Chichester in West Sussex, England from which many of its settlers came from.
Among the earliest settlers of the township was Walter Martin, the founder of St. Martin's Church, in the late 17th century. The road from Chichester to Aston traversing the township almost due north, was laid out 1688, while the Upper Chichester road was laid out on Oct. 25, 1687. At the southwestern limit of the territory was a tract of 250 acres (100 ha), which was located September 5 and 6, 1681. The "Twelve-Mile Circle" (the circular northern boundary line of the state of Delaware) traverses this tract.
The division of Chichester into Upper and Lower Chichester was made early in 1700 to facilitate public business. In 1753, an effort was made to have the division officially recognized. The movement was, however, met by sturdy opposition from the leading citizens and land-owners of Lower Chichester, stating that the township as it currently stood was convenient enough and did not need any separation. They further argued that recent work to mend the highways in Lower Chichester, and the need to provide for several poor in the township were more important uses of funds than the cost of the survey.
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