Palmer Township, Pennsylvania

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 10.7 square miles (27.7 km²), of which 10.7 square miles (27.7 km²) is land and 0.09% is water. It is drained by the Lehigh River and Bushkill Creek into the Delaware River. Its villages include Highland Park, Old Orchard, Palmer Heights, Palmer Park, and Prospect Park, also in Bethlehem Township.

US 22 East in Palmer Township

As of 2021, there were 113.47 miles (182.61 km) of public roads in Palmer Township, of which 20.17 miles (32.46 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 93.09 miles (149.81 km) were maintained by the township.[8]

U.S. Route 22 crosses Palmer Township east-to-west and interchanges in the township just west of Wilson with Pennsylvania Route 248, which connects Easton and Nazareth. North-to-south Pennsylvania Route 33 crosses the northwestern portion of Palmer, with an interchange at Tatamy Road within the township. Other local roads of note include east-to-west Freemansburg Road, William Penn Highway, Park Avenue/Hecktown Road, Northwood Avenue, and Main Street/Nazareth Road, and north-to-south 25th Street, Bushkill Drive, Greenwood Avenue, Tatamy Road, and Van Buren Road.

As of the 1960 census, the population in Palmer Township was slightly more than 8,000. In 1969, a special federal census showed a population of 12,252, including 5,982 white males, 6,249 white females, seven non-white males and 14 non-white females. By 1970, the population further grew to 12,601, making it the third-largest municipality in Northampton County.

Between 1960 and 1970, the assessed value of the township jumped from $24 million to $42 million, and the township budget grew from $93,000 to about $1 million. Also throughout that decade, an average of 125 living units per year were constructed, with the average housing value falling between $23,000 and $25,000. In 1970, about 35 percent of the land was in agriculture, mostly in the northern portion of the township.[10]

As of the 2000 census,[11] there were 16,809 people, 6,716 households, and 4,895 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,570.4 inhabitants per square mile (606.3/km²). There were 6,865 housing units at an average density of 641.4 per square mile (247.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 94.32% White, 2.14% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.34% of the population.

There were 6,716 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the township, the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $55,419, and the median income for a family was $65,017. Males had a median income of $44,014 versus $30,675 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,722. About 2.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

A lack of water during the early days of Palmer Township limited the amount of farming that could be done, and industry was limited mainly to the Bushkill Creek waterways, where some form of power was available. Residents had to get water from hand dug wells because it was too difficult to find a source of water close to the surface of the ground. Other industries began to arise in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including some iron ore excavation in the Fairview Knolls area and the cement industry near the Tatamy area; also at this time, the Taylor Wharton and Treadwell Engineering were established in Palmer Township to manufacture equipment mainly for railroad use.

Farming techniques gradually advanced in the area until by the late 1960s; almost 50 percent of the township was then farmland.[5] The township saw new businesses in the mid 1960s, including ITT Inc. in 1964 and Acopian Corp., in 1965.[10]

The township is served by the Easton Area School District and has a library branch that is part of the Easton Area Public Library. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Easton Area High School in Easton.

When Palmer's major roadway system first started to develop in the 18th century, dictated largely by the trails leading from Easton to outlying communities. William Penn Highway, the first road built in Palmer in around 1755, led from Easton to Bethlehem. Freemansburg Avenue leads from Easton to Freemansburg; Old Nazareth Road leads from Easton to Nazareth; Tatamy Road leads from Easton to Tatamy; and Hecktown Road and the Newburg Pike leads from Seipsville to Hecktown and Newburg.[4] Greenwood Avenue, which runs between Freemansburg Avenue and William Penn Highway, was opened in the 1960s. At the time, township supervisor H. Robert Daws said, "The opening of this north-south artery in the center of the township benefits not only the township, but the whole area."[10]

• Larry Holmes, also known as the "Easton Assassin," former boxing's heavyweight champion of the world[12]
• Mulgrew Miller, former jazz musician

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palmer Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

• Palmer Township website