Douglassville, Pennsylvania

Douglassville is a census-designated place (CDP)[3] in Amity Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Douglassville is situated along U.S. Route 422 and Pennsylvania Route 724. Developments include the Amity Gardens subdivision, the West Ridge subdivision, the Briarwood subdivision, and the High Meadow[4] subdivision. Douglassville also includes Cider Mill and the Woods Edge subdivision along Pennsylvania Route 562. As of the 2010 census the population of the CDP was 448 residents.[5]

Douglassville, Pennsylvania
Census-designated place
Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church, founded in 1720; this building was built in 1801
Douglassville
Douglassville
Coordinates: 40°15′28″N 75°43′35″W
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyBerks
TownshipAmity
Elevation
194 ft (59 m)
Population
 • Total448
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
19518
Area code(s)610 and 484 (610 Exchange: 385)
GNIS feature ID1173428[2]

History

Swedish pioneers were the first European settlers in present Berks County on land granted by William Penn. Swedish Lutheran Minister Andreas Rudman secured an order from William Penn on October 21, 1701 setting aside 10,000 acres (40 km2) up the Schuylkill, near Manatawny Creek, for members of his congregation. The boundaries of Amity Township are almost identical to the boundaries of the original area known as Swedes' tract. Morlatton Village, an early settlement which became part of what is now Douglassville, was Berks County's first settlement site along the Schuylkill River. The settlement later became the location of Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church or Old Swedes, founded in 1720 as the oldest church in Berks County. The site also included the Mouns Jones House, built by Swedish settlers in 1716. The house is the oldest documented dwelling in Berks County.[6][7]

Parks

Lake Drive Park and Recreation Area is in the Amity Gardens subdivision. Facilities include basketball and tennis courts, a skateboard park, a pavilion, and a picnic area. Hill Road Park is located in the West Ridge subdivision, and includes a baseball field and a pavilion. Monocacy Hill Preserve is an undeveloped park used for hiking and environmental education outside Douglassville. The park has trails going around the mountain.

Transportation

Klein Transportation provides bus service from Douglassville to Reading, Kutztown, Wescosville, Hellertown, and Midtown Manhattan in New York City.[8]

  • Old Swede's House, built 1716
  • Douglass House

References
  1. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  2. "Douglassville". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  3. "2010 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  4. "New Homes in PA for sale - Houses for Sale - Pennsylvania Home Builder - TH Properties". www.thproperties.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  5. Bureau, US Census. "Census.gov". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  6. Mouns Jones House (1716) (Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County) "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 13, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. Andreas Rudman and his Family (by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig . Swedish Colonial News, Volume 2, Number 1 . Winter 2000) "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved September 7, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Klein Transportation and OurBus announce introductory schedule and rates". Allentown, PA: WFMZ-TV. February 10, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
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