Kennett Township | |
Settlement Type: | Township |
Mapsize: | 260px |
Image Map1: | Pennsylvania in United States (US48).svg |
Map Caption1: | Location of Pennsylvania in the United States |
Coordinates: | 39.8492°N -75.6672°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | United States |
Subdivision Type1: | State |
Subdivision Name1: | Pennsylvania |
Subdivision Type2: | County |
Subdivision Name2: | Chester |
Established Title: | Founded |
Leader Title: | Mayor |
Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Area Footnotes: | [1] |
Area Total Km2: | 40.10 |
Area Total Sq Mi: | 15.48 |
Area Land Km2: | 39.73 |
Area Land Sq Mi: | 15.34 |
Area Water Km2: | 0.37 |
Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.14 |
Elevation Ft: | 404 |
Population As Of: | 2020 |
Population Total: | 8289 |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
Timezone1: | EST |
Utc Offset1: | -5 |
Timezone1 Dst: | EDT |
Utc Offset1 Dst: | -4 |
Area Code: | 610 |
Blank Name: | FIPS code |
Blank Info: | 42-029-39344 |
Blank2 Name Sec2: | Wikimedia Commons |
Kennett Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,289 at the 2020 census.
Chandler Mill Bridge, Joseph Gregg House, Hamorton Historic District, Harlan Log House, Old Kennett Meetinghouse, and the Wiley-Cloud House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of, of which, or 0.13%, is water. The northwestern part of the township encircles the separate borough of Kennett Square, while the census-designated place of Hamorton is in the northeastern part of the township.
At the 2020 census, the township was 75.5% non-Hispanic White, 5.7% Black or African American, 0.0% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 2.2% were two or more races. 14.4% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[2]
As of the 2020 census[3] of 2020, there were 8,289 people, 3,308 households in the township. The population density was 493.2 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 88.1% White, 5.7% African American, 0.0% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.4% of the population.
The township is home to a large and rapidly growing Hispanic (primarily Mexican) community.
In the township the population was spread out, with 5.7% under the age of 5, 21.3% under the age of 18, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. 57.1% of the township population is female.[2]
The median income for a household in the township was $118,520, with 6.4% of the township persons in poverty.[2]
In April 2019, township manager, Lisa Moore, was fired after allegations of theft and embezzlement came to light. On October 4, 2021, Moore appeared in Chester County Common Pleas Court and admitted she stole $3.249 million from township residents. The township’s once-trusted employee admitted to all that she had violated the trust placed in her. Her judicial presumption of innocence was removed by her guilty plea to five criminal counts, theft by deception, dealing in unlawful proceeds, forgery, tampering with public records and access device fraud. Moore was ordered to repay the full $3.249 million she stole from the township.[4] In December 2021, the Township reported they had recovered $1.7 million, which includes a cash settlement of $1.27 million from Moore, $355,000 from the sale of Moore's house, and $83,000 that a recovery team located and seized from Moore's personal account. The Township is still looking to recover $1.5 million.[5]
As of 2020, there were of public roads in Kennett Township, of which were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and were maintained by the township.[6]
U.S. Route 1 is the most prominent highway serving Kennett Township. It follows the Kennett-Oxford Bypass and Baltimore Pike on a west-east alignment along the northern edge of the township. Pennsylvania Route 41 follows Gap Newport Pike along a northwest-southeast alignment across the southwestern corner of the township. Pennsylvania Route 52 follows Kennett Pike, Baltimore Pike and Lenape Road along a northwest-southeast alignment across the northeastern part of the township, including a short concurrency with US 1. Finally, Pennsylvania Route 82 follows Creek Road and Union Street along a northwest-southeast alignment through western portions of the township.