Aston Township, Pennsylvania

Aston Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As one of the first townships incorporated in Pennsylvania, the present-day boundaries of Aston were drawn in 1945 when the northwestern portion of the township, who were against a proposed tax hike, seceded from the township and formed the borough of Chester Heights. The population was 16,203 at the 2000 census. Neumann University (est. 1965), a private co-educational Franciscan college located on the grounds of Our Lady of Angels Convent, is located in the northern portion of the township. Down the road from Neumann University is Ice Works Skating Complex, where the Neumann University Men's and Women's Ice Hockey teams play their home games. Neumann Men's Hockey won the NCAA Division III National Title in 2009, defeating Gustavus in the Championship Game 4-1 in Lake Placid, NY.

Ice Works currently has four outstanding Olympic figure skaters training on their ice every day. Tanith Belbin, Ben Agosto, Oksana Domnina, and Maxim Shabalin all train in Ice Works as preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

A former inn, the Five Star Inn, located at the Township's "Five Points" intersection, served as an overnight quarters for British General Lord Cornwallis during the Battle of the Brandywine in 1777. It was destroyed in the mid-1950s by an uncontrolled fire. A new veterans memorial, dedicated to all veterans who lived in the township (and present-day Chester Heights prior to 1948) from the American Revolution to the present-day Operation Iraqi Freedom, along with Aston Township EMTs, Police, and Firefighters killed in the line of duty, has been built at the same intersection, opposite the former inn site. A unveiling ceremony occurred on November 11, 2006, with the formal dedication ceremony on April 28, 2007.

Geography

Aston-Beechwood Volunteer Fire Company Station 72

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.9 km²), all land, though the Chester Creek and its western branch (which merges with the main branch in the township's Lenni section), a tributary of the Delaware River, flows through the township. The township is covered by two ZIP Codes: 19014 (Aston Post Office, which also covers parts of Upper Chichester and Bethel Townships not covered under the current Boothwyn, Pennsylvania and the new Garnet Valley post offices) and 19063 (Media).

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	2,659		—
1940	3,116		17.2%
1950	5,576		78.9%
1960	10,595		90.0%
1970	13,704		29.3%
1980	14,530		6.0%
1990	15,080		3.8%
2000	16,203		7.4%
www.dvrpc.org/data/databull/rdb/db82/appedixa.xls.</ref>

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 16,203 people, 5,838 households, and 4,285 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,825.8 people per square mile (1,091.8/km²). There were 5,978 housing units at an average density of 1,042.6/sq mi (402.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.66% White, 1.48% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 5,838 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $57,150, and the median income for a family was $64,938. Males had a median income of $45,585 versus $32,512 for females. The per capita income for the township was $23,206. About 2.5% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Aston Township is a part of the Penn-Delco School District. There are two Elementary schools, Aston Elementary and Pennell Elementary. One middle school, Northley Middle. The high school in this district is Sun Valley High School, home of the Vanguards.

Notable Residents

• On the Viva La Bam Season 1 commentary, Tim Glomb states that he is from Aston.
• American road racers (and brothers) Adam Pecorari and Robbie Pecorari are both Aston residents.

External links

• Aston Township
• Aston Township at DelawareCountyPA.com
• Aston Community Web Portal
• Aston Public Library
• Green Ridge Fire Department
• Aston Beechwood Fire Department
• Penn Delco School District
• Early history of Aston Township, Pennsylvania