Shillington, Pennsylvania
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Shillington is a borough located in Berks County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the borough had a total population of 5,059. It is the birthplace of author John Updike and the basis for the town "Olinger" he writes about in his fiction.
Shillington is a small suburban area nestled amongst other suburbs outside of Reading. More than 2000 students attend the Governor Mifflin High School, Middle School, and Cumru Elementary School (all part of the Governor Mifflin School District) located in Shillington. The high school was formerly known as Shillington High School.
The town called Shillington began around 1860 as part of Cumru Township. It was incorporated as a separate town on August 8, 1908 and named after Samuel Shilling, who owned land in the area in the mid 19th century. Also in the 19th century, Shillington was mostly known as a stagecoach stop since it is 5 km (3 mi) from Reading on the Lancaster Pike.
Much of the borough's present land was occupied by Angelica Farm which would be established as an alms house, or poorhouse, in 1824. The buildings of the Governor Mifflin School District now occupy most of land that was once part of the alms house. Today, the most notable visible remnant of the poorhouse is a stone wall that is within short walking distance down the road from John Updike's old home. Updike's first novel, The Poorhouse Fair, described Shillington's poorhouse. [1] (http://www.poorhousestory.com/PA_BERKS_Co.htm) Angelica Farm was also the historical home of Thomas Mifflin, the first governor of Pennsylvania.
Geography
Shillington is located at 40°18'16" North, 75°58'1" West (40.304342, -75.966855)Template:GR. It is situated in southeastern Pennsylvania, adjacent to Reading, the county seat, and about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Philadelphia. The Wyomissing Creek runs alongside the town Shillington.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²). 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 5,059 people, 2,238 households, and 1,405 families residing in the borough. The population density is 1,915.0/km² (4,964.4/mi²). There are 2,321 housing units at an average density of 878.6/km² (2,277.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough is 97.11% White, 0.49% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. 2.10% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,238 households out of which 26.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% are married couples living together, 9.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% are non-families. 31.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.26 and the average family size is 2.84.
In the borough the population is spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the borough is $43,833, and the median income for a family is $52,500. Males have a median income of $35,318 versus $27,179 for females. The per capita income for the borough is $22,322. 3.7% of the population and 2.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.4% of those under the age of 18 and 5.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- WEEU Community Salutes: Shillington (http://www.weeu.com/salutes-shillington.asp), includes pictures
- AllRefer Gazetteer: Shillington (http://reference.allrefer.com/gazetteer/S/S10433-shillington.html)