Damascus Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Damascus, Pennsylvania
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| Township of Damascus | |
The Milanville General Store in Milanville.
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Location in Wayne County and the state of Pennsylvania.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| US Congressional District | PA-8 |
| State Senatorial District | 20 |
| State House of Representatives District | 139 |
| County | Wayne |
| School District | Wayne Highlands Region I |
| First settlement | 1670 |
| First permanent settlement | 1855 |
| Incorporated | March 21, 1798 (original township of Wayne County) |
| Founded by | Joseph Skinner |
| Named for | Damascus, Syria |
| Government | |
| • Type | Board of Supervisors |
| Area | |
| • Total | 80.28 sq mi (207.92 km2) |
| • Land | 78.69 sq mi (203.79 km2) |
| • Water | 1.59 sq mi (4.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,283 ft (391 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 3,659 |
| • Estimate
(2016)
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3,547 |
| • Density | 45.08/sq mi (17.40/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight (EDT)) |
| Area code(s) | 570 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1217217 |
| FIPS code | 42-127-18104 |
Damascus is a special place in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, USA. It's known as a second-class township. This means it's a local community with its own leaders who help manage things. In 2010, about 3,659 people called Damascus home.
Contents
Exploring the History of Damascus Township
Damascus Township is one of the oldest and largest areas in Wayne County. It was created in 1798. Even though some parts of it later became other townships, it's still a very big area.
Early Settlers and Land Disputes
The first settlements in Damascus Township happened along the Delaware River in a place called Cushetunk. Joseph Skinner and his family were among the first settlers from Connecticut. They arrived around 1755.
Back then, owning land in this part of Pennsylvania was tricky. Two different kings had given charters (official documents) for the same land to both Connecticut and William Penn. This caused disagreements over who truly owned the land. Also, early settlers faced attacks from Native American tribes who also claimed the area.
Important Historic Places
Damascus Township has several places that are so important they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:
- The Damascus Historic District
- The Milanville Historic District
- Hill's Sawmill
- The Milanville-Skinners Falls Bridge
Geography and Location
Damascus Township covers a total area of about 80.3 square miles (207.9 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small part being water.
The eastern edge of the township is the Delaware River. This river also forms the border between Pennsylvania and New York. Several bridges connect Damascus Township to towns in Sullivan County, New York, across the river. These bridges include:
- The Callicoon Bridge
- The Cochecton–Damascus Bridge
- The Skinners Falls–Milanville Bridge
Communities in Damascus Township
Damascus Township is home to several smaller communities, often called villages. Here are some of them:
- Abrahamsville
- Atco (also known as Branningville)
- Boyds Mills (also known as Boyd's Mills or Tymmerson's Mills)
- Calkins
- Conklin Hill
- Damascus (also known as Shields Mills)
- Darbytown
- Fallsdale
- Galilee
- Hilltown
- Milanville
- Rutledgdale (also known as Rutledgedale)
- Stanton Corner
- Tyler Hill
- West Damascus
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 3,659 | — | |
| 2016 (est.) | 3,547 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 3,659 people living in Damascus Township. These people lived in 1,588 households. A household is a group of people living together in one home. About 1,060 of these households were families.
Who Lives Here?
- About 23.3% of households had children under 18 living with them.
- Most households (56.6%) were married couples living together.
- About 29.2% of all households were made up of people living alone.
- About 13.5% of households had someone aged 65 or older living by themselves.
The average household had 2.30 people, and the average family had 2.82 people.
Age Groups
The population in Damascus Township is spread out across different age groups:
- 20.6% were under 18 years old.
- 58% were between 18 and 64 years old.
- 21.4% were 65 years old or older.
The average age of people in the township was 48 years.
Income Information
In 2010, the average income for a household in Damascus Township was $47,772 per year. For families, the average income was $59,866 per year.
About 6% of families and 7.4% of the total population lived below the poverty line. This included 15.4% of those under 18 and 4.2% of those aged 65 or older.
