Egypt, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Egypt, Pennsylvania
Iegypden
|
|
|---|---|
Egypt Community Church in September 2020
|
|
Location of Egypt in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
|
|
 Egypt, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Egypt, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Lehigh |
| Township | Whitehall Township |
| Area | |
| • Census-designated place | 1.48 sq mi (3.82 km2) |
| • Land | 1.47 sq mi (3.81 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 413 ft (126 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Census-designated place | 2,588 |
| • Density | 1,759.35/sq mi (679.15/km2) |
| • Metro | 865,310 (US: 68th) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code |
18052
|
| Area code(s) | 610 |
| FIPS code | 42-22696 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1174043 |
Egypt (in Pennsylvania German: Iegypden) is a small community in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. It's not an official city but a "census-designated place" (CDP). In 2020, about 2,588 people lived there.
Egypt is located about 7 miles (11 km) north of Allentown. It's part of the larger Lehigh Valley area, which is home to over 860,000 people.
Contents
Where is Egypt, Pennsylvania?
Egypt is in the northeastern part of Lehigh County. It borders Cementon to the east and North Whitehall Township to the north and west.
PA Route 329 is the main street in Egypt. It goes east into Cementon and west to Neffs. This route also crosses PA Route 145 at a spot called Eagle Point. PA Route 145 goes north to Walnutport and south to Center City Allentown.
The community covers about 1.48 square miles (3.8 square kilometers). A small stream called Coplay Creek flows through the southern part of Egypt. This creek eventually joins the Lehigh River, which then flows into the Delaware River.
What is Egypt's History?
Early Settlement in the 1700s
Egypt is one of the oldest communities in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. People started settling here as early as 1733. It was the first settlement in Pennsylvania located north of South Mountain.
Many places in the Lehigh Valley, like Bethlehem and Nazareth, have names inspired by the Bible. The early Pennsylvania German settlers named this area "Egypta" because the soil was very fertile. They compared it to ancient Egypt and its rich Nile delta, which was known as the "granary of the world." This was a big contrast to nearby areas where the soil was poor.
The Egypt Church was started in 1734, and a log church building was put up in 1764. The church cemetery holds the graves of many early residents, including soldiers from the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War. Across from the church, there's a World War I monument. It honors 76 men from Egypt who served in that war. The monument features a sculpture called Spirit of the American Doughboy.
One of the first settlers, John Jacob Mickley, began farming here in 1745. In 1755, Jacob Kohler built a gristmill (a mill for grinding grain) along Coplay Creek.
The Troxell-Steckel House, built in Egypt in 1756, is one of the oldest buildings in Lehigh County. Today, it's a museum run by the Lehigh County Historical Society.
During the French and Indian War, Fort Deshler was built near Egypt in 1760. This fort protected settlers from attacks by Native Americans. The fort was located near where PA Route 145 and Chestnut Street are today. A special marker shows where it once stood. Another marker nearby remembers the last Native American attack in Lehigh County, which happened on October 8, 1763.
Egypt in the 1800s and 1900s
The first "English school" in Egypt, which taught in English instead of the Pennsylvania German dialect, opened in 1808. Other early businesses in the area included a carriage repair shop, a coal yard, a bakery, a tannery (for making leather), and a silk factory.
The community grew a lot when the American Improved Cements Company started. This company took over an older cement plant in Egypt. In 1884, they shipped their first cement using the Ironton Railroad. By 1896, the company even provided electricity to the village of Egypt from its own power plants.
The American Cement Company operated until 1913. Then, it was bought by Giant Portland Cement. Giant Portland Cement had several cement mills in Egypt and produced a lot of cement. Some parts of the New York City Subway were built using cement made in Egypt's mills! Giant Portland stopped making cement around 1929. Today, cement production is still important to the local economy. Companies like ESSROC and Lafarge operate plants in the area.
On June 2, 1947, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team came to Egypt Park. They played a local high school team to try and get Curt Simmons, a talented 17-year-old pitcher from Egypt, to play for them. The game ended in a 4-4 tie because it got too dark to play.
Who are some famous people from Egypt?
- Althea Henley: A former actress.
- Dan Koppen: A former professional football player for the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.
- Curt Simmons: A former professional baseball player for teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.
What about Education in Egypt?
Egypt is part of the Whitehall-Coplay School District.
- Students in Kindergarten and first grade go to Clarence M. Gockley Elementary School.
- Second through fourth graders attend George D. Steckel Elementary School.
- Fifth through eighth graders go to Whitehall-Copley Middle School.
- High school students (freshman through seniors) attend Whitehall High School.
Images for kids
-
Egypt Community Church in September 2020
-
Location of Egypt in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
See also
In Spanish: Egypt (Pensilvania) para niños
