Elverson, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elverson, Pennsylvania
Borough
Intersection of Main Street (Rt. 23) and Chestnut Street (Rt. 82)
Location in Chester County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Elverson, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Elverson, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Chester
Incorporated	April 17, 1911
Named for	James Elverson
Area
• Total	1.00 sq mi (2.60 km2)
• Land	1.00 sq mi (2.58 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation	669 ft (204 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,330
• Density	1,334.00/sq mi (514.83/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	19520
Area codes	610 and 484
FIPS code	42-23440

Elverson is a small town, called a borough, located in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2020, about 1,332 people lived there.

Elverson was settled near early iron mines. It is close to the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, which shows what an "iron plantation" was like in the 1800s. An iron plantation was a large area where iron was made, often with homes and farms for the workers.

History of Elverson

The first European settlers arrived in the late 1700s. Back then, the area was known as Springfield. Later, it was called Blue Rock because of some unusual rocks nearby. For a long time, it was mostly a quiet farming area.

Things changed when the Wilmington and Northern Railroad arrived in 1870. This brought more people and businesses. By 1883, the town's population had more than doubled.

In 1899, the settlement was named Elverson. It was named after James Elverson, who owned a big newspaper called The Philadelphia Inquirer. He even gave a special stained glass window to a church in Elverson.

The Borough of Elverson officially became a town on April 17, 1911. It grew by taking land from West Nantmeal Township. For the first half of the 1900s, Elverson was an important business center for northwestern Chester County.

In 1953, the borough added more land, making it about one square mile in size.

The buildings in Elverson show how the town grew over time. You can see old stone or log buildings from the early 1800s. There are also homes built after the railroad arrived, like Queen Anne houses. Later, in the 1900s, Craftsman and Foursquare-style houses were built. Newer homes and businesses built after the 1950s are mostly found outside the old town center.

The railroad line that helped Elverson grow was eventually closed and removed in 1983.

The Elverson Historic District, which includes many of the old buildings, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This means it's a special place recognized for its history.

Population Information

In 2020, Elverson had a population of 1,332 people. The town has grown quite a bit over the years. For example, in 1920, only 304 people lived there.

Geography of Elverson

Elverson covers about 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers) of land. It is located next to the Hopewell Big Woods, which is a large forested area. The city of Reading is about 18 miles (29 km) north of Elverson.

Neighboring Towns

Elverson shares its borders with:

• Caernarvon Township, Berks County to the north.
• West Nantmeal Township, Chester County to the east, south, and west.

Transportation in Elverson

Elverson has several public roads. Some are maintained by the state, and others by the borough itself.

Three main highways pass through or near Elverson:

• PA 23 runs east-west through the center of town along Main Street.
• PA 82 starts at PA 23 and goes south along Chestnut Street.
• PA 401 follows Conestoga Road along the southern edge of the borough.

Education in Elverson

The schools in Elverson are part of the Twin Valley School District. Twin Valley Elementary Center is located right in Elverson. Twin Valley Middle School and Twin Valley High School are in Caernarvon Township, but they also use Elverson's postal address.

Notable Person

• Stone Librande is a game designer who was born in Elverson.

Images for kids

• 

  Elverson Borough Hall

• 

  PA 23 eastbound in Elverson

See also

In Spanish: Elverson para niños