Phoenixville, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Borough
Top to bottom: Phoenixville Historic District, The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville Foundry, Phoenixville Keystone Marker,
Location of Phoenixville in Chester County and the state of Pennsylvania
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Chester
Settled	1732
Incorporated	March 6, 1849
Named for	Phoenix Iron Works
Area
• Total	3.72 sq mi (9.63 km2)
• Land	3.51 sq mi (9.09 km2)
• Water	0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2)
Elevation	138 ft (42 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,602
• Density	5,299.7/sq mi (2,046.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	19460
Area code(s)	610 and 484
FIPS code	42-60120

Phoenixville is a small town, called a borough, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is about 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Philadelphia. Phoenixville is located where French Creek meets the Schuylkill River. It is part of the larger Philadelphia area. In 2022, about 19,354 people lived there.

For many years, Phoenixville was famous for the Phoenix Iron Works. This was a big factory that made iron and steel. After the factory closed in the 1980s, the town faced tough times. But in recent years, Phoenixville has become lively again. New businesses and shops have opened, bringing new life to the area.

History of Phoenixville

Phoenixville skyline

The area where Phoenixville is now was first called Manavon. This name came from David Lloyd, who bought land here in 1713. The town was settled in 1732. In its early days, Manavon grew around a grist mill (a mill for grinding grain) on the French Creek.

In 1790, the French Creek Nail Works opened. This was the first nail factory in the United States. It later became the Phoenix Iron Works. This factory was the heart of the town's economy for almost 200 years. It made important things like the Griffen gun and the Phoenix column.

In the early 1800s, many Irish immigrants came to Manavon. They helped build the Schuylkill Canal in 1827 and the Black Rock Tunnel in 1838. Because of the tunnel, the north side of town became known as "Tunnel Hill." On March 6, 1849, Manavon officially became a borough and was renamed "Phoenixville."

Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, more immigrants arrived. These included people from Poland, Italy, Ukraine, and Slovakia. Other factories and shops also came to Phoenixville. One special product made here was Etruscan majolica pottery, which is now very rare.

After World War II, the Phoenix Iron Company (later Phoenix Steel Corporation) began to struggle. By the mid-1980s, it stopped making iron and steel. The company closed for good in 1987. This caused an economic downturn in the town.

However, in the early 2000s, a plan to bring the town back to life began. New businesses like breweries, restaurants, and shops opened. More people moved to Phoenixville, leading to new homes being built.

Much of Phoenixville's history is recognized in the Phoenixville Historic District. This is the largest historic site in Chester County listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other important places like the Black Rock Bridge and the Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach Section are also on the list.

How Phoenixville Got Its Name

Phoenixville is named after the Phoenix Iron Works. This factory was the biggest employer in town until it closed in 1987. It started in 1790 as the French Creek Nail Works.

In 1813, an engineer named Lewis Wernwag bought the Nail Works. He renamed it the Phoenix Iron Works. He said the heat from the factory furnaces reminded him of the mythical phoenix bird. This bird is said to rise from ashes. When the town became a borough in 1849, it took the name of the iron works.

Fun Things to Do in Phoenixville

Phoenixville has many interesting places to visit.

The Colonial Theatre

The Colonial Theatre opened in 1903. It hosts concerts and special movie showings all year. The Colonial is famous for being in the 1958 science fiction horror movie The Blob.

Every July, Phoenixville celebrates Blobfest. People reenact the scene from the movie where moviegoers run out of the theater in fear. In 2017, the theater got bigger, adding a historic bank building next door.

Dogwood Festival

The Phoenixville Dogwood Festival has been celebrated every May since 1943. It started when a general named Edward C. Shannon planted a dogwood tree in Reeves Park. This was to honor people in the Armed Forces. The festival has rides, food, a parade, and crowns a Dogwood Queen.

Firebird Festival

Burning of the Phoenix at the Firebird Festival

Since 2004, Phoenixville has held the annual Firebird Festival in December. This festival celebrates the town's "rebirth" or new beginning. A large wooden phoenix bird is burned in a bonfire. The bonfire is also used to harden clay birds that people make in the weeks before the festival. A documentary about the festival, Firebird: Built to Burn, came out in 2025.

Parks and Trails

Phoenixville has many parks and nature trails. These include Reeves Park, Reservoir Park, Black Rock Sanctuary, and the Schuylkill River Trail. It is also close to Valley Forge National Historical Park and the Perkiomen Trail.

Phoenixville's Economy

Bridge Street

For a long time, Phoenixville's economy depended on the Phoenix Iron Works. Many people in town worked there. When the company closed in 1987, many workers lost their jobs. This caused the town's economy to slow down.

In the early 2000s, plans were made to bring the town back to life. By the early 2010s, new restaurants, shops, and apartment buildings were built. Most of these new places are in the downtown area.

One big change is the arrival of many new craft breweries and distilleries. Because of so many breweries, Phoenixville has become a popular place for people who enjoy craft beer.

The town's economic growth has also led to higher living costs. This is partly because more people want to live in Phoenixville. To help with this, the town created a task force in 2017. This group works on making housing more affordable for everyone.

Geography of Phoenixville

Church and Main Streets

Phoenixville is located at 40.135201 degrees North latitude and -75.522699 degrees West longitude. The borough covers about 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Phoenixville is bordered by other townships. East Pikeland Township is to the west. Schuylkill Township is to the south and east. Upper Providence Township is to the north and east.

The Schuylkill River forms most of the northern and eastern edges of the borough. The French Creek flows into the Schuylkill River on the eastern side of town. It also runs through the middle of the borough.

Climate in Phoenixville

Phoenixville has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and cold winters. The average yearly rainfall is about 45.13 inches (114.6 cm). The average yearly snowfall is about 16.3 inches (41.4 cm).

Phoenixville holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in Pennsylvania. It was 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) on July 10, 1936.

People of Phoenixville

In 2010, there were 16,440 people living in Phoenixville. About 78% of the people were White, and 8.6% were African American. About 3.5% were Asian, and 7.4% were Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Phoenixville was 37.9 years old. Most people, about 79.9%, were between 18 and 65 years old. About 52.6% of the people were female, and 47.4% were male.

Residential area on Main Street

Getting Around Phoenixville

Roads and Highways

PA 113 crossing French Creek at the Veterans Memorial Gay Street Bridge

Phoenixville has about 53.89 miles (86.73 km) of public roads. Three main state highways serve the town: PA 23, PA 113, and PA 29. These roads connect Phoenixville to other towns like Philadelphia, King of Prussia, and Pottstown.

Public Transportation

Phoenixville has public bus service provided by SEPTA. The Route 99 bus connects Phoenixville to the Norristown Transportation Center. From there, you can take a train to Philadelphia. The Route 139 bus goes to the King of Prussia Mall and Limerick.

In the past, several major railroads served Phoenixville. The Black Rock Tunnel is a historic railroad tunnel under the north side of town. It was the third railroad tunnel ever built in the United States. Passenger trains stopped running in 1981, but freight trains still use the tracks.

North portal of the Black Rock Tunnel

There is a lot of interest in bringing passenger train service back to Phoenixville. Plans are being studied to connect Phoenixville by train to Norristown, Reading, and even New York City.

Former Reading Company station

Education in Phoenixville

Public Schools

Phoenixville is served by the Phoenixville Area School District. This district also includes the nearby townships of East Pikeland and Schuylkill. The district has an early learning center and three elementary schools: Barkley, Manavon, and Schuylkill. All students in the borough attend Phoenixville Area Middle School and Phoenixville Area High School. High school students can also go to the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) Technical College High School for special job training.

Private Schools

Holy Family School is a private Catholic school in Phoenixville for students from kindergarten to 8th grade.

Charter Schools

Renaissance Academy Charter School is a K-12 charter school in the borough. It opened in 2000 and has about 1060 students.

Higher Education

The University of Valley Forge is located very close to Phoenixville. The Phoenixville campus of the Lansdale School of Business is also in the borough.

Public Libraries

The Phoenixville Public Library serves as the community library for the town.

Media in Phoenixville

Newspapers

The Daily Local News is a newspaper that covers local news for all of Chester County, including Phoenixville.

Radio

WPHE-AM (690), called Radio Salvación, is a Spanish Christian radio station that broadcasts from Phoenixville.

Television

Voxipop is an online television channel that creates original shows and news about the Phoenixville area.

Famous People from Phoenixville

Sports

• Rick Allain, former ice hockey player and coach
• Creighton Gubanich, former Major League Baseball player
• Hadley Hartmetz, professional ice hockey player
• Rich Kraynak, former football player for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Rob Lohr, football player
• Kevin Negandhi, ESPN anchor
• Neal Olkewicz, football player
• Mike Piazza, Hall of Fame MLB catcher
• John Smiley, MLB pitcher
• André Thornton, former Major League Baseball player
• Jake Walker, racing driver
• Frank Zinn, baseball player

Entertainment

• Kevin Bacon, actor (spent weekends at his grandmother's home in Phoenixville)
• Terry Gilkyson, song composer
• Jerry Spinelli, writer
• Jack Wall, video game soundtrack composer
• Philip Amalong, classical pianist and composer
• David White, actor
• William George Wilson, sports cinematographer

Other Notable People

• Everett W. Anderson, soldier who received the Medal of Honor
• Raymond P. Coffman, USMC Major general
• James F. Crow, famous population geneticist
• Elizabeth Wendell Ewing, Civil War nurse and philanthropist
• Levi B. Kaler, businessman and politician
• Samuel W. Pennypacker, soldier, writer, and former Governor of Pennsylvania
• Rebecca Lane Pennypacker Price, Civil War nurse and philanthropist

See also

In Spanish: Phoenixville para niños