West Bradford Township is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

that is located in

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States. The population was 14,706 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

There are three federal historic districts, Marshallton, Trimbleville, and Northbrook, that are located within West Bradford Township and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Also listed are the

Baily Farm Baily Farm is a historic home and barn located in West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The house was built about 1795, and is a two-story, five-bay, stuccoed stone dwelling in a vernacular Federal style. It has a gable roof ...

, the

Bradford Friends Meetinghouse Bradford Friends Meetinghouse, also known as Marshallton Meeting House, is a historic Quaker meeting house located at Marshallton in West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1764–1765, and is a one-story, stone ...

, the Como Farm, the

Derbydown Homestead Derbydown Homestead, also known as the Abraham Marshall House and Birthplace of Humphry Marshall, is a historic home located in West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The original house was built in 1707, as a one-room, three bay ...

, the

Humphry Marshall House The Humphry Marshall House, also historically known as Marshall's Garden, Marshall's Arboretum, and the Botany Farm, is a historic property in Marshallton, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Marshallton, an unincorporated village in West Bradford T ...

, the

Marshallton Inn The Marshallton Inn, also known as The General Wayne Inn, is an historic inn and tavern that is located in West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located in the Marshallton Historic District, it was added to the National Register ...

, and the

Temple-Webster-Stoner House The Temple-Webster-Stoner House, also known as the Little House on Broad Run or the Old Mill House, is an historic, American home that is located in West Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was added to the National Register of ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the township has a total area of 18.6 square miles (48.2 km), of which, 18.6 square miles (48.1 km) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km) is water. The total area is 0.32% water.

Adjacent municipalities

* Caln Township (north) * Downingtown (north) * East Caln Township (north) * East Bradford Township (east) * Newlin Township (south) * Pocopson Township (south) * East Fallowfield Township (west)

Neighborhoods

Brandywine Greene Brandywine may refer to: Food and drink *Brandy, a spirit produced by distilling wine *Brandywine tomato, a variety of heirloom tomato Geographic locations Canada *Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, British Columbia * Brandywine Mountain, British ...

* Embreeville * Marshallton * Northbrook * Romansville * Trimbleville *

Victoria Crossing at Bradford Glen West Bradford Township is a Township (Pennsylvania), township that is located in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,706 at the time of the 2020 census. History There are three Histo ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 14,706 people comprising 4,974 households residing in the township. The population density was . There were 4,974 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 85.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.8%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0%

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 4.0% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.1% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and 7.1% from two or more races. 4.1% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. The average household size was 2.89. Within the township, the population was spread out, with 30.4% of residents who were under the age of 19, 4.0% from 20 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males. The median income for a family was $162,606

Education

Public schools

West Bradford Township is served by the

Downingtown Area School District The Downingtown Area School District is a school district based in Downingtown, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The district operates ten elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools. As of 2018, th ...

, and has two elementary schools within the township: *

Bradford Heights Elementary School The Downingtown Area School District is a school district based in Downingtown, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The district operates ten elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools. As of 2018, th ...

* West Bradford Elementary School Each of the two elementary schools serves sections of the township. All of the township is zoned to Downingtown Middle School and Downingtown West High School. - This map indicates the borough limits.

Transportation

As of 2021, there were of public roads in West Bradford Township, of which were maintained by the

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll. PennDOT ...

(PennDOT) and were maintained by the township.

U.S. Route 322 U.S. Route 322 (US 322) is a , east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur route, spur of U.S. Route 22, US 22 and one of the original highways from 1926. A portion of it at one time was c ...

and

Pennsylvania Route 162 Pennsylvania Route 162 (PA 162) is a state highway in Chester County in southeast Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at PA 82/ PA 842 in Unionville. The eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 322 Business (US 322 Bus.) in West Ch ...

are the numbered roads serving West Bradford Township. US 322 follows the Downingtown Pike along a northwest–southeast alignment across the northeastern portion of the township. PA 162 follows Telegraph Road and Strasburg Road along a southwest–northeast alignment across the southeastern portion of the township.

Notable places

*The west branch of the

Brandywine River Brandywine Creek (also called the Brandywine River) is a tributary of the Christina River in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware in the United States. The Lower Brandywine (the main stem) is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hy ...

passes through West Bradford.

General Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805) was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading Britis ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

crossed the river at Trimble's Ford en route to the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Am ...

. *

Broad Run Golfer's Club Broad Run Golfer's Club (formerly known as Tattersall Golf Club) is a golf course located in West Bradford Township, Pennsylvania. The course was designed by Rees Jones Rees Jones (born September 16, 1941) is an American golf course archite ...

, a

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

Rees Jones Rees Jones (born September 16, 1941) is an American golf course architect. Life and career Born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey, the son of legendary golf course designer Robert Trent Jones and the younger brother of golf course designer ...

, residence of

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

Humphry Marshall Humphry Marshall (October 10, 1722 – November 5, 1801) was an American botanist and plant dealer. Biography Humphry Marshall was born at Derbydown Homestead in the village of Marshallton, Pennsylvania (within West Bradford Township) on Oct ...

located in the village of Marshallton *

Strasburg Road Strasburg Road was an early road in Pennsylvania connecting Philadelphia to Strasburg in Lancaster County. The route was surveyed by John Sellers and others in 1772-3 under the colonial administration of Governor Richard Penn and completed un ...

, a historic road paved in 1772-3 that runs through West Bradford *

United Sports United Sports (formerly known as United Sports Training Center) is a multiple-use sports complex located in West Bradford Township, Pennsylvania. The indoor venue consists of one boarded court, two boarded turf fields, and a large field house. I ...

, a multiple-use sports complex

Notable people

John Beale Bordley John Beale Bordley (February 11, 1727 – January 26, 1804) was an American planter and judge. Early life and education Bordley was born on February 11, 1727, in Annapolis, Maryland, Annapolis, in the Colony of Maryland, the son of Thomas Bordl ...

* John Hickman *

, botanist *

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

, four-time

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-nominated actor, Captain Renault in ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

References

External links

West Bradford official website
{{authority control Townships in Chester County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania