Lancaster County Townships

Source: "Incorporation Dates for Pennsylvania Municipalities", Comm of PA, Dept Internal Affairs, 1965.

Lancaster County - 3rd Class
Formed on May 10, 1729 from part of Chester County.

Third Class City:

Lancaster; incorporated Mar. 20, 1818; laid out as town in Mar. 1730. Incorporated as a borough August 13, 1742.

Boroughs:

Adamstown; settled 1761; incorporated Apr. 2, 1850 from East Cocalico Twp.

Akron; incorporated 1884.

Christiana; settled 1833; incorporated Mar. 1, 1894 (1) or 1885-1886 (2) from Sadsbury Twp.

Columbia; settled 1788; incorporated Feb. 25, 1814 from Hempfield Twp.

Denver; settled 1863-1869; incorporated 1900 from Cocalico Twp.

East Petersburg; settled 1812; incorporated Dec. 20, 1946 from East Hempfield & Manheim Twps.

Elizabethtown; settled 1751; incorporated Apr. 13, 1872 from West Donegal & Mount Joy Twps.

Ephrata; settled 1732; incorporated 1891 from Ephrata Twp.

Lititz; settled 1757; incorporated Apr. 24, 1888 from Warwick Twp.

Manheim; settled 1762; incorporated May 16, 1848 (1) or May 16, 1838 (2, 3) from Rapho Twp.

Marietta; settled 1803; incorporated Mar. 6, 1812 (1) or 1830 (2) from Donegal Twp.

Millersville; settled 1764; incorporated 1932 from Manor Twp.

Mount Joy; settled 1812; incorporated Feb. 10, 1851 from Mount Joy Twp.

Mountville; settled 1814; incorporated 1900 from West Hempfield Twp.

New Holland; settled 1760; incorporated 1895 from Earl Twp.

Quarryville; settled about 1791; incorporated Dec. 1, 1892 from Eden Twp.

Strasburg; settled about 1733; incorporated Mar. 13, 1816 from Strasburg Twp.

Terre Hill; incorporated 1900 from East Earl Twp.

Washington; settled 1810; incorporated May 1, 1827 (1,2) or Apr. 13, 1827 (3) from Manor Twp.

First Class Townships:

Manheim; settled 1729; incorporated as Twp June 9, 1729; 1st Class Twp Nov. 4, 1952.

Second Class Townships:

Bart; incorporated 1744 from Sadsbury Twp.

Brecknock; settled 1737; incorporated Jan. 10, 1740.

Caernarvon; settled 1730; incorporated June 9, 1729

Clay; settled 1740; incorporated 1853 from Elizabeth Twp.

Colerain; settled 1758; incorporated Feb. 1738 from Drumore Twp.

Conestoga; settled about 1759; incorporated 1712 (1) or 1718 (2) while part of Chester Co.

Conoy; settled about 1719; incorporated 1842 from West Donegal Twp.

Drumore; incorporated Aug. 5, 1729.

Earl; settled 1717; incorporated June 9, 1729.

East Cocalico; settled 1732; incorporated 1838 from Cocalico Twp.

East Donegal; settled 1716; incorporated June 24, 1838 from Donegal Twp.

East Drumore; settled 1700; incorporated 1883 from Drumore Twp.

East Earl; settled 1722; incorporated Nov., 20, 1851 from Earl Twp.

East Hempfield; settled 1717; incorporated 1818 from Hempfield Twp.

East Lampeter; settled 1723; incorporated 1841 from Lampeter Twp.

Eden; settled about 1830; incorporated 1855 from Bart Twp.

Elizabeth; incorporated 1757 from Warwick Twp.

Ephrata; settled 1732; incorporated 1838 from Cocalico Twp.

Fulton; settled about 1733; incorporated 1844 from Little Britain Twp.

Lancaster; settled 1717-1720; incorporated 1729 from Conestoga Twp.

Leacock; settled 1728; incorporated June 9, 1729.

Little Britain; settled about 1714; incorporated Feb. 7, 1738 from Drumore Twp.

Manor; settled 1717; incorporated 1730.

Martic; settled 1691; incorporated 1739 (1) or Aug. 1729 (2).

Mount Joy; settled 1735; incorporated 1759 (1) or 1759, 1767 (2) from Donegal Twp.

Paradise; settled 1710; incorporated 1843 from Strasburg Twp.

Penn; settled about 1735; incorporated 1846 from Warwick Twp.

Pequea; incorporated 1853 from Conestoga Twp.

Providence; settled 1720; incorporated 1853 from Martic Twp.

Rapho; settled about 1721; incorporated 1741 from Donegal Twp.

Sadsbury; settled 1691; incorporated 1729 while part of Chester Co.

Salisbury; settled 1710 or 1712; incorporated 1729.

Strasburg; settled 1712; incorporated about 1730.

Upper Leacock; settled 1731; incorporated June 17, 1843 (1) or June 19, 1843 (2) from Leacock Twp.

Warwick; settled 1716; incorporated June 9, 1729.

West Cocalico; settled 1732; incorporated 1838 from Cocalico Twp.

West Donegal; settled about 1719; incorporated June 24, 1838 from Earl Twp.

West Earl; settled about 1719; incorporated Nov. 18, 1833.

West Hempfield; settled 1718; incorporated 1818 from Hempfield Twp.

West Lampeter; incorporated 1841 from Lampeter Twp.

References

(1) Pennsylvania, Political, Governmental, Military and Civil: Political and Civil History Volume by Frederick A. Godcharles, 1933.

(2) Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - A History, Vol. 1 by H.M.J. Klein (ed.), 1924.

(3) History of Lancaster County with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men by Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans, 1883.

Linnea Travis Miller - Annville PA ltmiller@postoffice.ptd.net