Lower Swatara Township dates to 1717, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 70% of U.S. towns · #485 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Star Barn Complex and the Conrad and Margaret Allerman House. Most of Lower Swatara Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: maps from 1906 on and the census since 2000.
What drives Lower Swatara Township’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lower Swatara Township is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #485 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lower Swatara Township’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Lower Swatara Township’s 5.1 sits above most of its state (68% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 5 historic buildings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1717.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Lower Swatara Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lower Swatara Township is bordered by the Susquehanna River on the south and Swatara Creek to the east. The township name is derived from a Native American language. The word is thought to be from a Susquehannock word meaning "Where we fed on eels." The Native Americans established a network of pathways through the area. Presbyterian settlers from Scotland and Ireland were followed by settlers from the German Palatinate. The first settlers erected their log homes along the banks of the Susquehanna and Swatara.
In 1729, Paxtang Township of Lancaster County was established. The spelling "Paxtang" is from the original Native name Peshtank, which meant "standing water".
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lower Swatara Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1906New Cumberland sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lower Swatara Township.
On the National Register
2 historic places in Lower Swatara Township
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
In 1717, according to Wikidata. the census of 2000 counted 8,149 people here.
How does Lower Swatara Township rank for history?
Lower Swatara Township is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns, #485 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Lower Swatara Township?
Two places: the Star Barn Complex (listed 2000) and the Conrad and Margaret Allerman House (2011).
How old are the homes in Lower Swatara Township?
2% of Lower Swatara Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1983.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
