Bath is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, Bath had a population of 2,808. It is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th-most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. as of the 2020 census.

History

Bath is located at the head of the Monocacy Creek in an area of the Lehigh Valley that was once rich in agriculture. The greater area of the town, however, lies east of the Monocacy Valley. Prior to European settlement, Bath was inhabited by the Lenape Indigenous tribe. Bath was established in 1728 as a Scotch-Irish settlement before the American Revolution as the first settlement by white people in the Forks of the Delaware River. It is named for Bath, Somerset, England by Margaret DeLancey, who sold land under her father, lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army, William Allen, in the 1700s. On March 3, 1737, the 247 acres of land that is currently inside the boundaries of Bath was purchased and surveyed for Daniel Craig. According to borough historians, this land spans from Chestnut Street to the north of Northampton Street. William Allen conveyed the greater part of Bath's land to his son, Andrew, in 1776, the same year that the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring its freedom from British colonial governance. That same year, Andrew Allen sold 150 acres of the land to John Lattimore. Andrew Allen also owned land west of the Monocacy, which was eventually confiscated and sold to local families in the area. Today, Bath's current acreage is 576 acres and is less than 1 sq. mi. in area. Southeast of the town, a French and Indian War blockhouse was constructed to fortify the area from potential attacks. It was named Fort Ralston after the name of the farmer whose land it was built on. It is alternatively known as Brown's Fort, after the adjacent landowner. It was established as a fort in 1755, but likely abandoned by the end of the 1760s. Its ruins still remain in a small field south of a warehouse at the intersection of Airport Road and Nor-Bath Blvd known as Franks Corner, Pennsylvania. The ruins include a series of small underground chambers. Only one of the original buildings stand, with the larger barn having collapsed or disassembled sometime after 1916. There is evidence of fire damage to the fort and surrounding trees. On August 18, 2012, Bath celebrated its 275th anniversary. In 1999, the Bath Business and Community Partnership (BBCP) was established for managing urban revitalization initiatives, including creating a greener town, organizing volunteers, and developing economic restructuring/asset enhancement.

Geography

Bath is located at 40.72667°N, -75.39028°W (40.726556, -75.390338). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.9 sqmi, all land. Bath is located 6 mi north of Bethlehem and 4 mi west of Nazareth. Bath is also 100 miles (160 km) southwest of New York City and 60 miles (96 km) northwest of Philadelphia. It is also located near Wind Gap as well as the Delaware and Lehigh water gaps. Bath's elevation is 432 ft above sea level as of 2011. The Borough is hilly and has many steep roads. There are two peaks in Bath, Hawk Mountain in the northeast, and Siegfried Hill in the southwest, which has been partially quarried out. Monocacy Creek, a tributary of the Lehigh River, flows through the town's center. A small park around the creek is located between Main and Northampton streets. The East Branch Monocacy also flows through Bath until their convergence further south. Other bodies of water include Penn-Dixie pond (the remains of a former quarry), the quarries at Keystone Cement, and numerous small ponds on the outskirts of town. Many mills operated using the flow of the Monocacy. Race and Mill street are named after them. Bath stands on a layer of shale, limestone, and slate. The area is also rich in iron. The exploitation of limestone and slate found around bath has historically been a large industry for the town. Keystone Cement Co. holds the largest reserve of limestone deposits in the Lehigh Valley cement district.

Government

Bath's government involves a mayor, seven council members, and a tax collector. The current mayor is Fiorella ‘Fi’ Reginelli-Mirabito; Michele Ehrgott is Council President; Frank Hesch is Council Vice President. Michele Ehrgott made local history as the first woman to serve as Borough Council President. The town's general budget is $1.6 million with an assessed valuation of over $53.1 million. Bath represents the 138th House of Representatives District, the 16th Senate District, and the 7th Congressional District.

Demographics

As of the 2021 census estimates, there were 2,682 people living in Bath, an decrease of 0.4% from 2010. There are 1,344 males (50.1%) and 1,338 females (49.9%). The population density was 2,947 people per square mile. There were 1,221 housing units at an average density of 1,357 per square mile. Racially, the borough consists of 79% White, 6.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, and 8.2% from two or more races. The percentage of married families in Bath is 37.7%, cohabitating couples 18.7%, male householders without a partner 15.9%, and female householders without a partner 27.6%. The number of people over the age of 25 with at least a high school diploma is 90.2%. Those with a bachelor's degree or higher is 18.9% and residents with a graduate or professional degree is 5.2%. The unemployment percentage in 2021 was 7%. In 2020, the median income for a household in the borough was $53,250 and the per capita income for the borough was $23,233. The average house or condo value was $170,900 and the average cost for rent was $1,189. About 14% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line.

Community organizations

Bath is home to several organizations, including American Legion Eckley E. Patch Post 470, the BBCP, the Bath-East Allen Youth Club, Bath Improvements Committee, Bath Museum Committee, Bath Lions Club, Bath Lioness Club, Bath Lions Midget Football Committee, Governor Wolf Historical Society, Historical Architectural Review Board, Mid-County Senior Center, the Park, Recreation, and Shade Tree Commission, and Crime Watch. Also, the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association is active in Bath, which helps protect the Monocacy Creek. They hold creek cleanups and other conservation efforts throughout the year. The four recreational areas in Bath include the Volunteer Firefighter's Park, Keystone Park, Ciff Cowling Field, and Carl L. Rehrig Park.

Locations

Transportation

As of 2007, there were 10.79 mi of public roads in Bath, of which 4.65 mi were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 6.14 mi were maintained by the borough. Numbered highways passing through Bath include Pennsylvania Route 248, Pennsylvania Route 329, Pennsylvania Route 512 and Pennsylvania Route 987. PA 248 follows an east-west alignment through the borough via West Main Street, Chestnut Street and Northampton Street. PA 329 begins at PA 248 and heads southwest along Race Street. PA 512 follows a north-south alignment via Walnut Street. Finally, PA 987 follows a north-south alignment via Race Street, West Main Street and Chestnut Street, including a concurrency with PA 329 and another with PA 248. Bath was once home to a trolley line that went to Nazareth. There was also the Northampton and Bath railroad, a local line that ran between Bath and Northampton for 8 miles and is now a biking and walking path since it shut down in 1978. One mile of track is still used by local businesses located on Atlas cement grounds.

Education

The borough is served by the Northampton Area School District. Students in grades nine through 12 attend Northampton Area High School in Northampton. The borough is also home to George Wolf Elementary School, which opened in 1968. It has twenty-three classrooms, a library, music room and a multipurpose room. In 1974, additions were added that included a gymnasium and twelve more classrooms. They also have three Intermediate Unit #20 classrooms. George Wolf Elementary School is named after George Wolf, a local resident and Governor of Pennsylvania from 1829 to 1835. He is known as the father of the free public school system in Pennsylvania because of his effort in passing of the Free School Act of 1834. His original Wolf Academy is located approximately one mile from the school. As of 2022, Kolbe Academy Recovery High School is now located on Washington Street in Bath. It is the first Catholic recovery school in the United States.

Media

The Home News is a weekly newspaper focusing on Bath and surrounding communities. It was first published in 1942.

Notable people