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About Smithfield Township
Overview
Smithfield Township is another modest township located within Pennsylvania's Monroe County, located on the far eastern edge of the state. This township, much like other Monroe County townships, were some of the first places where early settlers lived in early Pennsylvania. These townships eventually helped foster the growth of Pennsylvania as a state.
This township extends a total area of 23.9 square miles, most being land while the other portion is water.
Smithfield Township is also a home to many natural historical monuments and locations. As an example, the Shawnee-Minisink Site was one of its historical places that gained a place in the National Register of Historical Places in 2007. The former Worthingtion Hall also held a place in the Register, later removed in 1986 after its demolishing occurred.
Smithfield Township Today
Today's Smithfield Township is a relatively modest place for residents to live in Pocono homes. As one of the oldest townships in the surrounding area, it houses over 5,600 people. Prospective residents may like the modest Pocono real estate selections available within the township.
History
Smithfield Township was first founded and established in 1748, though the township existed well before that. The area that comprises Smithfield Township was first formed in 1682 as a part of Bucks County. At the time, it was considered a part of the northern extension of Monroe County's frontier land.
The origins of its name stem from the settler John Smith, who owned a significant amount of acreage north of the Blue Mountains nearby the settlement. The first permanent settler, however, was a European man named Nicholas DePui. He purchased around 3,000 acres of land along the Delaware River at the time. That purchased land eventually became present-day Shawnee-on-Delaware.
By 1742, the Bucks Country courts eventually declared that a 'large portion of land comprising the size of modern Smithfield and Middle Smithfield' should become what's now known as Smithfield Township. This officially established the land as a single township, bringing the settlers there under the Bucks County jurisdiction.
Although this establishments more or less solidified the township's status as a single township, it experienced several 'structural' changes over the following years. These changes eventually led to its integration into the newly established Monroe County in 1836.
Around the time of the 1850 census, there were over 1,200 people living within the township. Some of the early villages that settled within Smithfield Township include Craig's Meadows, Marshalls Creek, Minisink Hills and Shawnee-on-Delaware.
That population effectively tripled over the following decades, eventually reading over 5,500 as of the 2000 census.
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