Perkasie Borough municipal offices are located at 620 West Chestnut Street, Perkasie PA 18944.
Phone: 215-267-5056.
Perkasie Borough [1] is located in Upper Bucks County and is situated about midway between Center City Philadelphia, 30 miles to the south, and the Allentown/Bethlehem urban area, 22 miles to the north. The 2.4-square-mile borough abuts Sellersville Borough and the townships of East Rockhill and Hilltown and a small portion of West Rockhill. A major ridge parallels most of the length of the East Branch Perkiomen Creek, forming a steep natural barrier and the northern boundary of the borough. The East Branch Perkiomen Creek bisects the borough and acts as a backbone to the regional greenway network.
Neighborhoods
The boroughs in the Upper Bucks region, including Perkasie, have historically been the centers for population and commerce while the townships have been predominately rural in nature. Development in the region has been steady due to the good transportation access and availability of public water and sewer service. Residential and nonresidential development and population growth are expected to continue in the Upper Bucks region at a rate slightly greater than thecounty.
While no major transportation route passes directly through Perkasie, the borough is in close proximity to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (I-476) and PA Route 309. These highways provide connections to eastern Pennsylvania and to the eastern United States.
Perkasie takes its name from the Lenni Lenape word "Poekskossing," meaning "where hickory nuts were cracked." The borough originated as a village occupying part of the 11,462-acre Manor of Perkasie granted to William Penn. The manor was laid out and surveyed in 1708 and included most of Hilltown and West Rockhill townships. Spurred by construction of the North Penn Railroad in the late 1850s Perkasie became a boom town and a trade center for the surrounding villages and farms. The access and labor provided by the railroad gave rise to industry in the borough, chiefly the manufacture of handmade cigars and cigar boxes, and later textiles. In 1879, the borough's 68 residents were granted permission for the incorporation of the borough. The borough has been twice ravished by fire, first in 1890 and then in 1988 by the Great Perkasie Fire. After the 1988 fire, efforts to restore the downtown began and continue to this day.
Today, Perkasie has a strong downtown/town center area with a mix of residential and commercial uses. Residential neighborhoods are found on the periphery of the borough. The borough is known for its exceptional parks and recreation system that has grown into a regional attraction. Local civic and cultural events, such as the various seasonal events, are popular and well attended. The combination of Perkasie's established downtown, its parks and recreation amenities, and local cultural events all contribute to a distinctive and highly desirable small-town atmosphere.
Perkasie is governed by a Mayor and a nine-member Borough Council which consists of three members elected from each of the borough's wards. The Council employs a full-time borough manager, who is appointed by Council and serves as Borough Secretary, to direct the day-to-day operations of the borough.
The borough participates in regional planning efforts through the activities of the Pennridge Area Coordinating Committee (PACC). The PACC is made up of the eight municipalities that make up the Pennridge Area School District, the Pennridge Chamber of Commerce, and the Pennridge School District administration. The group was formed in 1997 due to concerns about the rate of increase in the school age population. Cooperative planning has taken place in greenway planning and water resource protection.
Nearby Towns: Bedminster Twp • Chalfont Boro • Dublin Boro • East Rockhill Twp • Franconia Twp • Hatfield Boro • Hatfield Twp • Hilltown Twp • Lower Salford Twp • Quakertown Boro • Richland Twp • Richlandtown Boro • Salford Twp • Sellersville Boro • Silverdale Boro • Souderton Boro • Telford Boro • Telford Boro • Trumbauersville Boro • West Rockhill Twp •