Terry Township

Geography, Topography, and History

The Township of Terry is located near the southeast corner in the County. The Township is bounded in the north by Asylum Township, to the northeast by Wyalusing Borough and Township, to the southeast by Wilmot Township, and to the southwest by Albany Township. The Susquehanna River serves as the northeastern border to Wyalusing Township. Sugar Creek is a major stream of water that flows throughout the township spreading east to west and includes several of its tributaries. The most accessed road throughout the Township is State Route 187, which travels northwest and northeast. Other main roads in the Township include: Rienze Road, Race Hill, Marsh Road, and North Road.

Terry Township was officially created in 1857, from Wilmot, Asylum and Durrell Townships. Jonathan Terry was the first permanent settler and founder of the Township in 1787. The Township was named to honor Mr. Terry. The first framed house was erected around 1795. During the French Revolution, refugees came to the Township and built a house near New Era, to receive the King and Queen of France.

Local Government and Current Data

The Township of Terry has a governing board that consists of three members. The Township also has a secretary. Terry Township has opted out of organizing a planning commission, a comprehensive plan, and zoning ordinances. All subdivisions and land developments must meet the County Office of Planning and Grants standards and regulations prior to being approved.

The Terrytown Baptist Church and a United Methodist Church are both located within the township.

Spring Lake, located on the border of Terry and Asylum Township came into formation from large pieces of melting ice after the Ice Age. In 1983, the remains of a prehistoric wooly mammoth were found at the lake, when the Newton family hired an excavator to expand and improve the lake. There were over 100 bones and three out of four of the animal’s molars located at the site. It is the most intact wooly mammoth to have been found in the state of Pennsylvania. Today, the bones are still in the process of being restored at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh

<< Back