Cheltenham Township is a home-rule township located in the southeast corner of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders Philadelphia to the south and east, Abington Township and Jenkintown to the north, and Springfield Township to the west.
Cheltenham was founded in 1682, and its early history was defined by mills, which used Tookany Creek to power gristmills, manufacture shovels, hammers, and spades, and later carpentry products such as doors, window frames, and shutters. The development of regional railroads in the early 19th century helped power the American Industrial Revolution, connecting heavy industry factories in Philadelphia with the steel mills and other mining and heavy manufacturing industries in the Lehigh Valley to its north.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cheltenham transitioned to a community of wealthy industrial and merchant Philadelphians, who built large estates in what was still rural land. The 20th century and Great Depression established Cheltenham as one of Philadelphia's inner ring and streetcar suburbs, and attracted high density housing construction that continued into the postwar years and the 21st century. The Reading Railroad tracks in Cheltenham Township were electrified in 1931, which offered faster passenger service. In 1983, following the Reading Railroad's acquisition by Conrail, the rail lines became part of the heavily-traveled SEPTA Main Line.
In the 21st century, historic homes and buildings designed by Frank Furness, Horace Trumbauer, and Frank Lloyd Wright coexist with split level, twin, row, and other forms of high-density housing, along with parks, arboretums, recreational and educational facilities, tree-lined streets, and commercial corridors.
History
17th century Cheltenham was established in 1682 as part of Philadelphia County by 15 Quakers from Cheltenham, England, including Richard Wall and Tobias Leech, who purchased of land from William Penn.Jones, Arthur Hosking. Cheltenham Township. A Sociological Analysis of a Residential Suburb. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 1940. 173 pages. Upon creation of Montgomery County in 1784, Cheltenham became the smallest township in the new county.
Cheltenham Township's 15 original founders were:
Name Land Size Date given John West June 29, 1682 Nehemiah Mitchell July 1, 1682 John Day August 5, 1682 William Brown September 10, 1683 Everard Bolton September 10, 1683 John Ashmead September 10, 1683 Tobias Leech September 10, 1683September 10, 1683 Richard Wall Sr. May 2, 1683September 10, 1683 Richard Wall Jr. September 10, 1683 Patrick Robinson November 5, 1683 John Russell November 5, 1683 William Frampton January 13, 1683 Mary Jefferson January 13, 1683 Thomas Phillips June 13, 1683 Humphrey Morrey May 23, 1683 Total area
Cheltenham was fueled by the development of various mills along Tookany Creek. Communities and villages grew around these mills and formed what is now modern Cheltenham neighborhoods. The first gristmill was built by Richard Dungworth in 1690. After changing ownership several times, the Rowland family eventually made the mill the second-largest producer of shovels in the United States. The site was demolished in 1929.
18th century The U.S. Colored Troops 3rd Regiment were the first to be trained at Camp William Penn. It is tradition that soldiers have a grand parade before leaving for war, but Philadelphia was partially a racist community at that time and the government believed that a parade might cause a riot, so it was cancelled. The leader of the Camp (Colonel Louis Wagner) was furious and made sure the next regiment to come through would have a parade.
19th century In the late 19th century, Cheltenham established itself as one of the most prominent communities in the Philadelphia area. Railroad tycoon Jay Cooke was one of the first to build his mansion in Cheltenham. His 200-acre estate was eventually converted to a school in 1883 and was later demolished. John Wanamaker built his mansion Lindenhurst, which was destroyed by a fire in 1907. His second Lindenhurst was destroyed by another fire in 1944. Henry Breyer Jr. eventually bought the land from Wanamaker.
Other notable mansions built include Abraham Barker's "Lyndon," Cyrus H. K. Curtis's "Curtis Hall," George Horace Lorimer's "Belgrame," and John B. Stetson's "Idro." Perhaps the most famous mansions that still stand to this day are the prominent Widener family mansion Lynnewood Hall, the Elkins Estate which was home to William Elkins, and Grey Towers Castle which was home to William Welsh Harrison. The latter is a National Historic Landmark and was designed by famed architect Horace Trumbauer, who designed many buildings and homes in Cheltenham.Estate development
As the Gilded Age ended and the Great Depression hit the country, many of the estates and mansions were destroyed and made way for the building of houses in their place. Many of the communities that were formed in the early stages of Cheltenham remained, and still exist to this day.
As the 20th century progressed, many people moved out of the city and into the first community over the city line, Cheltenham. With the population increase, the township's identity evolved from being largely a community of prominent Philadelphians and their mansions to several distinct communities. One of the major groups to come to Cheltenham was Koreans. The original Koreatown was located in the Olney section of Philadelphia, but eventually was moved north to Logan. Large pockets of Koreans were eventually established in Cheltenham, and also in Upper Darby Township and West Philadelphia.Dynamics of Ethnic Identity: Three Asian American Communities in Philadelphia
Other immigrants migrated to Cheltenham, making it one of the most diverse municipalities in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. By the 2000 census, Cheltenham Township was one of two municipalities in Montgomery County that had a non-white population exceeding 20 percent; the other was Norristown.
Cheltenham and other early communities in the Philadelphia area, including Upper Darby Township, Haverford, Lower Merion, and Jenkintown have retained their distinct identities while being surrounded by suburbia over the middle to late part of the twentieth century.
Cheltenham and Lower Merion are of the few townships in Montgomery County who had a large population prior to the postwar population boom and thus whose majority of houses, communities, and streets have remained virtually unchanged since the early 20th century. Cheltenham has 13 listings on the National Register of Historic Places, the most of any municipality in Montgomery County. Cheltenham became a township of the first class in 1900. In 1976, it passed a home rule charter that took effect in 1977.
Cheltenham was the former home of Cradle of Liberty Council Breyer Training Area. Henry W. Breyer Jr. used property formerly owned by Cheltenham resident John Wanamaker. It closed in 1990 and is now the home of Salus University.
Cheltenham was named a Preserve America community, a U.S. government program established to preserve historic communities throughout the United States.
It is also a Tree City USA member, a program dedicated to forestry management.
In 2013, Cheltenham Township was named a "Classic Town of Greater Philadelphia," for being "one of the most diverse, unique, and livable communities in our region" and "truly at the center of it all."
Books There are at least four books about Cheltenham Township's history:
A History of Cheltenham Township by Elaine Rothschild Images of America Cheltenham Township by Old York Road Historical Society Remembering Cheltenham Township by Donald Scott Sr. Making Marathon: A History of Early Wyncote by Thomas J. Wieckowski
Unincorporated districts Cheltenham Township has ten districts: Glenside, Laverock, Edge Hill, Wyncote, Cedarbrook, Chelten Hills, La Mott, Elkins Park, Melrose Park, and Cheltenham Village.
Township seal The seal of Cheltenham was adopted from the seal of the namesake and sister city, Cheltenham, England. It appears on all formal documents, resolutions, proclamations, and all legal records or documents. The pigeon on top of a blue sphere represents the founding of the fountain spa which made Cheltenham famous. They are placed above a wreath of Oak leaves. The two books represent Education, in particular, the Pates Grammar School and the Cheltenham College. The silver cross in the middle represents religion. The two pigeons represent the flock that would gather at the spas. Finally, the Oak tree represents the many Oak trees that line the streets of Cheltenham and promenades.
Geography
Cheltenham is a residential township in the southeasternmost part of Montgomery County, which is in Southeastern Pennsylvania (locally known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area). It is one of seven municipalities in Montgomery County that borders Philadelphia and is northeast of the Center City. It also borders Abington Township and Jenkintown on the north side and Springfield Township on the west side.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all land. The area consists of rolling hills and also features a few streams flowing through it, most notably the Tookany Creek. The highest elevation is , at the intersection of Sunset and Lindley Roads. The lowest elevation is , in the southeasternmost part of the township, where Tookany Creek flows into Philadelphia. It includes the census-designated places of Arcadia University, Glenside, and Wyncote. Other communities include Cheltenham, Elkins Park, Melrose Park, La Mott and Laverock, Edge Hill, and Cedarbrook. All of the communities form a border with Philadelphia along Cheltenham Avenue.
Communities in Cheltenham Place Type Area Population Density Zip Code Arcadia University CDP 595 10,438.6 19038 Cheltenham (Cheltenham Village) CDP 4,810 5,705 19012 Elkins Park CDP 9,260 4,630 19027 Glenside CDP 8,384 6,449.2 19038 La Mott Unincorporated community 3554 13,616.7 19027 McKinley (part) CDP ? ? ? ? Melrose Park Unincorporated community 3,006 4,554.5 19027 Wyncote CDP 3,044 3,805 19095
Edge Hill, Laverock, and Cedarbrook's exact populations and land area are uncertain.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, Cheltenham Township was 56.6% White, 32.8% Black or African-American, 0.2% Native American, 7.7% Asian, and 2.5% were two or more races. 3.9% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. The median income for a family in Cheltenham in the 2010 Census was $72,584.2010 Montco Census Information
According to the 2010 Census, 30.4% of the townships households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were headed by married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05. The age distribution was 22.8% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males.
In 2022, the median income for a family in Cheltenham was $138,731 and for a married couple family it was $158,275 vs $136,304 and $152,228 respectively for Montgomery County as a whole.
In 2022, the median income for a household in the township was $102,589, up from $61,713 in 2010.
In 2010, males had a median income of $50,564 versus $36,439 for females. The per capita income for the township in 2010 was $31,424 (~$ in ). About 3.0% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.