Camp Hill is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

that straddles Whitemarsh Township, Upper Dublin Township, and

Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Springfield Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 20,814 at the 2020 census. It includes the villages of Wyndmoor, Erdenheim, Flourtown, and Oreland. The communities of Lafayette Hill, ...

, United States. Located approximately three miles outside

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, the area played a role in the Revolutionary War.

History

Following the September 11, 1777 Battle of Brandywine, the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

occupied Philadelphia. Camp Hill was one of three adjacent hills outside the city held by General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

and 11,000 Continental troops, beginning November 2, 1777. The others were Militia Hill, to the west, now part of

Fort Washington State Park Fort Washington State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Springfield and Whitemarsh Townships, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The park is noted for the springtime flowering of dogwood trees, and is popular with families for picnics and ...

; and Fort Hill, to the north, now

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania Fort Washington is a census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census. History Prior to the Revolutionary War the Fort Washington area was settle ...

. The December 5–8, 1777

Battle of White Marsh The Battle of White Marsh or Battle of Edge Hill was a battle of the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought December 5–8, 1777, in the area surrounding Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania. The battle, which took the form ...

took place on the plain below the hills. Despite three days of fighting,

General Sir William Howe William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB PC (10 August 172912 July 1814) was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British land forces in the Colonies during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three bro ...

was unable to overcome the strategic advantage that the topography gave Washington, and withdrew back to Philadelphia. The name "Camp Hill" comes from the thousands of Continental soldiers' tents that once covered it. Ten years later, Washington returned to Philadelphia as a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention. He toured the White Marsh battlefield with his friend, Robert Morris. Camp Hill was the site of the

Great Train Wreck of 1856 The Great Train Wreck of 1856 occurred in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, between Camp Hill station and Fort Washington station, on July 17, 1856. Two trains, traveling on the same track in converging directions, collided, killing between 5 ...

, the worst railroad disaster in world history up to that time. Two passenger trains, heading toward each other on a single track, collided on a blind curve. Approximately 60 people, mostly children on their way to a Sunday School picnic, were killed and more than 100 were injured.

Geography

The topography of the area, an outcropping of high ground surrounded by lowlands, made Camp Hill a popular location for

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Wes ...

country houses. Dreshertown Road runs along the crest of Camp Hill, and features both custom houses and suburban developments. Camp Hill Road runs north–south over the rise of the elevation and features custom single family homes. Sandy Run (Wissahickon Creek) flows along the south side of Camp Hill; Pine Run flows along the north side. The

Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's w ...

passes just north of Camp Hill, and the 309 Expressway passes to the west.

Industry

McNeil Pharmaceuticals McNeil Consumer Healthcare is an American medicals products company belonging to the Johnson & Johnson Health care, healthcare products group. It primarily sells fast-moving consumer goods such as Over-the-counter drug, over-the-counter drugs. ...

, the manufacturer of

Tylenol Tylenol may refer to: * Paracetamol Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is a medication used to treat fever and mild to moderate pain. Common brand names include Tylenol and Panadol. At a standard dose, paracetamol only slightly decr ...

and

Motrin Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used for treating pain, fever, and inflammation. This includes painful menstrual periods, migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also be used to close a patent ductus arte ...

, built its corporate headquarters and manufacturing plant on Camp Hill Road in the 1960s. Now a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, the plant closed in April 2010. Camp Hill shares Fort Washington's zip code of 19034.

Points of interest

*Scheetz Farm (1729), 7161 Camp Hill Road, Springfield Township. Scheetz built a papermill along Sandy Run in 1759. It burned and was demolished in 1969. *George Emlen House (1745), Pennsylvania Avenue, Springfield and Upper Dublin Townships. Washington's headquarters, November 2–December 11, 1777. *"Camp Hill Hall," John R. Fell House (1882), 709 Pennsylvania Avenue, Whitemarsh and Upper Dublin Townships. Now the United States headquarters for the missionary organization

WEC International WEC International is an interdenominational mission agency of evangelical tradition which focuses on evangelism, discipleship and church planting, through music and the arts, serving addicts and vulnerable children, through Christian education, mi ...

. *"Fairwold," T. Craig Heberton House (1888), Camp Hill Road, Upper Dublin Township,

Wilson Eyre Wilson Eyre, Jr. (October 30, 1858 – October 23, 1944) was an American architect, teacher and writer who practiced in the Philadelphia area. He is known for his deliberately informal and welcoming country houses, and for being an innovator in ...

, architect. Greatly expanded in the early 20th century by DeArmond, Ashmead & Bickley, it is now Or Hadash Synagogue. *"Hawkswell," Howard H. Henry House (1904), Camp Hill Road & Pennsylvania Avenue, Springfield and Upper Dublin Townships, Wilson Eyre, architect. Renamed "Copernicus House" in the 1970s, it served as headquarters for the Copernicus Society of America. *"Ridgewood Farm," William Frazier Harrison House (1909), 511 Dreshertown Road, Upper Dublin Township. The 250-acre estate is now Manufacturers' Golf & Country Club.Manufacturers' Golf & Country Club
/ref> File:Emlen house.jpg, George Emlen House

Notes

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania