The Philadelphia Main Line, known simply as the Main Line, is an informally delineated historical and

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

region of suburban

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

. Lying along the former

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

's once prestigious Main Line, it runs northwest from

Center City Philadelphia Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the city borders to be coterminous wi ...

parallel to

Lancaster Avenue Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

, also known as U.S. Route 30. The railroad first connected the Main Line towns in the 19th century. They became home to sprawling

country estate An estate is a large parcel of land under single ownership, which would historically generate income for its owner. British context In the UK, historically an estate comprises the houses, outbuildings, supporting farmland, and woods that s ...

s belonging to Philadelphia's wealthiest families, and over the decades became a bastion of "

old money Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families (i.e. gentry, patriciate)" or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth". The term typically describes a social class of the rich who have been able to ...

". Today, the Main Line includes some of the wealthiest communities in the country, including Gladwyne, Villanova, Radnor, and Ardmore. Today, the railroad is

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

's Keystone Corridor, along which

SEPTA The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates transit bus, bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people ...

Paoli/Thorndale Line The Paoli/Thorndale Line, or R5 commonly known as the Main Line, is a SEPTA Regional Rail service running from Center City Philadelphia through Montgomery County and Delaware County to Thorndale in Chester County. It operates along the far east ...

operates.

History

The Main Line region was long part of

Lenapehoking Lenapehoking (Unami: ''Lënapehòkink'') is widely translated as 'homelands of the Lenape', which in the 16th and 17th centuries, ranged along the Eastern seaboard from western Connecticut to Delaware, and encompassed the territory adjacent to the ...

, the homeland of the

matrilineal Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother's lineage – and which can involve the inheritance ...

Lenni Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

Native Americans (the "true people", or "Delaware Indians"). Europeans arrived in the 1600s, after

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy an ...

sold a tract of land, called the Welsh Tract, to a group of

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1681. This accounts for the many Welsh place names in the area. However, what might be termed the "Celtification" of many Main Line place and street names occurred long after colonial times. So, for instance, as a marketing device to attract wealthy new residents, the area once awkwardly named Athensville became the more culturally glamorous Ardmore ( Ardmore is a place name found in Ireland and Scotland) in 1873. The

built its main line during the early 19th century as part of the

Main Line of Public Works The Main Line of Public Works was a package of legislation passed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1826 to establish a means of transporting freight between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It funded the construction of various long-proposed can ...

that spanned Pennsylvania. Later in the century, the railroad, which owned much of the land surrounding the tracks, encouraged the development of this picturesque environment by building way stations along the portion of its track closest to Philadelphia. The benefits of what was touted as "healthy yet cultivated country living" attracted Philadelphia's social

elite In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. ...

, many of whom had one house in the city and another larger "country home" on the Main Line. In the 20th century, many wealthy Philadelphia families moved to the Main Line suburbs. Part of the national trend of suburbanization, this drove rapid investment, prosperity, and growth that turned the area into greater Philadelphia's most affluent and fashionable region. Estates with sweeping lawns and towering maples, the débutante balls and the

Merion Cricket Club Merion Cricket Club is a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania, founded in 1865. The current clubhouse is its sixth, the last four having been designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and his partner, Allen Evans, who was also a founder ...

, which drew crowds of 25,000 spectators to its matches in the early 1900s, were the setting for the 1940

Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom * Castle Grant United States *Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

/ Hepburn/ Stewart motion picture '' The Philadelphia Story.'' The railroad placed stops about two minutes apart, starting with Overbrook. The surrounding communities became known by the railroad station names which started at Broad Street Station in Center City Philadelphia and went on to 32nd Street Station (replaced by 30th Street Station in 1933), the 52nd Street Station (decommissioned), and then the Main Line stations: Overbrook, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr,

Rosemont Rosemont may refer to: * Rosemont (horse), an American Thoroughbred racehorse * ''Rosemont'', a 2015 film Places In Australia * Rosemont (Woollahra), located in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra and listed on the NSW State Heritage Register In Canada ...

, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, Berwyn, Daylesford, Paoli, . At least five of these station buildings, along with the first Bryn Mawr Hotel, were designed by

Wilson Brothers & Company Wilson Brothers & Company was a prominent Victorian-era architecture and engineering firm established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company was regarded for its structural expertise. The brothers designed or contributed engineering work to h ...

. A branch line of the Main Line (currently known as SEPTA's Cynwyd Line) extended to the communities now known as Bala and Cynwyd (via Wynnefield Station in Philadelphia), then proceeded to the

West Laurel Hill Cemetery West Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869, is 200 acres in size and contains the burials of many notable people. It is affiliated with Laurel Hill Cemetery in neighboring Ph ...

(where there was once a station, as well,) and crossed back into Philadelphia over the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It ...

via the famous Manayunk Bridge. Broad Street Station was replaced with Suburban Station in 1930, and

30th Street Station 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societies ...

replaced 32nd Street three years later. Suburban service now extends west of the Main Line to the communities of Exton, Whitford, Downingtown, and Thorndale. The railroad line then continued on to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, with major stations at

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

and

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. The railroad, since taken over by

, is still in service, although its route is slightly different from the original. It also serves the

of the

Regional Rail system.

Demographics of the Gilded Age

It was not only extremely wealthy people on the Main Line in the period 1880-1920. Wealthy households required large numbers of servants in order to maintain their lifestyle. Often these servants were Black migrants from the South and recent immigrants from Europe. For example, in the 1900 census, Tredyffrin Township was 13.5% Black; another 15% had been born in Europe. The two largest countries of origin were Italy and Ireland. The corresponding figures for Lower Merion Township were 6% Black and 15% born in Europe; almost 11% were from Ireland. Another dimension of this story is illustrated by the community of Mount Pleasant, in Tredyffrin Township just north of Wayne. This is a community that became predominantly Black in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As shown in the census for 1920, most of the Black residents of this neighborhood or their parents had come from the South. Many of the men in this neighborhood (along Henry Avenue and Mount Pleasant Avenue) were employed by the railroad, as quarry workers, or as chauffeurs and gardeners by private families. The occupations often given for women were cook and laundress. This remains a predominantly Black community to the present day.

Today

Today, the Main Line is another name for the western suburbs of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue (U.S. Route 30) and the former main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad and extending from the city limits to, traditionally, Bryn Mawr and ultimately Paoli, an area of about . The upper- and upper middle-class enclave has historically been one of the bastions of "

" in the Northeast, along with places like Long Island's

North Shore North Shore or Northshore may refer to: Geographic features Australia *North Shore (Sydney), a suburban region of Sydney **Electoral district of North Shore **North Shore railway line, Sydney *Noosa North Shore, Queensland * North Shore, New So ...

(AKA: "Gold Coast");

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

;

Middlesex County, Massachusetts Middlesex County is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,632,002, making it the most populous county in both Massachusetts and New England and the 22nd most populous cou ...

; and

Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 957, ...

. Neighborhoods along the Main Line include nineteenth and early twentieth-century railroad suburbs and post-war subdivisions, as well as a few surviving buildings from before the suburban development era. The area today is known primarily for several educational institutions as well as robust suburban life.

Core towns

The original Main Line towns are widely considered to follow the acronym "Old Maids Never Wed And Have Babies." From Philadelphia, they are: * Overbrook * Merion * Narberth * Wynnewood * Ardmore * Haverford * Bryn Mawr These seven towns are characterized as one of the primary bastions of old money in Southeastern Pennsylvania. They are comparably more dense than other suburbs and have lively, walkable downtowns. All of these communities were established along Lancaster Avenue prior to the railroad's construction. Further, as early as 1887, Bala and Cynwyd were also included in atlases of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Lower Merion Township and Montgomery County. By 1908, one of the first atlases to refer specifically to the "Main Line" as a socio-cultural entity includes: * Bala * Cynwyd Additionally, the following towns are often grouped with the core Main Line: * Wayne * Paoli * Malvern

Infill communities

Beyond the 9 aforementioned communities, many nearby communities have seeded growth in the twentieth century, either in between the core towns or nearby them. They include: * Gladwyne, immediately to the northeast of Bryn Mawr * Villanova and Radnor, between Bryn Mawr and Wayne * Strafford,

, and Berwyn, between Wayne and Paoli These communities are primarily residential and consist of larger lot sizes than in the nine core towns. All of them, except Gladwyne, are on the railroad and have their own station stop.

Demographics

There is no collective data for the Main Line, so all data is by ZIP code. In comparison, the median family income and home price for the state of Pennsylvania are $68,646 and $155,000, respectively. The following ZIP codes are those within the previously mentioned municipalities that make up the Main Line. All data, with the exception of average home price, are as of the 2000 census. For comparison, the median family income of

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

is $110,040.

Transportation

The Main Line is served by numerous modes of transportation among which are three commuter rail lines operated by

. Connecting the region directly with Center City Philadelphia are the

which shares the former

four track Keystone Corridor grade with Amtrak, and the

Manayunk/Norristown Line The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a commuter rail service in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and one of the 13 lines in SEPTA's Regional Rail network. It has the fourth highest ridership and the highest operating ratio (58%) on the SEPTA Regional Rai ...

which operates over the former

Reading Railroad The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and commercial rail transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states that operated from 1924 until its 1976 acquisition by Conrail. Commonly cal ...

Norristown grade. The light rail

Norristown High Speed Line The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), also called the Purple Line, the P&W, or Route 100,) is a interurban light rapid transit line operated by SEPTA, running between the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the Norristown Tr ...

runs over the

Philadelphia and Western Railroad The Philadelphia and Western Railroad was a high-speed, third rail-equipped, commuter-hauling interurban electric railroad operating in the western suburbs of the U.S. city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is now SEPTA's Norristown High Speed ...

line between 69th terminal in

Upper Darby Upper Darby Township, often shortened to Upper Darby, is a home rule township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The township borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth most populous city as of 2020 with 1.6 million residents. As of the 2020 cen ...

to Norristown. Amtrak's intercity ''

Keystone Service Amtrak's ''Keystone Service'' provides frequent regional passenger train service between the Harrisburg Transportation Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, running along the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Mai ...

'' (New York City to Harrisburg) and ''Pennsylvanian'' (New York City to Pittsburgh) also serve the region with stops at the jointly operated Amtrak/SEPTA stations at Ardmore and Paoli. The main thoroughfare through the Main Line is U.S. Route 30 which follows Lancaster Avenue (formerly the

Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795, is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States, according to engineered plans and specifications. It links Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia at 34th Street, st ...

) running east to west and serves as the backbone of the region by connecting a large majority of its towns and municipalities. Other highways serving the area are the

Schuylkill Expressway The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as "the Schuylkill", is a freeway through southern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, and the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 (I-76) in the U.S. state of Penns ...

( I-76) which connects it to Philadelphia, and the Blue Route (

I-476 Interstate 476 (I-476) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The highway runs from I-95 near Chester north to I-81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor throu ...

) which runs north to south connecting the region with the Northeast Extension and 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 ...

to the north, and to

Philadelphia International Airport Philadelphia International Airport is the primary airport serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The airport served 19.6 million passengers annually in 2021, making it the 21st busiest airport in the United States. The airport is located from t ...

and

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadi ...

to the south. Along the northern edge of the Main Line,

US 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massa ...

runs from the Schuylkill Expressway in a southwesterly direction, crossing US 30 in Frazer. SEPTA also commissions suburban buses on Routes 105 and 106 to run from the

69th Street Transportation Center The 69th Street Transportation Center is a SEPTA terminal in the Terminal Square section of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, just west of the city limits of Philadelphia. The terminal serves the Market–Frankford Line, Norristown High Speed Line, and t ...

to Bryn Mawr, with rush hour service extended to Paoli. These buses run almost entirely along Lancaster Avenue. SEPTA also offers light rail service through the

. The Norristown High Speed Line runs along the Main Line from Upper Darby to Ithan Avenue Station and

Villanova Station Villanova station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station on the campus of Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It is in Radnor Township, located on North Spring Mill Road ( PA 320) near County Line Road and serves most Paoli/Thorndale L ...

before making a northward turn at the junction of Lancaster Avenue and the Blue Route toward Norristown.

Recreation and attractions

The Appleford Estate ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

: A 300-year-old estate located in Villanova. Today it is maintained as an arboretum and a bird sanctuary. Its gardens were designed by renowned landscape architect Thomas Warren Sears and include woods, meadows, formal gardens, brick walkways, rhododendron tracts, a stream, pond, and waterfall. Admission is free of charge and the house is available as a rental for special events. * The Barnes Arboretum in Merion. * Bryn Mawr Film Institute: A non-profit community theater founded in 2002 in the old Bryn Mawr Theater building, built in 1926, which is in the process of significant restoration. The institute offers showings of classic movies of the 20th century, opera, film education courses, and film discussions. * The Cynwyd Heritage Trail is a linear 'rail-to-trail' park which opened in 2011. The trail intersects with roads, bridges, neighborhoods, parks, railway stations, historic mills, and the West Laurel Hill and Westminster Cemeteries. The trail also connects to the pedestrian-only Manayunk Bridge on the

, which opened in 2015. *

Chanticleer Garden Chanticleer Garden is a forty-eight-acre botanical garden built on the grounds of the Rosengarten estate at 786 Church Road in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Located on Philadelphia's historic Main Line, Chanticleer retains a domestic scale and is welcomi ...

: An estate and

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

located in Wayne, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

. * The Devon Horse Show: The oldest and largest multi-breed horse show in the U.S. * Harriton House: Located in Bryn Mawr, was built in 1704 by a Welsh Quaker named Rowland Ellis. He named the estate "Bryn Mawr", meaning "high hill" in Welsh, which is where the community gained its name. The house's best known occupant was Charles Thomson, the first and only secretary of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Historic Waynesborough
Revolutionary war hero Anthony Wayne's historic estate. Alternatively known as Waynesborough, this is where Anthony Wayne was born. It is registered as a National Historic Landmark and is a historic house museum. *

Jenkins Arboretum Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens (48 acres) is a nonprofit botanical garden located at 631 Berwyn Baptist Road, Devon, Pennsylvania. The grounds are open to the public daily with free admission. Hours change seasonally and are listed on the Arboretum' ...

: A nonprofit botanical garden located in

. *

King of Prussia Mall King of Prussia (also referred to as King of Prussia Mall) is a shopping mall located in the community of King of Prussia in Upper Merion Township in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the largest shopping mall in Pennsylvania and the third- ...

located in

King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...

is the third-largest mall in terms of retail space in America and is only a short distance away from the Main Line. *The

Lower Merion Academy Bala Cynwyd Junior High School Complex, is a historic school complex in Bala Cynwyd, Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The complex includes the Bala Cynwyd Middle School, the Cynwyd Elementary School, as well as the forme ...

was built in 1812, and is a 3.5 story, five bay,

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

ed stone building with

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, fr ...

in the Federal style. It was renovated in 1938, in the

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archi ...

style. Located in Bala Cynwyd, it is still used for educational purposes and now also house
The Lower Merion Historical Society
It was added to the

in 2002.
The free education provided to local children in the Academy
predated Pennsylvania's state laws mandating free public schooling (1834-1836). *Completed in 1715, The Merion Friends Meeting House, in Merion Station, is the third oldest Quaker Meeting House in the United States. It is still in active use by the Society of Friends. The property also includes stables and a cemetery, with an estimated 2,000 burials (many of which are unmarked in accordance with early Quaker custom). Construction began in 1695, and the meeting house exhibits distinctively Welsh architectural features, including a cross- or T-shape building plan, that distinguish it from later Quaker meeting houses. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1999. * The Woodmont Estate

Sporting and social clubs

Private clubs played an important role in the development of the Main Line, offering social gathering places and facilities for cricket, golf, tennis, squash, and horseback riding to wealthy or socially connected families. Among them are: *

Aronimink Golf Club Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club in the eastern United States, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. Its championship layout is consistently rated among the nation's top golf courses. Aronimink is cur ...

Merion Golf Club Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a township bordering Philadelphia to the northwest along the historic Main Line. The club has two courses: the East Course, and the West Cours ...

: Ranked America's 7th best golf course in 2008 and hosted the U.S. Open in 2013. * Overbrook Golf Club * Philadelphia Country Club: One of the first 100 golf courses established in the USA. Hosted the 1939 U.S. Open. *

Radnor Hunt Radnor Hunt is the oldest continuous fox-hunting club in the United States recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America. Overview Radnor Hunt was founded in 1883 in Pennsylvania.Digby Baltzell, ''The Protestant Establishment ...

: the oldest active foxhunting group in the United States
Waynesborough Country Club

Education

The school districts that serve the Main Line are

Lower Merion School District Lower Merion School District, or LMSD, is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The school district includes residents of both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. Established i ...

in Montgomery County,

Radnor Township School District Radnor Township School District is a school district that serves Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and has 3 elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Due to the mostly affluent demographic of the Main Line that the Radnor Townshi ...

and School District of Haverford Township in Delaware County, and Tredyffrin/Easttown School District and

Great Valley School District Great Valley School District is located in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia suburbs, specifically in the Delaware Valley region known as the Main Line, in eastern Chester County. The district provides public education for student ...

in Chester County. The region has numerous nationally ranked public and private schools. Among them are: Public High Schools * Great Valley High School *

Conestoga High School Conestoga High School, located in Tredyffrin Township, Pennsylvania, is the only upper secondary school in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. It has a Berwyn post office address, though it is not in the Berwyn census-designated place. Co ...

(Tredyffrin/Easttown SD) *

Harriton High School Harriton High School is a public secondary school serving portions of Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. The school is located on the Philadelphia Main Line. Harriton is one of two high schools in the Lower Merion School District; the other is ...

(Lower Merion SD) *

Lower Merion High School Lower Merion High School is a public high school in Ardmore, a community in Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs. It is one of two high schools in the Lower Merion School District; the other one is Harriton High School. Lower Merion serves both Lo ...

* Radnor High School Private Schools * Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (Girls) * Agnes Irwin School (Girls) *

The Baldwin School The Baldwin School (simply referred to as Baldwin School or Baldwin) is a private school for girls in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1888 by Florence Baldwin. The school occupies a 19th-century resort hotel designed by ...

(Girls) * Delaware Valley Friends School *

Devon Preparatory School Devon Preparatory School is a Catholic all-male college preparatory school in Devon, Pennsylvania, in the United States, founded in 1956 by Piarists. It is divided into a middle school (grades 6–8) and an upper school (grades 9–12), bot ...

(Boys) * Holy Child School at Rosemont (Preschool-grade 8) *

Malvern Preparatory School , motto_translation = Truth, Unity, Love , address = 418 South Warren Avenue , location = , region = , city = Malvern , county = , state ...

(Boys) * Merion Mercy Academy (Girls) *

Episcopal Academy The Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12 based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Prior to 2008, the main campus was located in Merion Station and the satellite campus was located in ...

* Friends' Central School *

The Haverford School , motto_translation = , address = 450 Lancaster Avenue , location = , region = , city = Haverford , county = , state = Pennsylvania , ...

(Boys) *

The Mesivta High School ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

(Boys) *

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is a coeducational college-preparatory and religiously pluralistic Jewish day school for grades 6 through 12, located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded in Center City, Philadelphia in 1946 as Akiba Hebrew Ac ...

(Co-ed) * Kohelet Yeshiva High School (Co-ed) *

The Phelps School The Phelps School is an independent, all-boys boarding school in Malvern, Pennsylvania, United States. Athletics Phelps won the 2015 Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) boys basketball championship. Notable alumni ...

(Boys) *

Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr, commonly referred to as, SHA or Sacred Heart, is a highly selective, independent, private, Roman Catholic school for girls. Sacred Heart is located on the Main Line in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and consists of a Low ...

(Girls) * The Shipley School * Valley Forge Military Academy * Villa Maria Academy (Girls) *

Woodlynde School Woodlynde School is a KG– 12 private, co-educational college-preparatory day school for students with learning differences in Strafford, Pennsylvania, United States. It was established in 1976. References External links * Pri ...

(Co-ed) Parochial Schools * Archbishop John Carroll High School * SS Colman-John Neumann School (Pre-K~8) * St. Aloysius Academy (Boys, Pre-K~8) * St. Katharine of Siena School (Pre-K~8) * St. Margaret's School (Pre-K~8) * St. Monica's School (Pre-K~8) * St. Norbert's School (Pre-K~8) * St. Patrick's School (Pre-K~8)

Higher education

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United Sta ...

Cabrini University Cabrini University is a private Roman Catholic university in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1957, and was named after the first American naturalized citizen saint, Mothe ...

* Eastern University * Harcum College * Haverford College *

Immaculata University Immaculata University is a private Roman Catholic university in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The university is composed of 1,427 traditional undergraduate and ...

Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies is a special mission campus and graduate school of the Pennsylvania State University located in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania, near Malvern. Academic programs include engi ...

Rosemont College , mottoeng = I will lift my eyes up to the hills , established = 1921 , type = Private college , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Society of the Holy Child Jesus) , president = J ...

* Saint Joseph's University * St. Charles Borromeo Seminary *

Valley Forge Military Academy and College Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) is a private boarding school (grades 7–12) and military junior college in Wayne, Pennsylvania. It follows in the traditional military school format with army traditions. Though military in ...

Villanova University Villanova University is a private Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1842 and named after Saint Thomas of Villanova. The university is the oldest Catholic university in Pen ...

In popular culture

Film

1940–1989

*'' The Philadelphia Story (1940)'' *'' Kitty Foyle (1940)'' *'' South Pacific (1958)'': Character "Lt. Joe Cable, USMC" is from Ardmore *'' The Young Philadelphians (1959)'' *'' The Happiest Millionaire (1967)'' *'' Obsession (1976)'' : Starring

Cliff Robertson Clifford Parker Robertson III (September 9, 1923 – September 10, 2011) was an American actor whose career in film and television spanned over six decades. Robertson portrayed a young John F. Kennedy in the 1963 film '' PT 109'', and won the 196 ...

, Genevieve Bujold and

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...

*'' Grease (1978)'': Loosely based on Radnor, PA *'' Taps (1981):'' starring Timothy Hutton and Tom Cruise, filmed at VFMA, featuring scenes in Wayne (at Farmers Market and North Wayne Avenue) *'' Trading Places (1983)'' *'' Mannequin (1987)''

1990–present

* ''Downtown'': Set in Bryn Mawr and filmed in Philadelphia, starring Anthony Edwards,

Forest Whitaker Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his fil ...

and

Joe Pantoliano Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American character actor who has appeared in over 150 films, television and stage productions. After his early roles in the television series ''M*A*S*H'' and the 1983 comedy '' Risky Bus ...

*'' Philadelphia (1993):''

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

's character celebrates Thanksgiving at his family home in

Lower Merion Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merioneth in north Wales. Merioneth is an English-language transcription of the W ...

*'' To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)'': The setting for

Patrick Swayze Patrick Wayne Swayze (; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough, and comedic characters. He was also known for his media image and ...

's character's family home is Bala Cynwyd, with those scenes filmed in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New Yor ...

. *'' Wide Awake (1998):'' M. Night Shyamalan movie, filmed at his alma mater, Waldron Mercy Academy, starring

Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series '' Star Search'' ...

and

Denis Leary Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song " Asshole") and thro ...

. *'' The Sixth Sense (1999)'': The wake scene was set in Bryn Mawr *'' In Her Shoes (2005)'':

Toni Collette Toni Collette Galafassi (born Toni Collett; 1 November 1972) is an Australian actress, producer, singer, and songwriter. Known for her work in television and independent films, she has received various accolades throughout her career, inclu ...

's character attends a Main Line wedding and jokes about what she should wear. Starring

Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. With a variety of works in film, she is widely recognised for her work in romantic comedies and animation. Diaz has received various accolades, including nominations for ...

and

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

*'' Pride (2007)'' *'' Dare (2009)'' *'' Happy Tears (2009)'' *'' Tenure (2009)'' *'' The Art of the Steal (2009):'' Documentary chronicling the acquisition and emigration of the Barnes art collection from Merion to Philadelphia. *''

The Lovely Bones (film) ''The Lovely Bones'' is a 2009 supernatural thriller drama film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay he co-wrote with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. It is based on Alice Sebold's 2002 novel of the same name and stars Saoirse Ronan, M ...

'' *'' Foxcatcher (2014)'' * ''Split (2016)''

Literature

*''

A Stranger Is Watching ''A Stranger Is Watching'' (1977) is a suspense novel by Mary Higgins Clark. Plot summary The main characters in the novel are Steve Peterson, whose wife Nina was murdered two years before, his six-year-old son Neil, who witnessed the murder, ...

'': The main character's murdered wife Nina grew up in a wealthy Philadelphia Main Line Family. In the book, it mentions that Nina went to Bryn Mawr College. *''Blackbird Sisters'', mystery novels by Nancy Martin *'' Bobos in Paradise'', by David Brooks *'' Official Preppy Handbook'', by Lisa Birnbach *The ''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American mystery teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. Developed by I. Marlene King, the series was broadcast on Freeform between June 8, 2010, and June ...

'' series, by

Sara Shepard Sara Shepard (born April 8, 1977) is an American author. She is known for the bestselling ''Pretty Little Liars'' and '' The Lying Game'' book series, both of which have been turned into television shows on Freeform. Early and personal lif ...

, which uses the fictional Main Line suburb of Rosewood as its setting. *''Pterodactyls'', by

Nicky Silver Nicky Silver is an American playwright. Formerly of Philadelphia, he resides in London. Many of his plays have been produced off-Broadway, and also at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Biography Early life Silver was born in ...

. The play is set in a Main Line house. *'' Song of Solomon'', by

Toni Morrison Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, '' The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' S ...

. The character First Corinthians is educated at Bryn Mawr College. *''

The Catcher in the Rye ''The Catcher in the Rye'' is an American novel by J. D. Salinger that was partially published in serial form from 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its themes of angs ...

'', by J.D. Salinger. Valley Forge Military Academy (where Salinger attended for two years) is the basis for Pencey Prep. Additionally, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, believes Jane Gallagher to have gone to The Shipley School, Shipley, a Main Line private school. *''The It Girl (novel series), The It Girl'', by Cecily von Ziegesar *''The Lovely Bones'', by Alice Sebold *''Curtis Sittenfeld#The Man of My Dreams, The Man of My Dreams'', by Curtis Sittenfeld *''The Badge of Honor Series'', by W.E.B. Griffin. The main character, Matt Payne, is from Merion. *''Americanah'', by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The main character gets assaulted by a tennis coach in Ardmore and subsequently works as a nanny on the Main Line (possibly Merion) *''Luckiest Girl Alive'', by Jessica Knoll, which uses the Main Line and the fictional Bradley School, based on Shipley School, The Shipley School, as its setting *''The Ginger Barnes Main Line Mysteries'', by Donna Huston Murray, take place in the Philadelphia Main Line. * That Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Television

*''All My Children,'' Soap opera which aired from 1970 to 2011, set in a fictional suburb of Philadelphia, named Pine Valley and modeled after the town of Rosemont, PA, Rosemont. *''Broad City'': Co-creator and co-star Abbi Jacobson is from Wayne. *''Made (TV series), Made'' *''My Super Sweet 16'' *''One Life to Live'' *''Thirtysomething (TV series), Thirtysomething'' *''Pretty Little Liars (TV series), Pretty Little Liars'', as with the book, set in fictional Rosewood based on the city Rosemont, Pennsylvania and modeled after the town of Wayne, Pennsylvania. *''How to Get Away with Murder'' *''Mad Men'': Betty Draper, Don Draper's wife in seasons Mad Men (season 1), one through Mad Men (season 3), three, is said to be from Lower Merion Township and to have attended Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr. *''Mare of Easttown'': HBO mini-series starring Kate Winslet, set and filmed in Easttown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Easttown Township.

Notable residents

Arts

*Tory Burch, fashion designer and New York City socialite *Albert C. Barnes, physician, chemist, businessman, art collector, writer, educator, and founder of the Barnes Foundation *Walter Annenberg, newspaper and magazine publisher (Triangle Publications), ambassador, billionaire, philanthropist *Gloria Braggiotti Etting, author, photographer, hostess, and wife of artist Emlen Etting

Business

*Ronald Perelman, billionaire, controlling owner of MacAndrews & Forbes and Revlon *J. Howard Pew, son of Joseph N. Pew, founder of Sun Oil Company, and co-founder of The Pew Charitable Trusts *John B. Thayer, cricketer, Pennsylvania Railroad VP (lost on the ) *Edward T. Welburn, Vice President of Global Design, General Motors *John C. Bogle, founder and CEO of the Vanguard Group *Alexander Cassatt, former president of the

*Clement Acton Griscom, prominent 19th-century American shipping magnate, businessman, whose home, Dolobran in Haverford is noted for its architecture

Entertainment

*David Boreanaz, actor *The family of Georg Ludwig von Trapp, the family depicted in ''The Sound of Music'' *Chubby Checker, musician *Gideon Glick, actor *Patti LaBelle, musician *Teddy Pendergrass, musician * M. Night Shyamalan, film director *Abbi Jacobson, co-star and co-creator of Comedy Central television series ''Broad City'' *Kate DiCamillo, children's book author *Anne Francine, actress and singer

Military / government / science

*Henry H. Arnold, Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II; General of the Army (United States), General of the Army, General of the Air Force *John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado *Bill Folger, Founder, American Society for the Adoption of the Metric System *Pete Conrad, NASA astronaut; third man to walk on the moon *Alexander Haig, United States Secretary of State, U.S. Secretary of State, White House Chief of Staff, Supreme Allied Commander Europe *Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1789 *Harris Wofford, former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania *David Eisenhower and Julie Nixon EisenhowerBennett, Kitty
"Where Are They Now? Julie and David Eisenhower"
''AARP Bulletin'', December 22, 2010. p. 1. *Oscar Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada *Andy Hertzfeld, computer scientist (Apple Inc., Apple) *Hilary Koprowski, polio vaccine pioneer *Anthony Wayne, US Army officer and statesman

Sports

* Mark Herzlich, NFL football player * Kyle Eckel, NFL football player * Julius Erving, List of players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame National Basketball Association, NBA basketball player * Kobe Bryant, NBA basketball player and incoming Hall of Famer * Richie Ashburn, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Hall of Fame baseball player with the Philadelphia Phillies and Phillies broadcaster * Hobey Baker, Hobart "Hobey" Baker, amateur hockey and football player, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame * Kyle Korver, NBA basketball player * Allen Iverson, Hall of Fame NBA basketball player * Jeffrey Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles football team * Emlen Tunnell, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player, born in Bryn Mawr * John Spagnola, former NFL football player * Andy Reid, head coach of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs * Ed Snider, Edward M. Snider, chairman of Comcast Spectacor, Philadelphia Flyers * Jay Wright (basketball), Jay Wright, head coach of the Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team

History

Demographics of the Gilded Age

Today

Core towns

Infill communities

Demographics

Transportation

Recreation and attractions

Sporting and social clubs

Education

Higher education

In popular culture

Film

1940–1989

1990–present

Literature

Television

Notable residents

Arts

Business

Entertainment

Military / government / science

Sports

See also

References

Further reading