Swarthmore ( , ) is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
in
Delaware County,
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, ...
. Swarthmore was originally named "Westdale" in honor of noted
painter
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...
Benjamin West, who was one of the early residents of the town. The name was changed to "Swarthmore" after the establishment of
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...
. The borough population was 6,194 as of the
2010 census.
History
![Presby Church in Swarthmore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Presby_Church_in_Swarthmore.jpg)
The borough was originally part of
Springfield Township, and grew up around
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...
, which was founded in 1864. The advent of passenger rail service from
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 ...
in the 1880s greatly enhanced the desirability of the borough as a
commuter suburb
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
, and the borough was incorporated in 1893.
About one third of the borough's land area consists of the Swarthmore College campus. Many of the streets in the southern half of town are named for eastern colleges, and much of the borough's housing stock dates from the Victorian period through the 1920s.
The
Ogden House and
Benjamin West Birthplace
The Benjamin West Birthplace, also known as Benjamin West House, is a historic home located on the campus of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, Swarthmore, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It was the birthplace of artist Benjamin West ...
are 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 artistic v ...
.
Geography
Swarthmore is located in east-central Delaware County at (39.901788, −75.347083).
It is bordered to the north, east, and southwest by Springfield Township, to the southeast by
Ridley Township, and to the west by
Nether Providence Township
Nether Providence Township is a first class township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Many residents refer to the township by the name of its largest community, Wallingford, because the Wallingford postal code is used for most o ...
.
Crum Creek
Crum Creek (from the Dutch, meaning "crooked creek") is a creek in Delaware County and Chester County, Pennsylvania, flowing approximately , generally in a southward direction and draining into the Delaware River in Eddystone, Pennsylvania. It ...
, a south-flowing tributary of the
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
, forms the western boundary of the borough.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Swarthmore borough has a total area of , all of it land.
It has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(''Cfa'') and average monthly temperatures range from 33.1 °F in January to 78.0 °F in July. The local
hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
is 7a.
Government
Swarthmore is represented in the
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...
as the
PA 161st Legislative District and the
PA 26th Senate District. The former position is held by
Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky and the latter by former Swarthmore mayor
Sen. Tim Kearney, both
Democrats.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 6,194 people, 1,963 households, and 1,327 families residing in the borough. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 2,081 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 82.5%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 7.7%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 5.0%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, .7% from
other races, and 3.8% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 4.9% of the population.
There were 1,963 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.4% 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 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the borough, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 15.8% from 20 to 24, 15.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
As of 2015, the median income for a household in the borough was $101,686, and the median income for a family was $144,570.
Males had a median income of $71,750 versus $51,117 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $40,482. About 0.0% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
.
Education
Swarthmore lies within the
Wallingford-Swarthmore School District
Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is a midsized, suburban public school district in south-eastern Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It serves the boroughs of Swarthmore, Rose Valley and Rutledge, and the township of N ...
. In 1983, the district was formed via a merger with the Nether Providence School District and Swarthmore-Rutledge School District. Public school students attend Swarthmore-Rutledge Elementary School, housed in the old
Swarthmore High School, for grades K-5, Strath Haven Middle School for grades 6–8, and
Strath Haven High School
Strath Haven High School (also abbreviated as SHHS) is a four-year public high school in Wallingford, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, enrolling about 1,200 students. SHHS is the only high school in the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. The ...
for grades 9-12.
The borough's only private school is the George Crothers Memorial School, housed in the old Rutgers Avenue School. Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic School is located adjacent to the borough.
For higher education, the borough is home to
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...
, an academically-acclaimed private liberal arts college.
Cultural institutions
Scott Arboretum
Scott Arboretum () is an arboretum coterminous with the campus of and operated by Swarthmore College. It is open to the public daily without charge. The arboretum was established and endowed by the Scott family in 1929 in honor of Arthur Hoyt Sc ...
is located on the campus of
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...
.
The Swarthmore Public Library is at 121 Park Avenue in the center of the borough.
The Park Avenue Community Center is adjacent to Swarthmore Borough Hall and hosts a range of cultural activities, theater and music.
Transportation
Swarthmore Station Swarthmore may refer to:
*Swarthmore Lecture, an annual lecture given during the Britain Yearly Meeting
*Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, a borough in Pennsylvania
*Swarthmore College, a liberal arts college in Pennsylvania
**List of Swarthmore College pe ...
, a
SEPTA Regional Rail train station on the
Media/Wawa Line, sits between the college and the town's center.
SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
Route 109 bus connecting
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
with
Upper Darby stops along Chester Road.
Notable people
*
Charles Andes (1930–2006), businessman
*
Amy Sue Barston (born 1974), cellist and faculty at the Juilliard School.
*
Valerie Hollister
Valerie Dutton Hollister (née Valerie Dutton; born 1939) is an American artist, known for her paintings, printmaking, and artist books. She frequently has used computer technology in aspects of her work.
Biography
Valerie Dutton Hollister was ...
(born 1939), artist, painter.
*
John Honnold
John Otis Honnold Jr. (December 5, 1915 – January 21, 2011) was the William A. Schnader Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Biography
Honnold was born in Kansas, Illinois, to John Otis and Louretta (Wright ...
(1915–2011), law professor at the
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (also known as Penn Law or Penn Carey Law) is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is among the most selective and olde ...
.
*
Edmund Jones
Edmund Jones (April 15, 1918 – September 14, 2019) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 161 from 1971 to 1974.
Early life and education
Jones was ...
, Swarthmore Mayor from 1966–1971 and Pennsylvania State Representative 1971–1974.
*
Mary Gay Scanlon
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
(born 1959),
United States Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, from 2018 to present.
*
Rogers Stevens (born 1979), guitarist of band Blind Melon
*
Benjamin West (1738–1820), artist, painter
References
External links
Borough of Swarthmore official websiteSwarthmore Public Library
{{authority control
Populated places established in 1893
Boroughs in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
1893 establishments in Pennsylvania