Wyncote is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in

Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Cheltenham Township is a Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania), home-rule Township (Pennsylvania), township located in the southeast corner of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders Philadelphia to the south and east, Abingt ...

, United States. It borders the northwestern and northeastern section of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Wyncote is located 11 miles from Center City Philadelphia at the southeasternmost tip of Montgomery County. The Jenkintown-Wyncote SEPTA station is the fifth busiest

regional rail Regional rail is a public transport, public rail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connectin ...

station in the SEPTA system. Wyncote is bordered by the Cheltenham neighborhoods of Glenside, Elkins Park, La Mott, and Cedarbrook; the

neighborhoods of West Oak Lane and Cedarbrook, as well as the borough of Jenkintown and Abington Township.

History

Before European settlement, the area that is now Wyncote was inhabited by the

Lenape people The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. The Lenape's historical territory included present-day northeastern Del ...

. In the late 17th century, the land became part of

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...

's colony and was gradually settled by

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

. Cheltenham Township was established in 1682, making it one of the oldest townships in Montgomery County. Wyncote's growth accelerated with the construction of the

North Pennsylvania Railroad North Pennsylvania Railroad was a railroad company which served Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Bucks County and Northampton County in Pennsylvania. It was formed in 1852, and began operation in 1855. The Philadelphia and Reading Railway, pr ...

in the mid-1800s. The Jenkintown-Wyncote Station, built in 1872, played a crucial role in transforming the area into a desirable suburb for Philadelphia commuters. By the late 19th century, affluent Philadelphians began building large homes in Wyncote, taking advantage of its scenic setting and easy rail access. The community became known for its Victorian and early 20th-century architecture. In the 20th century, Wyncote continued to develop as a middle- and upper-middle-class residential suburb. Its tree-lined streets and historic homes remain a defining feature.

Geography

Wyncote is located at . According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, Wyncote has a total area of , all of which is land.

Demographics

left, 200px, Damage in Wyncote from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 3,044 people, 1,057 households, and 713 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,069 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 79.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 13.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.03% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 0.26% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population. There were 1,057 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% 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 3.08. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 32.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 75.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.9 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $77,043, and the median income for a family was $91,217. Males had a median income of $60,592 versus $41,458 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $32,340. None of the families and 2.2% of the population were living 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 ...

, including no under eighteens and 4.9% of those over 64.

Notable people

* Eddie Applegate, actor *

Brecker Brothers The Brecker Brothers were a jazz fusion music duo consisting of siblings Michael and Randy. Michael played saxophone, flute, and EWI, and Randy played trumpet and flugelhorn. The brothers attended Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pennsylva ...

, Musicians. * Chris Conlin,

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

football player at

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

* Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis, longtime publisher of ''

The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...

'' and ''

Ladies' Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine that ran until 2016 and was last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th centur ...

'', as well as other magazines and newspapers *

Marian Filar Marian may refer to: People * Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name * Marian (surname), a list of people so named Places *Marian, Iran (disambiguation) * Marian, Queensland, a town in Australia * Marian, a village in toe comm ...

(1917–2012), Polish-born American-based concert pianist and virtuoso * Reggie Jackson, retired

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

baseball player; born and lived in Wyncote through high school * George Horace Lorimer, author and longtime editor of the ''Saturday Evening Post'' * Bernie Lowe, founder of Cameo Records. * John Charles Martin, newspaper publisher * Yonatan Netanyahu (1946–1976), Israeli soldier and

Entebbe Entebbe is a city in Central Region, Uganda, Central Uganda which is located on Lake Victoria peninsula, approximately southwest of the Ugandan capital city, Kampala. Entebbe was once the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda pri ...

rescue commander; brother of Benjamin Netanyahu; attended Cheltenham High School *

Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu (born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who has served as the prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held the office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime min ...

, currently serves his second term as Israeli prime minister, lived in township during high school * Iddo Netanyahu, Israeli physician, author, playwright, brother of Benjamin Netanyahu and Yonatan Netanyahu *

Ezra Pound Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an List of poets from the United States, American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Ita ...

, poet; grew up in Wyncote

Wyncote Historic District

Wyncote features the Wyncote Historic District which is a US Historic district, added in October, 1986. It was made a historic district for its Architecture, Community Planning, and Development. The district covers over 100 acres, and 178 contributing buildings. The Wyncote Historic District has a number of restored Victorian-era homes. The All Hallows Church (constructed 1896–1897) was designed by a firm founded by Philadelphia

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Frank Furness Frank Heyling Furness (November 12, 1839 – June 27, 1912) was an American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his diverse, muscular, often inordinately scaled ...

(Furness, Evans and Company). Wyncote also has a number of classical Philadelphia stone

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 arch ...

homes; notable among them is Beechwood, designed in the school of Brognard Okie, the architect responsible for the reconstruction of Pennsbury Manor on the upper

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

, and Appleford in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

Wyncote Historic District

File:Bent Rd 322, Wyncote PA.JPG, Historic Home File:Bent&Accomac Rds, Wyncote HD 01.JPG, Street Sign showing the Wyncote Historic District sign on the post File:Fernbrook Ave 157, Wyncote PA.JPG, Historic Home File:Greenwood Ave 109, Wyncote PA.JPG, Shop in Wyncote along Greenwood Avenue

Transportation

Public transit

Wyncote is served by

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

, through regional rail at the Jenkintown–Wyncote station. The building is a historic structure, dating back to its original use with the

. Trains pass through regularly going south to

or north to Bucks County. Wyncote is a 30-minute train ride from downtown Philadelphia. Wyncote is also served by SEPTA buses, in particular the 77 route, which connects Chestnut Hill to Mayfair, Philadelphia.

Roads

Wyncote is in a convenient location driving-wise; about a 25-minute drive to downtown Philadelphia, 2 hours from New York City, 2 hours to the Pocono Mountains, and 1.5 hours to the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...

, just to name a few accessible locations. The following are the most heavily traveled roads in Wyncote: * provides a thruway for Wyncote, Cheltenham Township, and Montgomery County as a whole. * has its beginnings with the intersection of PA 611, and continues up through Wyncote. It provides a key route to the

Pennsylvania Turnpike The Pennsylvania Turnpike, sometimes shortened to Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road which is operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in Pennsylvania. It runs for across the southern part of the st ...

. * also known as Limekiln Pike, connects PA 309 and PA 73 in Wyncote.

Climate

Wyncote has the climate of a typical Mid-Atlantic town. Summers are hot with highs averaging in the high 80s (°F), with lows being anywhere from the high 60s to the low 80s. Summers also see some days climb into the 90s, and even some that top the 100-degree mark. Spring and Fall are pleasant, with highs averaging in the mid 60s, and lows in the mid 40s. Winters are cold, with highs averaging around 40, and lows averaging in the high teens. The middle of winter occasionally sees a few days where highs do not rise above the teens, and lows fall into the single digits. The following is a chart of the average temperatures in Wyncote

Points of interest

200px, Thomas Williams Park * Curtis Arboretum * Thomas Williams Park

Schools

* Ancillae Assumpta Academy *Wyncote Elementary School * Cedarbrook Middle School * Cheltenham High School *Wyncote Academy * Bishop McDevitt High School (Wyncote, Pennsylvania) * Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, the only

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

affiliated with

Reconstructionist Judaism Reconstructionist Judaism () is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish movement based on the concepts developed by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983)—namely, that Judaism as a Civilization, Judaism is a progressively evolving civilization rather ...

Arcadia University Arcadia University is a private university in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, with a Glenside mailing address. The university enrolls approximately 3,200 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. The 94-acre (380,000 m2) Glenside cam ...

References

External links

{{authority control Census-designated places in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania