Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania
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Cheltenham Township is a
home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wi ...
township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, ...
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Cheltenham's population density ranges from over 10,000 per square mile (25,900 per square kilometer) in
rowhouses In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United State ...
and high-rise apartments along Cheltenham Avenue to historic neighborhoods in Wyncote and
Elkins Park Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the northern suburbs outside of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly from Cente ...
. It is the most densely populated township in Montgomery County. The population was 36,793 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the third most populous township in Montgomery County and the 27th most populous municipality in Pennsylvania. It was originally part of Philadelphia County, and it became part of Montgomery County upon that county's creation in 1784. Cheltenham is located five miles from Center City Philadelphia and is surrounded by the
North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...
and
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...
sections of Philadelphia, Abington,
Jenkintown Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Center City Philadelphia. History The community was named for William Jenkins, a Welsh pioneer settler. Jenkintown is located just ...
, and Springfield. The SEPTA Main Line passes through Cheltenham via 5 regional rail stations, some of which are the busiest in the SEPTA system. Cheltenham is served by the SEPTA City Transit Division and is adjacent to Fern Rock Transportation Center and the Broad Street Line subway which terminates at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex and also the Frankford Transportation Center and the El, which terminates at 69th Street in Upper Darby Township. The northern terminus of Broad Street is in Cheltenham, at its intersection with Cheltenham Avenue ( Pennsylvania Route 309).


History

upright=1.1, Tookany Creek played an important role in the founding of Cheltenham upright=1.1, Soldiers at Camp William Penn


Early history

Cheltenham was established in 1682 as part of Philadelphia County by 15
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 abili ...
from Cheltenham,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, including Richard Wall and Tobias Leech, who purchased of land from
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 a ...
. Upon creation of Montgomery County in 1784, Cheltenham became the smallest township in the new county. The following is the list of the 15 original founders of Cheltenham Township From early in its history, 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. 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.


Incorporated boroughs and unincorporated districts

Cheltenham Township contains no incorporated areas. Its districts include the communities of Glenside, Laverock, Edge Hill, Wyncote, Cedarbrook, Chelten Hills, La Mott, Elkins Park, Melrose Park, and Cheltenham Village.


Estate development

upright=1.1, Peter_A.B._Widener,_designed_by_Horace_Trumbauer.html" ;"title="Peter Arrell Browne Widener">Peter A.B. Widener, designed by Horace Trumbauer">Peter Arrell Browne Widener">Peter A.B. Widener, designed by Horace Trumbauer From the late 19th to early 20th 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 famous mansions built include Abraham Barker's "Lyndon,"
Cyrus H. K. Curtis Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (June 18, 1850June 7, 1933) was an American publisher of magazines and newspapers, including the ''Ladies' Home Journal'' and ''The Saturday Evening Post''.Ingham, John N. Biographical Dictionary of American Business ...
's " Curtis Hall,"
George Horace Lorimer George Horace Lorimer (October 6, 1867 – October 22, 1937) was an American journalist, editor, author and publisher who worked as the editor of ''The Saturday Evening Post'' from 1899 to 1936. During his time as editor, circulation rose from s ...
's "Belgrame," and
John B. Stetson John Batterson Stetson (May 5, 1830 – February 18, 1906) was an American hatter, hat manufacturer, and in the 1860s, the inventor of the cowboy hat. He founded the John B. Stetson Company as a manufacturer of headwear. The company's hats ...
's "Idro." Perhaps the most famous mansions that still stand to this day are the prominent Widener family mansion Lynnewood Hall, the
Elkins Estate The Elkins Estate is an American estate located in Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The estate contains seven buildings, the most notable being Elstowe Manor and Chelten House, mansions designed by Horace Trumbauer. Elstowe Manor ...
which was home to William Elkins, and Grey Towers Castle which was home to William Welsh Harrison. The latter is 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 liste ...
and was designed by famed architect
Horace Trumbauer Horace Trumbauer (December 28, 1868 – September 18, 1938) was a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, known for designing residential manors for the wealthy. Later in his career he also designed hotels, office buildings, and much of t ...
, who designed many buildings and homes in Cheltenham.


Present

As the
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 ...
ended and the 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 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. Since ...
, but eventually was moved north to
Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gov ...
. Large pockets of Koreans were eventually established in Cheltenham, and also in Upper Darby Township and West Philadelphia. Many other races and ethnicities migrated to Cheltenham to make it one of the most diverse municipalities in the Delaware Valley. By the 2000 Census, Cheltenham was one of only two (the other being Norristown) municipalities in Montgomery County that was considered "diverse" (20–60% of the population is non-white). Cheltenham, along with the other earliest communities in the Philadelphia area such as Upper Darby Township, Haverford,
Lower Merion Lower Merion Township is a Township (Pennsylvania), township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merionethshire, Merionet ...
, and
Jenkintown Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Center City Philadelphia. History The community was named for William Jenkins, a Welsh pioneer settler. Jenkintown is located just ...
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 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 ...
, 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. There are many 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 Cheltenham was the former home of
Cradle of Liberty Council The Cradle of Liberty Council (#525) is a Boy Scouts of America council created in 1996 with the merger of the former Philadelphia Council (covering the city and county of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia) and the former Valley Forge Coun ...
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 Salus University is a private university in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, specializing in degree programs for the health care professions. History The university's founding college, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), which was founded a ...
. Cheltenham has been honored with many distinctions over its long history. It was named a Preserve America
community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, t ...
, a US 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. Most recently in 2013, Cheltenham 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."


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 Pate's Grammar School is a grammar school with Academy (English school), academy status in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. It caters for pupils aged 11 to 18. The school was founded with a fund bestowed to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Cor ...
and the
Cheltenham College ("Work Conquers All") , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent School Day and Boarding School , religion = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head , head = Nicola Hugget ...
. 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

upright=1.1, The Cheltenham Township Municipal Building on Old York Road. Cheltenham is a residential township in the southeasternmost part of Montgomery County, which is in Southeastern Pennsylvania (locally known as the Delaware Valley). 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 Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Center City Philadelphia. History The community was named for William Jenkins, a Welsh pioneer settler. Jenkintown is located just ...
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 place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...
s of Arcadia University, Glenside, and Wyncote. Other communities include Cheltenham,
Elkins Park Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the northern suburbs outside of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly from Cente ...
, Melrose Park, La Mott and Laverock, Edge Hill, and Cedarbrook. All of the communities form a border with
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. Since ...
along Cheltenham Avenue.


Communities in Cheltenham

''Edge Hill, Laverock, and Cedarbrook's exact populations and land area are uncertain.''


Demographics

image:Curtis residence.jpg, upright=1.1, The home of
Cyrus H. K. Curtis Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (June 18, 1850June 7, 1933) was an American publisher of magazines and newspapers, including the ''Ladies' Home Journal'' and ''The Saturday Evening Post''.Ingham, John N. Biographical Dictionary of American Business ...
, longtime Cheltenham resident 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, which was a little below the Montgomery County average of $76,380. Cheltenham ranked 37 out of 62 municipalities in terms of highest median income in Montgomery County. 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. The median income for a household in the township was $61,713, and the median income for a family was $76,792. Males had a median income of $50,564 versus $36,439 for females. The per capita income for the township was $31,424. 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.


Weather

Cheltenham is located on the borderline of the humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') and the hot-summer
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
(''Dfa'') zones. As with most
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...
townships, Cheltenham has four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and have occasional heat waves. Autumn is cool and comfortable. Winters are cold, most days hovering around the freezing mark with nights dipping to the teens. Spring is pleasant with often not too much precipitation. The hardiness zone is 7a. The largest snowstorm as of late was in 2010, when the first storm came on February 5–6 and nearly of snow fell. Just two days later, a second storm came and dropped another .


Politics and government

Cheltenham Township does not have a mayor. Rather it is governed by a Board of Commissioners, who are elected one from each of the township's seven wards for a four-year term. A President of the Board is elected by these commissioners for a one-year term to serve as the head of the government. Daniel B. Norris is the current Board President. A school board is in charge of the school district. The township is in the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean), and Pennsylvania's 154th Representative District (represented by Rep. Napoleon Nelson). It is also in Pennsylvania's 4th Senatorial District (represented by Sen. Arthur L. Haywood III). Cheltenham is currently a very Democratic heavy community, winning by large margins in each of the past six presidential elections. The only municipality in Montgomery County in the 2012 election that had a higher Democratic voting percentage was Norristown's 82.99%, compared to Cheltenham's 80.85%. Cheltenham is one of only seven Townships in Pennsylvania, and of 29 municipalities in the entire state, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by executive order.


Commissioners

''The following is a table of the current commissioners of Cheltenham Township along with their Wards and the areas of the township they serve:''


Education

upright=1.1, Cheltenham High School, established in 1884 The
Cheltenham Township School District The Cheltenham Township School District is a public school district serving Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The District is one of the 500 public school districts of Pennsylvania. The District encompasses approximately . ...
serves the township. There are seven public schools and a number of private schools. Public schools include Cheltenham Elementary School (k-4), Myers Elementary School (k-4), Glenside Elementary School (k-4), Wyncote Elementary School (k-4), Elkins Park School (5–6), Cedarbrook Middle School (7–8), and Cheltenham High School (9–12

The largest private high school in Cheltenham Township is Bishop McDevitt High School (Wyncote, Pennsylvania), Bishop McDevitt High School (9–12) which is under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Other private schools include Wyncote Academy, Perelman Jewish Day School, Mesivta Yesodei Yisroel of Elkins Park, Ancillae-Assumpta Academy, Presentation B.V.M. School and Gospel of Grace Christian School. The section of
Elkins Park Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the northern suburbs outside of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly from Cente ...
in Cheltenham is the former home of
Tyler School of Art The Tyler School of Art and Architecture is based at Temple University, a large, urban, public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tyler currently enrolls about 1,350 undergraduate students and about 200 graduate students in a wid ...
, a conceptual fine-arts school that is part of Temple University. Cheltenham is also home to Arcadia University (formerly known as Beaver College),
Salus University Salus University is a private university in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, specializing in degree programs for the health care professions. History The university's founding college, the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), which was founded a ...
(formerly known as The Pennsylvania College of Optometry), Westminster Theological Seminary, Gratz College and Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, the only
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. Cheltenham was also the former home of the Oak Lane Day School for 44 years until it moved to its current home in Blue Bell.


Infrastructure


Transportation

upright=1.1, SEPTA Buses waiting on the docks at the Cheltenham-Ogontz Bus Loop upright=1.1, Cheltenham-Ogontz Bus Loop waiting area upright=1.1, The Northern terminus of Broad Street is in Cheltenham


Regional Rail

Cheltenham is a major thoroughfare for SEPTA Regional Rail. All trains going north of Center City (with the exception of the Trenton Line) pass through Cheltenham. This includes the Airport Line, Lansdale/Doylestown Line, West Trenton Line, Warminster Line and the
Fox Chase Line The Fox Chase Line SEPTA Regional Rail service connecting Center City Philadelphia with Fox Chase. It uses the Fox Chase Branch, which branches off from the SEPTA Main Line at Newtown Junction north of the Wayne Junction station. It runs enti ...
. Following Cheltenham, many of the lines split to their respective destinations, which makes Cheltenham stations some of the busiest in Montgomery County. The stations carry the names of the neighborhoods in which they are located:
Elkins Park Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the northern suburbs outside of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly from Cente ...
, Glenside, and Melrose Park. Jenkintown-Wyncote and Cheltenham straddle the township's border.


Buses

Cheltenham is served by many SEPTA City Division buses. Many of the buses originate at the Cheltenham-Ogontz Bus Loop, which is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Ogontz Avenue ( Pennsylvania Route 309) and Cheltenham Avenue. The loop is across the street from Greenleaf at Cheltenham, which attracts many shoppers from North Philadelphia. Several other buses run throughout other major streets in the township, as well as residential streets. The following routes are in Cheltenham: * 6 – connects Cheltenham-Ogontz with Olney Transportation Center via Broad Street. * 16 – connects Cheltenham-Ogontz with Center City at 15th and Market ( Suburban Station) via Broad Street. * 18 – third busiest bus route in the SEPTA system, connects Cedarbrook Shopping Center with Fox Chase via Olney. * 22 – connects Willow Grove and
Warminster Warminster () is an ancient market town with a nearby garrison, and civil parish in south west Wiltshire, England, on the western edge of Salisbury Plain. The parish had a population of about 17,000 in 2011. The 11th-century Minster Church o ...
to Olney Transportation Center via Easton Road. * 24 – connects Rockledge and Southampton with Frankford Transportation Center via Huntingdon Pike. * 28 – connects Fern Rock Transportation Center with Torresdale-Cottman via Rhawn Street. * 55 – connects Willow Grove and Doylestown with Olney Transportation Center via Easton and
Old York Road Old York Road (originally York Road, with reference to New York) is a roadway that was built during the 18th century to connect Philadelphia with New York City. Through New Jersey it was built along the Raritan (Unami tribe) "Naraticong Trail ...
. * 57 – connects Whitman Plaza with Rising Sun/Olney or Fern Rock via 3rd & 4th Street. * 70 – connects Fern Rock with Frankford-Gregg via Cottman Avenue * 77 – connects Chestnut Hill with Roosevelt Boulevard via Township Line Road * 80 – express connect between Horsham and Olney Transportation Center via Limekiln Pike. * H – connects Cheltenham-Ogontz with Broad-Erie via West Mount Airy * XH – connects Cheltenham-Ogontz with Broad-Erie via
Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * G ...
. Cheltenham ranked in the top three municipalities in Montgomery County for percentage of population who uses Bus/Trolley and Regional Rail. In addition, Cheltenham Township partners with the Montgomery County-sponsored Suburban Transit Network, Inc. (TransNet) to subsidize free transportation for residents ages 65 and older anywhere in the Township on Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 3:30 pm. Taiwanese airline
EVA Air EVA Airways Corporation (pronounced as three letters: ; ) (), of which "EVA" stands for Evergreen Airways, is a Taiwanese international airline based at Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated ca ...
provides a private bus service to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for customers based in the Philadelphia area. It stops in Cheltenham.


Roads

There are several major roads in Cheltenham Township. Cheltenham Avenue is a major roadway and is an easy access point to many of the other roadways like Pennsylvania Route 611 and Pennsylvania Route 309. It is also the border between Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and the City of
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. Since ...
, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Cheltenham Avenue ends on the westside at Paper Mill Road in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania which is part of Springfield Township. Pennsylvania Route 73 is one of the major roadways in Cheltenham Township, known as 'Church Road' and 'Township Line Road' because it is the border line between Cheltenham and Abington Townships. Pennsylvania Route 309 starts in Cheltenham Township and serves as a major highway. It goes through multiple counties and ends up in PA 29 in Monroe Township in Wyoming County. Pennsylvania Route 152 starts in Cheltenham Township and is known as 'Limekiln Pike.' It ends on the north end of Pennsylvania Route 309 in Telford. Pennsylvania Route 611 starts in Philadelphia and runs through Cheltenham Township as Old York Road. It is the main access road to Willow Grove in Abington and Upper Moreland Townships. Many of the roads in Philadelphia continue into Cheltenham such as Old York Road, Willow Grove Avenue, Limekiln Pike, Ogontz Avenue, Washington Lane, 12th Street, Oak Lane, Oak Lane Road, 2nd Street, Hasbrook Avenue, Cottman Avenue, Central Avenue, Ryers Avenue and Church Road. Cheltenham was one of several communities in Pennsylvania to make the United States Main Street Program. Locations receiving this honor were: * Glenside – Easton Road from Arcadia University north to Mt. Carmel Avenue, and Glenside Avenue between Limekiln Pike and Keswick Avenue, and Rices Mill Road and Glenside Avenue. * Cheltenham Village – Central and Ryers Avenues between Cottman Avenue and Old Soldiers Road, and Cottman Avenue between Hasbrook Avenue and the Church Road vicinity. *East Cheltenham Avenue – East Cheltenham Avenue from the SEPTA train tracks to Bell Mawr Road. *Elkins Park East – High School Road and Montgomery Avenue area. *Elkins Park West –
Old York Road Old York Road (originally York Road, with reference to New York) is a roadway that was built during the 18th century to connect Philadelphia with New York City. Through New Jersey it was built along the Raritan (Unami tribe) "Naraticong Trail ...
between Township Line Road and Chelten Hills Drive, and Church Road between Brookside Road and the train tracks.


Fire services

The Cheltenham Township Fire Department consists of five all volunteer fire companies. * Glenside Fire Company * La Mott Fire Company * Elkins Park Fire Company * Cheltenham Hook & Ladder Company * Ogontz Fire Company


Police

The Cheltenham Police Department was founded in 1903. In 2008, the department responded to over 25,000 calls. With 73 full-time sworn officers in 2016, the department is the third largest in Montgomery County. In 2016, a member of canine unit, Odie, was the top-ranked explosives detection dog in the United States.


Libraries

Cheltenham Township has four libraries, which are the East Cheltenham Free Library, Elkins Park Free Library, La Mott Free Library, and the Glenside Free library.


Notable people

150px, Reggie Jackson, born and raised in Cheltenham 150px, Benjamin Netanyahu, raised in Cheltenham image:Cyrus Curtis 001.jpg, 150px,
Cyrus H. K. Curtis Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (June 18, 1850June 7, 1933) was an American publisher of magazines and newspapers, including the ''Ladies' Home Journal'' and ''The Saturday Evening Post''.Ingham, John N. Biographical Dictionary of American Business ...
image:Brecker @ jazz for kerry.jpg, 150px, Michael Brecker, 15-time Grammy Award winner image:Mark Levin.jpg, 150px, Mark Levin image:Lil Dicky Performing at SXSW.jpg, 150px, Lil Dicky, born and raised in Cheltenham. John_Wanamaker,_lived_in_Cheltenham.html" ;"title="image:John Wanamaker.jpg, 150px, John Wanamaker, lived in Cheltenham">image:John Wanamaker.jpg, 150px, John Wanamaker, lived in Cheltenham 150px, Wallace Triplett 150px, Lucretia Mott, lived in Cheltenham 150px, William Lukens Elkins, lived in Cheltenham 150px, Glenside Fire Company 150px, Glenside Free Library 150px, The Cheltenham Twinning Fingerpost at the Township building points to all other Cheltenhams throughout the World. *
Jay Ansill Jay Ansill is a composer and folk musician, known primarily as a Celtic harpist and fiddler. Ansill has released several solo albums including ''Origami'', ''A Lost World'' (an adaptation of poems by Robert Graves), and three privately release ...
, composer and folk musician * Eddie Applegate, actor * Samuel Arbuckle, California politician, served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors * Abraham Barker, soldier during the Civil War, U.S. House of Representatives member * Chris Bartlett, activist and executive director of the William Way Community Center * Michael Baylson, Senior Federal Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania *
Brandon Bing Brandon Bing (born August 8, 1989) is a former American football cornerback. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2011. In addition to playing with the Broncos, Bing also played for the Buffalo Bills and the New York G ...
, professional football player for the New York Giants *
Robert Hood Bowers Robert Hood Bowers (24 May 1877 - 29 December 1941) was an American composer, conductor and musical director of operettas and stage musicals, and a conductor and musical director for radio. He composed the musical scores for some of the most popul ...
, composer and conductor * Michael Brecker, saxophonist * Randy Brecker, jazz, rock, and R&B trumpeter * Justin Brown, NFL wide receiver *
Michael Stuart Brown Michael Stuart Brown ForMemRS NAS AAA&S APS (born April 13, 1941) is an American geneticist and Nobel laureate. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Joseph L. Goldstein in 1985 for describing the regulation of choleste ...
, physician, geneticist, and Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine * Jim Callahan, NFL player, writer, and member of the Temple University Hall of Fame * Ibraheim Campbell,
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conferenc ...
safety, Northwestern football alumni * George Castle, son of J.R. Castle, professional lacrosse player for the
Philadelphia Wings Philadelphia Wings may refer to any of three distinct professional lacrosse teams: * Philadelphia Wings (1974–1975), a member of the original National Lacrosse League * Philadelphia Wings (1987–2014), a founding member of the National Lacrosse ...
* J.R. Castle, former lacrosse player *
Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky i ...
, theoretical linguist and political activist * Laurie Colwin, author and columnist *
Chris Conlin Christopher Howard Conlin (born June 7, 1965) is a former professional American football player and an All-American offensive tackle at Penn State University. College Conlin was a three-year starter at Penn State and earned All-America hon ...
, All-American football player at Penn State * Jay Cooke, financier – had his "country estate" in Chelten Hills * Bill Cosby, comedian * Rebecca Creskoff, actress *
Cyrus H. K. Curtis Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis (June 18, 1850June 7, 1933) was an American publisher of magazines and newspapers, including the ''Ladies' Home Journal'' and ''The Saturday Evening Post''.Ingham, John N. Biographical Dictionary of American Business ...
, founder of the Curtis Publishing Company, which published ''
The Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...
'' and ''
Ladies Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine 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 century in the United States. In ...
'' *
Louisa Knapp Curtis Louisa Knapp Curtis (October 21, 1851 – February 25, 1910), (also known as Louisa Knapp), was an American columnist and the first editor of the ''Ladies' Home Journal'' from 1883 to 1889. It became one of the most popular magazines published i ...
, columnist and first editor of Ladies Home Journal * Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr., son of banker Fitz Eugene Dixon Sr. and Eleanor Widener (member of the Widener family) * Tony Donatelli, soccer player for
VSI Tampa Bay FC VSI Tampa Bay FC was an American soccer team based in Plant City, Florida. They played in USL Pro, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid, in the 2013 season. VSI Tampa Bay FC were owned by VisionPro Sports Institute and were affiliated wi ...
* William Lukens Elkins, prominent role in history of the Pennsylvania Railroad, SEPTA and several other railroads. * Josh Fattal, hiker detained in Iran from 2009 to 2011 *
Tom Feeney Thomas Charles Feeney III (born May 21, 1958) is an American politician from Orlando, Florida. He represented . He was defeated in the 2008 election by Democrat Suzanne Kosmas. Early life He was born in Abington, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Ph ...
, member of Congress, R-FL *
Douglas Feith Douglas Jay Feith (born July 16, 1953) served as the under secretary of Defense for Policy for United States president George W. Bush, from July 2001 until August 2005. He is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank. F ...
, former Under-Secretary of Defense * Stuart F. Feldman, co-founder of Vietnam Veterans of America. *
Marian Filar Marian Filar is the name of: * Marian Filar (pianist), Polish pianist *Marian Filar (politician) Marian Filar (6 October 1942 – 1 June 2020) was a Polish lawyer, academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek ἈκαδΠ...
, Polish-born American-based concert pianist and virtuoso * Glenn A. Fine, Inspector General, United States Department of Justice * Wilmot E. Fleming, State Senator * Jim Foster, Hall of Fame women's basketball coach at St. Joseph's, Vanderbilt,
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, and Chattanooga. * Jon D. Fox, U.S. Congressman * Benjamin Hallowell, first president of the Maryland Agricultural College * Laura Harper, professional basketball player * Marvin Harrison, NFL wide receiver * Alfred Hunt, first president of the Bethlehem Iron Company, later to become
Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succ ...
* Trina Schart Hyman, artist and illustrator *
Bill Hyndman William Hyndman III (December 25, 1915 – September 6, 2001) was an American amateur golfer. Hyndman was born in Glenside, Pennsylvania. Hyndman won many amateur tournaments, over an almost 50-year span, including the U.S. Senior Amateur twi ...
, amateur golfer *
Clifford C. Ireland Clifford Cady Ireland (February 14, 1878 – May 24, 1930) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois. Biography Born in Washburn, Illinois, Ireland attended the common schools, Cheltenham Military Academy, Ogontz, Philadelphia, and Knox College, ...
, U.S. Representative * Reggie Jackson, Hall of Fame baseball player and actor – grew up in township *
Charles Wellford Leavitt Charles Wellford Leavitt (1871–1928) was an American landscape architect, urban planner, and civil engineer who designed everything from elaborate gardens on Long Island, New York and New Jersey estates to federal parks in Cuba, hotels in P ...
, urban planner, architect, and engineer who designed Forbes Field and much of
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
* Mark Levin, conservative talk radio host and attorney * Richard Levinson, Emmy Award-winning writer and producer * Chad Levitt, NFL football player *
Franz Lidz Franz Lidz (born September 24, 1951) is an American writer, journalist and pro basketball executive. A ''New York Times'' archaeology, science and film essayist, he's a former ''Sports Illustrated'' senior writer,
, journalist whose memoir, '' Unstrung Heroes'', became a 1995 feature film directed by Diane Keaton * Lil Dicky, born Dave Burd, rapper and comedian * William Link, Emmy Award-winning writer and producer *
Craig Littlepage Craig Littlepage (born August 5, 1951) is an American college athletics administrator and former basketball player and coach. He is the former athletic director at the University of Virginia. He was named to that position in 2001 and has been wit ...
, college administrator and educator *
John Luther Long John Luther Long (January 1, 1861 – October 31, 1927) was an American lawyer and writer best known for his short story "Madame Butterfly", which was based on the recollections of his sister, Jennie Correll, who had been to Japan with her husba ...
, lawyer and writer, best known for short story " Madame Butterfly" * Jeff Lorber, musician *
George Horace Lorimer George Horace Lorimer (October 6, 1867 – October 22, 1937) was an American journalist, editor, author and publisher who worked as the editor of ''The Saturday Evening Post'' from 1899 to 1936. During his time as editor, circulation rose from s ...
, longtime editor of ''The Saturday Evening Post'' *
Bernie Lowe Bernard Lowe (born Lowenthal, November 22, 1917 – September 1, 1993) was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, pianist and bandleader. Born in Philadelphia, Lowe started Teen Records and in 1955 was working with Freddie Bell and t ...
, founder of
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*
Joel Keith Mann Joel Keith Mann (August 1, 1780 – August 28, 1857) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic-Republican Party (United States), Jacksonian member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1831 to 1835. Early life Man ...
, PA House Representative, PA State Senator, U.S. House of Representatives * Mary Ellen Mark, photographer * John Charles Martin, newspaper publisher * Edgar Lee Masters, lawyer and author of the Spoon River Anthology – spent final years and died in Elkins Park * Steve McCarter, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 154th legislative district * Pat Meehan, US Politician representing Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district * Humphrey Morrey, founder of Cheltenham, first Mayor of Philadelphia *
Lucretia Coffin Mott Lucretia Mott (''née'' Coffin; January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quaker, abolitionist, women's rights activist, and social reformer. She had formed the idea of reforming the position of women in society when she was among ...
, prominent feminist, abolitionist, and Quaker) * Robert J. Myers, co-creator of United States Social Security program *
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
, currently serves his second term as Israeli prime minister – lived in township during high school * Yonatan Netanyahu, Israeli war hero who died saving Jewish hostages in Operation Entebbe * Ron Perelman, businessman, 26th richest American * Ezra Pound, poet – grew up in township * Jesse Purnell, professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies *
Ralph J. Roberts Ralph Joel Roberts (March 13, 1920June 18, 2015) was an American businessman who was the founder of Comcast, serving as its CEO for 46 years. In 2011 he served as founder and chairman emeritus of Comcast's board of directors until his death. E ...
, co-founder of Comcast, father of current Comcast CEO,
Brian L. Roberts Brian L. Roberts (born June 28, 1959) is an American billionaire businessman, and the chairman and CEO of Comcast, an American company providing cable, entertainment, and communications products and services which was founded by his father, Ralp ...
* David Saxon, physicist, educator and administrator *
Ronald M. Shapiro Ronald M. Shapiro (born March 29, 1943) is an American attorney, sports agent, author, negotiator, educator, speaker, and civic leader. Biography Shapiro was born on March 29, 1943, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Mark and Lillian Shapiro. H ...
, sports agent, corporate attorney, ''New York Times'' best-selling author * Robert C. Solomon, PhD, author and educator *
Jeffrey Solow Jeffrey Solow (born January 3, 1949) is an American cello virtuoso and past president of both the American String Teachers Association and the Violoncello Society, Inc. of New York. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Solow began cello lessons at th ...
, virtuoso cellist * Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Executive Programs and Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management at Yale * Dan Trachtenberg, filmmaker and podcast host.  He directed the 2016 horror-thriller film ''
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'' *
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, professional football player *
David Uosikkinen David Uosikkinen (born February 11, 1956) is an American drummer and Internet content manager, best known for being a member of rock band The Hooters. Early life Born in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, U.S., Uosikkinen grew up in Levittown, Pennsylv ...
, drummer for rock band
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* Kate Vrijmoet, artist * John Wanamaker, businessman sometimes called the father of the
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– had a second home in the township * Richard Ward, actor * Paul Westhead, NBA championship-winning coach, taught English at Cheltenham High School in the 1960s *
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, first Governor of Pennsylvania *
George Dunton Widener George Dunton Widener (June 16, 1861 â€“ April 15, 1912) was an American businessman who died in the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic''. Early life Widener was born in Philadelphia on June 16, 1861. He was the eldest son of Hannah Josephine Du ...
, Philadelphia businessman who died in the sinking of the ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...
'' * George Dunton Widener, Jr., businessman, thoroughbred horse racer * Gertrude Widener, thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder *
Harry Elkins Widener Harry Elkins Widener (January 3, 1885 – April 15, 1912) was an American businessman and bibliophile, and a member of the Widener family. His mother built Harvard University's Widener Memorial Library in his memory, after his death on the found ...
, businessman who died on the ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unite ...
''; Harvard University's
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was built in his honor * Joseph E. Widener, businessman, founding benefactor of National Gallery of Art * Peter A.B. Widener, head of the prominent Widener family * Chris Williams, professional soccer player for Miami FC * George Wilson, Hall of Fame collegiate football player *
Stan Yerkes Stanley Lewis Yerkes (November 28, 1874 – July 28, 1940) nicknamed "Yank", was a professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1901-03 for the Baltimore Orioles (1901–02), Baltimore Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals. Ye ...
, professional baseball player


Fictional residents

* Betty Draper, '' Mad Men'' character who was raised in the "tiny Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania."


Miscellaneous

*Cheltenham has its own Public-access television cable TV channel, Channel 42 (Cheltenham School District/Township) on Comcast Cablevision and Channel 1960 on Verizon FiOS. *The Fox sitcom '' 'Til Death'' is set in Cheltenham. *The movie '' The in Crowd'' was filmed partly at Cheltenham High School.


Other Cheltenhams

Cheltenham is officially twinned with their namesake, Cheltenham, England. There are also five other places in the world named "Cheltenham." * Cheltenham, England (Official Twin and Namesake) *
Cheltenham, St. Louis Cheltenham is a neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It is bound by Forest Park on the north, Macklind on the east, Manchester Avenue on the south, and Hampton Avenue on the west. Businesses located in Cheltenham include the St. Louis Community ...
,
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, United States * Cheltenham, Ontario, Canada *
Cheltenham, Auckland Cheltenham is a southeastern suburb of the North Shore, located in Auckland, New Zealand. It gets its name from the English town of Cheltenham, and provides a view of Rangitoto Island from its beachfront areas. The suburb is in the North Shore ...
, New Zealand *
Cheltenham, New South Wales Cheltenham is a suburb in the Northern Sydney region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cheltenham is 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire. Chel ...
, Australia * Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia


Points of interest

upright=1.1, Grave of Hall of Fame Philadelphia_Athletics_manager_Connie_Mack_.html" ;"title="Connie_Mack.html" ;"title="Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack">Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack ">Connie_Mack.html" ;"title="Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack">Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack


Pennsylvania Historic Site

* Camp William Penn


Other points of interest

* Lynnewood Hall *
Elkins Estate The Elkins Estate is an American estate located in Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The estate contains seven buildings, the most notable being Elstowe Manor and Chelten House, mansions designed by Horace Trumbauer. Elstowe Manor ...
* Holy Sepulchre Cemetery


See also

* Koreatown, Philadelphia * U.S. cities with large African-American populations


References


External links

* {{authority control 1682 establishments in Pennsylvania Home Rule Municipalities in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1682 Populated places on the Underground Railroad Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania