Lower Merion Township is a

township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadel ...

, United States. It is part of the

Philadelphia Main Line The Philadelphia Main Line, known simply as the Main Line, is an informally delineated historical and Social class in the United States, social region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lying along the former Pennsylvania Railroad's onc ...

. The township's name originates with the county of

Merioneth Merionethshire, or Merioneth ( or '), was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the north-west of Wales. Name 'Merioneth' is an anglicisation of the Welsh placename ''Mei ...

in north

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. Merioneth is an English-language transcription of the Welsh ''Meirionnydd''. A number of Main Line suburbs are located in Lower Merion, west 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 ...

, the sixth largest city in the United States as of 2020. With a population of 63,633, Lower Merion Township is the ninth-most populous municipality in Pennsylvania as of the 2020 U.S. census. The center of Lower Merion Township is located northwest of central

, Pennsylvania's largest city-county, and parts of Lower Merion border this section of the city.

History

Lower Merion Township was first settled in 1682 by Welsh

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 ...

, who were granted a tract of land, the Welsh Tract, by

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 ...

. In 1713, Lower Merion was established as an independent Township with about 52 landholders and tenants. In 1900, the Township was incorporated as a Township of the First Class. Lower Merion is home to the oldest continuously used place of worship in the United States, the Merion Friends Meeting House, used continuously since 1695. On April 4, 1991, U.S. Senator

John Heinz Henry John Heinz III (October 23, 1938 – April 4, 1991) was an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Pennsylvania from 1977 until Merion air disaster, his death in 1991. An he ...

died while as a passenger in a

Piper Aerostar The Piper Aerostar (formerly the Ted Smith Aerostar) is an American twin-engined propeller-driven executive or light transport aircraft, designed by Ted R. Smith. It was originally built by Ted Smith Aircraft Company, but the design was acquired ...

propeller aircraft when it collided with a

Bell 412 The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been ...

helicopter over the Merion Elementary School in the

Merion air disaster On April 4, 1991, a Piper Aerostar propeller-driven aircraft Mid-air collision, collided in mid-air with a Bell 412 helicopter over Merion Elementary School in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, Lower Merion Township, a suburb west of Philadelp ...

. The other four people in both aircraft also died, and the falling debris from the aircraft also caused the death of two elementary students and injured five others. The Mill Creek Historic District, and Seville Theatre are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Green Hill Farms was added in 2011. In 2010, the township received national media attention when a student filed a lawsuit, '' Robbins v. Lower Merion School District'', after a school administrator used the webcam of a school-issued laptop to spy on the student while the student was in his home. The

Electronic Frontier Foundation The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an American international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1990 to promote Internet civil liberties. It provides funds for legal defense in court, ...

(EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed an amicus brief in support of the student. In 2012, the

Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...

modified the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in a way that would have required the replacement of Lower Merion Township's historic street signs, some of which date back to the early 1910s. After some campaigning by local residents and by Senator

Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States senator from Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. represen ...

, the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners declared, via an ordinance, the entire Lower Merion as a historic district and received a waiver from Secretary of Transportation

Ray LaHood Raymond H. LaHood ( ; born December 6, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 16th United States Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the ...

Geography

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 ...

, the township has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.8 km²), of which 23.7 square miles (61.4 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.4 km²) (0.67%) is water. The township is bounded by Wynnefield Heights, Belmont Village, Wynnefield, and Overbrook in the city/county of

; the boroughs of Conshohocken and West Conshohocken; the townships of Upper Merion; Whitemarsh; Haverford; and Radnor. The borough of Narberth, a separate political entity of one-half square mile, is completely surrounded by the township. Forming the township's southern border is

City Avenue U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a major north–south U.S. Route, extending from Key West, Florida, in the south to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canada–United States border in the north. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, US 1 runs for ...

, known to many locals as "City Line", a very busy major artery in this part of the metro area that also separates Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. City Avenue begins at the Schuylkill Expressway ( I-76), where it also becomes U.S. Route 1, and between this area south to

Bala Cynwyd Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community and census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania and borders the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Rou ...

is sometimes referred to as the Golden Mile. Many buildings, including the radio and television studios of Philadelphia's NBC and ABC affiliates, PCOM, and the Fox and Germantown Savings Bank towers, line the avenue beside newer office complexes, shopping centers, and restaurants. Situated behind a lot of these spaces are condos and townhomes; several well-known residences are 191 Presidential, Corinthian Condominium and Sutton Terrace. The township's eastern border is along the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river in eastern Pennsylvania. It flows for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map(). accessed April 1, 2011. from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Pottsville ...

. Before European settlement, Lower Merion's dense forest was home to bears, cougars, wolves, rattlesnakes, otters, beavers, weasels, turkeys, grouses, woodland bison, trout, and bald eagles. When Europeans arrived, they began cutting down the forests, chasing away much of the wildlife. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Lower Merion transformed from a farming township to a suburban area, and wildlife changed accordingly. Today, red foxes, white-footed mice, horned owls, skunks, raccoons, crayfish, songbirds, butterflies, and white-tailed deer populate the township.

Unincorporated communities

* Ardmore (also in Delaware County) *

* Belmont Hills * Bryn Mawr (also in Delaware County) * Gladwyne * Haverford (also in Delaware County) * Merion *Overbrook Hills *Pencoyd * Penn Valley * Penn Wynne *Roseglen * Rosemont (also in Delaware County) * Villanova (also in Delaware County) * Wynnewood

Climate

Lower Merion straddles the boundary between a 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 cold ...

(''Dfa'') and a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa''). The

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 widely ...

is 7b. Average monthly temperatures in Gladwyne range from 31.7 °F in January to 76.5 °F in July, in Bryn Mawr they range from 31.4 °F in January to 76.4 °F in July, and at the former location of NBC 10 studios in Bala Cynwyd they range from 32.6 °F in January to 77.4 °F in July.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the township was 85.7% White, 5.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 6.0% Asian, and 1.9% were two or more races. 3.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2020 census, there were 63,633 people, 22,868 households, and 15,024 families residing in the township. The population density was . The racial makeup of the township was 76.11%

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 ...

, 9.03% Asian, 6.54%

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 ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.02%

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 ...

, 1.61% from other races and 6.55% 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 3.70% of the population. According to the 2000 census, there were 22,868 households, 29.4% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99. In the township, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64 and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 women aged 18 and over, there were 78.7 males. The median income for a household in the township was $86,373, and the median income for a family was $115,694 (these figures had risen to $114,608 and $148,123 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Men had a median income of $77,692 versus $43,793 for women. 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 township was $55,526. About 1.9% of families and 4.5% 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 ...

, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Lower Merion is a first-class township with 14 commissioners elected by ward. *Daniel Bernheim (D), Ward 1 *Joshua Grimes (D), Ward 2 *Michael F. McKeon (D), Ward 3 *Anthony C. Stevenson (D), Ward 4 *Ray A. Courtney (D), Ward 5 *Andrew S. Gavrin (D), Ward 6 *Sean P. Whalen (D), Ward 7 *Shawn Kraemer (D), Ward 8 *David F. McComb (D), Ward 9 *V. Scott Zelov (R), Ward 10 *Tiffany O'Neill (R), Ward 11 *Todd M. Sinai (D), Ward 12, President *Gilda L. Kramer (D), Ward 13 *Rick Churchill (D), Ward 14 The township is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean), the Fifth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon), the 149th State House District (represented by Rep. Tim Briggs), the 148th State House District (represented by Rep. Mary Jo Daley), and the 17th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Amanda Cappelletti).

Transportation

Roads and highways

As of 2018, there were of public roads in Lower Merion Township, of which were maintained by the

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) oversees transportation issues in the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, Michael B. Carroll. PennDOT ...

(PennDOT) and were maintained by the township. Several major highways traverse Lower Merion Township, including the Schuylkill Expressway ( Interstate 76), the "Blue Route" (

Interstate 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 through ea ...

), U.S. Route 1,

U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route of the United States Numbered Highway System, with the highway traveling across the Northern U.S. With a length of , it is the third-longest U.S. Highway, afte ...

, Pennsylvania Route 320, and Pennsylvania Route 23. I-76 follows a northwest-southeast route along the northeastern border of the township, adjacent to its namesake river, while I-476 and PA 320 both clip the far northwest corner of the township. US 1 follows City Avenue along the southeastern border of the township, while US 30 follows Lancaster Avenue across southern portions of the township. Finally, PA 23 follows Conshohocken State Road through the heart of Lower Merion Township.

Public transportation

Lower Merion Township is the heart of the affluent

series of suburban communities, named after the " Main Line" of the former

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as 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. At its ...

that runs through the township. Now known as

SEPTA Regional Rail The SEPTA Regional Rail system is a commuter rail network owned by SEPTA and serving the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The system has 13 branches and more than 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, its suburbs and satellite town ...

's Paoli/Thorndale Line, the rail line has station stops in Lower Merion in the following communities within the township: * Merion Station in Merion * Wynnewood Station in Wynnewood * Ardmore Station in Ardmore (also served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's ''

Keystone Service The ''Keystone Service'' is a 195 mile (314 km) regional passenger train service from Amtrak, that operates between the Harrisburg Transportation Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, running along the P ...

'') * Haverford Station in Haverford * Bryn Mawr Station in Bryn Mawr * Rosemont Station in Rosemont SEPTA Regional Rail's Cynwyd Line, with weekday service, has stops at: * Bala Station * Cynwyd Station (both in

)

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 ...

operates the

Norristown High Speed Line The M, formerly known as the Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), is a interurban light rapid transit line in the SEPTA Metro network, running between the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the Norristown Transportation Center ...

between Norristown Transportation Center and 69th Street Transportation Center through the western part of Lower Merion Township with stops located at Matsonford and County Line, with additional stops located just outside the township in Delaware County. SEPTA provides bus service to Lower Merion Township along

City Bus A transit bus (also big bus, commuter bus, city bus, town bus, urban bus, stage bus, public bus, public transit bus, or simply bus) is a type of bus used in public transport bus services. Several configurations are used, including low-fl ...

routes , and and Suburban Bus routes , and , serving points of interest in the township and offering connections to

and other suburbs.

Economy

Top employers

According to a Lower Merion Township bond document, the top employers in 2018 were:

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Pupils living in the Lower Merion Township attend schools in the

Lower Merion School District Lower Merion School District, or LMSD, is a public school district located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The school district includes residents of both Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth. Established in 1836, LMSD is o ...

unless they go to a private school. The educational roots of the township stretch back to the Lower Merion Academy, one of the first public schools in the country. There are six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools, Lower Merion and

Harriton High School Harriton Senior High School , also known simply as Harriton High School, is a Public school (government funded), public secondary school in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, serving portions of Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. The school is located on ...

. Students are split between schools depending on location of residence.

Private schools

Rosemont School of the Holy Child, located in Rosemont and in Lower Merion Township, is affiliated with but not governed by the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Archdiocese of Philadelphia () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia originally included all of Pennsylvania and Dela ...

. The school is adjacent to Rosemont College. Other private schools in the township include The Shipley School, The Baldwin School,

Waldron Mercy Academy Waldron Mercy Academy is a private K- 8 Catholic elementary school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and located in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in Merion, Pennsylvania. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges ...

The Haverford School The Haverford School is a Independent school, private, non-sectarian, all-boys college preparatory day school, junior kindergarten through grade twelve. Founded in 1884 as The Haverford College Grammar School, it is located in Haverford, Penns ...

Friends Central School Friends' Central School (FCS) is a Quaker, independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for students in Nursery though grade 12. It is located on 41 acres across two campuses in Wynnewood, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pe ...

, French International School of Philadelphia, Kohelet Yeshiva High School, The Mesivta High School, and Caskey Torah Academy.

Colleges and universities

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...

, Harcum College,

Rosemont College Rosemont College is a private Catholic university in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1921 as a women's college by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, the undergraduate program opened to male students beginning in fall 2009. ...

, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary are located in Lower Merion Township. The campus of

Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a Private university, private Jesuits, Jesuit university in Philadelphia, Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Jesuits, Society of J ...

straddles the city line between Lower Merion and Philadelphia, while

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Fr ...

straddles the lines between Lower Merion and Haverford Townships.

Other education

The Japanese Language School of Philadelphia, a supplementary Japanese school, holds its classes at the

(FCS) in Wynnewood and in Lower Merion Township. It was established in 1972.
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. Residents are also serviced by the Lower Merion Library System.

Historic features

NRHP Historic Districts

* Bryn Mawr College Historic District * Gladwyne Historic District * Mill Creek Historic District

Notable buildings and structures

*1690 House (1690), part of Mill Creek Historic District * Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation (1922) * The Baldwin School (1890–91), NRHP listed * Black Rock Dam (1825) * Bryn Mawr Hospital (1893) * Bryn Mawr Theater (1926), NRHP listed *

Dolobran Dolobran is a Shingle style architecture, Shingle Style house at 231 Laurel Lane in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was designed by architect Frank Furness for shipping magnate Clement Griscom in 1881, and was expanded at least twice by Furness. The ...

(1881) * Flat Rock Tunnel (1838–40) *Green Hill Farms (1695), NRHP listed *

Harriton House Harriton House, originally known as Bryn Mawr, is an historic house which is located on the Philadelphia Main Line, and was most famously the residence of Founding Father Charles Thomson, the secretary of the Continental Congress. It was added ...

(1704), NRHP listed * Idlewild Farm Complex (1740), NRHP listed * Lankenau Medical Center (1953) * Lower Merion Academy (1812), NRHP listed * Manayunk Bridge (1918) *

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

(1897), NRHP listed *

Merion Friends Meeting House The Merion Friends Meeting House is an active and historic Quaker meeting house at 615 Montgomery Avenue in Merion, Pennsylvania, Merion Station, Pennsylvania. Completed about 1715, it is the second oldest Friends meeting house in the United St ...

(1714), NRHP listed *Merion Tribute House (1924) * Pencoyd (c.1690, demolished 1964) * Philadelphia Country Club (1890) * Rathalla, Rosemont College (1889–91), NRHP listed * St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1871) * Suburban Square (1928) * M. Carey Thomas Library (1901–07), NRHP listed *

General Wayne Inn The General Wayne Inn is a former tavern and, since 2005, an Orthodox Jewish synagogue located at 625 Montgomery Avenue, in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Tavern history The building was placed on the National Registe ...

(1704), NRHP listed *

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

(1869), NRHP listed * Whitehall Apartments (1925–26), NRHP listed * Woodmont (1891–94), NRHP listed *Yorklynne (1899–1902, demolished 1974), former campus of

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 ...

, removed from NRHP 1974

Notable people

Hap Arnold Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (25 June 1886 – 15 January 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1 ...

, former

Air Force general * Albert C. Barnes, founder,

Barnes Foundation The Barnes Foundation is an art collection and educational institution promoting the appreciation of art and horticulture. Originally in Merion, the art collection moved in 2012 to a new building on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, ...

James H. Billington James Hadley Billington (June 1, 1929 – November 20, 2018) was an American academic and author who taught history at Harvard and Princeton before serving for 42 years as CEO of four federal cultural institutions. He served as the 13th Librarian ...

, former

Librarian of Congress The librarian of Congress is the head of the Library of Congress, appointed by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, for a term of ten years. The librarian of Congress also appoints and overs ...

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

, former professional basketball player,

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

* Taylor Buchholz, former professional baseball player,

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, and

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

John Debella John DeBella (born 1949 or 1950) is an American former DJ who played a major role in developing the morning zoo format. Until his retirement in June 2023, he hosted the morning ''John DeBella Show'' on 102.9 WMGK-FM in Philadelphia. Early lif ...

, former DJ,

WMMR WMMR (93.3 FM, "93-3 WMMR") is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC and broadcasts an active rock radio format. ...

and

WMGK WMGK (102.9 FM, "102-9 MGK") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group and broadcasts a classic rock radio format. The broadcast tower used by the station ...

* Shelly Gross, film producer *

Alexander Haig Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. (; 2 December 192420 February 2010) was United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House chief of staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Prior to and in between these cabine ...

, former U.S. Secretary of State *

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...

, Grammy award-winning

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

singer * Howard Lassoff, former professional basketball player,

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

* Jeffrey Lurie, owner,

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

* Garry Maddox, former professional player baseball player,

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

and

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

* Brooke McCarter, actor, singer, director, producer star of the film ''The Lost Boys'' *

Tim McCarver James Timothy McCarver (October 16, 1941 – February 16, 2023) was an American professional baseball catcher, television sports commentator, and singer. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1959 to 1980 for four teams, spending almost ...

, former professional baseball player and broadcaster * David Magerman, philanthropist *

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American Soul music, soul and R&B singer and songwriter. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pendergrass lived most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initial ...

, Grammy winning singer *

M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...

, filmmaker * Martin J. Silverstein, attorney and former U.S. ambassador to

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

Lawrence Summers Lawrence Henry Summers (born November 30, 1954) is an American economist who served as United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 and as the director of the National Economic Council from 2009 to 2010. He also served as presiden ...

, former

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

president and current OpenAI director

References

External links

Official township website

Lower Merion Historical Society

Lower Merion School District
{{authority control 1713 establishments in Pennsylvania Philadelphia Main Line Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Townships in Pennsylvania

History

Geography

Unincorporated communities

Climate

Demographics

Government and politics

Transportation

Roads and highways

Public transportation

Economy

Top employers

Education

Primary and secondary schools

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Colleges and universities

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Historic features

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See also

References

External links