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North Wales is a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
in
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 ...
. It is a suburb 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 ...
and is one of the three historic population centers that make up the
North Penn Valley The North Penn Valley is a region of Philadelphia suburbs and exurbs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is somewhat congruent with the North Penn School District. It contains the boroughs of North Wales, Lansdale, and Hatfield, as well as ...
, which is centered on the borough of
Lansdale Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In the year 1900, 2,754 p ...
. It is approximately north of
Center City Philadelphia Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the ci ...
. The population was 3,426 as of the 2020 census. Like many small boroughs in Pennsylvania, North Wales' boundaries have not kept pace with population growth. In similar fashion, many businesses and residences with North Wales addresses are located in outlying townships that were never annexed by the borough, such as the Montgomery Mall in Montgomery Township. North Wales is in the
North Penn School District The North Penn School District (NPSD) is a suburban public school district. It is composed of thirteen elementary schools, three middle schools, one alternative school, and one high school. As of the 2021-2022 school year, it serves 12,783 stude ...
.


History


18th century

As its name suggests, North Wales was settled by
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
immigrants who named it after
North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
in
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 ...
. Part of a 1702 land grant 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 ...
, the area was then a rich farming country named Gwynedd'' for the homeland of the earliest settlers. It began as a pastoral village in agricultural Gwynedd Township.


19th century

Before 1850, a number of farms, and a 1776 church, shared by the
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
and
Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...
congregations, dotted the present borough's landscape. What is now Main Street was originally an old Indian trail, and was laid out as the Great Road in 1728. By 1828, it had become today's Sumneytown Pike, and was a toll road until 1914. It had always been an important route to
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 ...
, and continues to serve as a connection to Routes 202 and 309 to the east and the Northeastern Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the west. Its rural character was abruptly disrupted by the building 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 ...
starting in 1852. Service from
Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...
to Philadelphia through North Wales began in 1857. The town quickly grew around the railroad station, with hotels and restaurants lining Walnut Street and Main Street within walking distance. North Wales is the oldest of the North Penn boroughs, incorporated in 1869, by taking land from today's Upper Gwynedd Township, then the northern portion of Gwynedd Township. Some of the large homes at the start of the 20th century were opened to summer guests from the city. "Idlewilde", still present on Main Street, hosted
Pedro II of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' PedroII (Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga; 2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed the Magnanimous (), was the List o ...
, the last monarch of
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, during his visit to Philadelphia to open the
Centennial Exhibition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...
in Philadelphia in 1875 with President
Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...
. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of North Wales borough's housing was built. Most houses along South Main Street between Montgomery and Prospects Streets remain much as they were when built and are lovingly maintained. The borough also features a variety of single family homes, as well as twins, and rowhouses.


20th century

Between 1900 and 1926,
Lehigh Valley Transit Company The Lehigh Valley Transit Company (LVT) was a regional transport company that was headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company began operations in 1901, as an urban trolley and interurban rail transport company. It operated successfully ...
operated its Chestnut Hill Branch trolley line, which connected North Wales to surrounding towns through service to either
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 ...
or
Allentown Allentown may refer to: Places * Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California * Allentown, Georgia, a city in four counties in Georgia * Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Tazewell County * Allentown, New Jersey, a boroug ...
. The trolley ran down Main Street through the borough, but detoured onto Pennsylvania Avenue for two blocks to enable it to cross the North Penn Railroad on a bridge. The bridge was required because the railroad, citing safety concerns, refused to allow the trolleys to cross at the Main Street grade crossing.
Lehigh Valley Transit Company The Lehigh Valley Transit Company (LVT) was a regional transport company that was headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The company began operations in 1901, as an urban trolley and interurban rail transport company. It operated successfully ...
's combined passenger and freight station was located on the northeast side of Pennsylvania Avenue between Shearer Street and Montgomery Avenue. After Main Street trolley service ended in 1926, Lehigh Valley Transit high-speed trolleys continued to serve the Wales Junction station, located on Sumneytown Pike three-quarters of a mile west of town. High-speed trolley serviced ended in September 1951.


21st century

In 2000, the North Wales Historic Preservation District was established by Borough Council and the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission to protect the architecture that is a visual reminder of the borough's past. It is the first Historic District in the North Penn boroughs.


Business district

North Wales' Main and Walnut Streets have been home to many businesses over the town's history; they still provide services such as hair salons and beauty parlors, doctors' offices, a dry cleaner, a running and walking shoe specialty store, a yoga studio, two auto repair facilities and auto body shops, two laundromats, a post office, convenience store, and a recording studio. Eateries and bars include two pizza parlors, a Tex-Mex restaurant, two cafés, a bakery, a protein-shake café and a vegan restaurant.


Education

North Wales Elementary School is part of the
North Penn School District The North Penn School District (NPSD) is a suburban public school district. It is composed of thirteen elementary schools, three middle schools, one alternative school, and one high school. As of the 2021-2022 school year, it serves 12,783 stude ...
. The building was North Wales High School from 1927 until North Penn High School was built in the 1950s; it then became an elementary school. The original elementary school from the 1900s was located at the current site of Borough Hall. Mater Dei Catholic School in
Lansdale Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In the year 1900, 2,754 p ...
, of 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 ...
. In January 2012, the archdiocese announced that St. Rose of Lima would merge with St. Stanislaus Parish School in Lansdale, with students attending classes in Lansdale.


Library

North Wales Elementary School formerly housed the North Wales Memorial Free Library from 1927 to 2009. Due to the growing number of students at school, as well as the library's need for more space, the library purchased and relocated to a much larger (10,000 ft2, over 900 m2) building at 233 South Swartley Street. They began operating with limited hours at the new location on January 4, 2010, and had their grand opening in April 2010 with full hours, including Saturday. The library has also changed its name to "North Wales Area Library" upon its move. It is part of the Montgomery County Library System.


Parks and recreation

Weingartner Park is located at Second and Summit Streets. It has paths, benches and shady trees. The Wee Wailers park, a children's playground, is on Shearer St. Second Street Park, at Second Street and Prospect Avenue, is a public tennis court area. The Fourth Street Park is an open area, about , used for various sporting activities. The clay totem poles were made by residents. Eighth Street Park, also known as "A Child's Garden," was developed by local children. It has a brick walking path, plantings and benches. Ninth Street Park, at Ninth and Church Streets, is a watershed runoff area designed to attract birds. There is a trail with footbridge over the drainage area; it is a natural-feeling area.


Demographics

As of the 2017 census, the borough was 87.1% White, 5.1% Black or African American, 0% Native American, 5.02% Asian, and 4.92% were two or more races. 1.66% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. 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 2017, there were 3,250 people, 1,320 households, and 869 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 1,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 90.31%
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 ...
, 1.32%
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 ...
, 0.06% Native American, 2.09% Asian, 0.18%
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 ...
, 0.78% from other races, and 1.77% 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 1.50% of the population. There were 1,320 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.18. In the borough the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $54,605, and the median income for a family was $63,235. Males had a median income of $41,265 versus $33,045 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 borough was $26,590. About 3.2% of families and 4.7% 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 8.0% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.


Government

North Wales has a borough form of government with a
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and a nine-member borough council. The mayor is Neil McDevitt and the President of Council is Sal Amato. Neil McDevitt was the first deaf person to be elected mayor of a municipality in the United States. The borough is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep.
Madeleine Dean Madeleine Dean Cunnane (born June 6, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district since 2019. The district includes almost all of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Mont ...
), the 61st State House District (represented by State Representative Liz Hanbidge) and the 24th State Senate District (represented by State Senator
Tracy Pennycuick Tracy Pennycuick ( ) is an American politician. A Republican, she is a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the 24th district since 2023. She previously served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representin ...
).


Police

The North Wales Police Department has four full-time and four part-time officers. The department was headed by Kenneth Veit, who was the Chief of Police from 1973 to 2003. Chief Barry J. Hackert served from 2003 - 2013, at which point Hackert was suspended for involvement in an off-duty assault in the Poconos. Hackert subsequently resigned. Alex Levy was hired as the new chief in 2013. In 2022, North Wales Borough hired David Erenius as its new Chief of Police.


Infrastructure


Transportation

As of 2022 there were of public roads in North Wales, 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 borough. Main Street runs northwest-southeast through North Wales, becoming Sumneytown Pike outside the borough, while Walnut Street runs southwest-northeast through North Wales, becoming North Wales Road outside the borough. No state highways pass through North Wales.
U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...
passes to the east of North Wales and
Pennsylvania Route 63 Pennsylvania Route 63 (PA 63) is a state highway located in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area. The western terminus of the route is at PA 29 in Green Lane, Montgomery County. The eastern terminus is at Interstate 95 ...
passes to the northeast of North Wales.
Pennsylvania Route 309 Pennsylvania Route 309 (PA 309) is a state highway that runs for 134 miles (216 km) through eastern Pennsylvania. The route runs from an interchange between Pennsylvania Route 611, PA 611 and Cheltenham Avenue on the border of Philadelphia ...
passes through Montgomeryville, which is east of the borough, and
Pennsylvania Route 363 Pennsylvania Route 363 (PA 363) is a state highway located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania that is a spur of Pennsylvania Route 63, PA 63. The route, which is signed north-south, runs from an ...
bypasses North Wales to the north along the Upper Gwynedd- Towamencin township line. 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 ...
Northeast Extension (
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 ...
) is located west of North Wales, with connections to the borough via Sumneytown Pike to Exit 31 in the north, as well as North Wales Road to
Germantown Pike Germantown Pike (also known as Germantown Avenue for a portion of its length) is a historic road in Pennsylvania that opened in 1687, running from Philadelphia northwest to Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Collegeville. The road is particularly nota ...
at Exit 20 to the south. Public transportation in North Wales is provided 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 ...
. Many North Wales residents commute to
Center City Philadelphia Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854, which extended the ci ...
by
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
Lansdale/Doylestown Line The Lansdale/Doylestown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City, Philadelphia, Center City Philadelphia to Doylestown (SEPTA station), Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Until 1981, SEPTA diesel service, diesel-powered tr ...
train, which stops at the North Wales station. The 1870s-vintage brick railroad station, thoroughly restored in 2010, is open weekday mornings.
SEPTA Suburban Bus 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 throughout ...
Route 96 serves North Wales, providing service to the
Norristown Transportation Center Norristown Transit Center is a two-level multimodal public transportation regional hub located in Norristown, Pennsylvania and operated by SEPTA. It opened in 1989, replacing the older M terminus one block away at Main and Swede Streets, and ...
in Norristown and
Lansdale Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In the year 1900, 2,754 p ...
.


Utilities

Electricity and natural gas in North Wales is provided by
PECO Energy Company PECO, formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company, is an energy company founded in 1881 and incorporated in 1929. It became part of Exelon Corporation in 2000 when it merged with Commonwealth Edison's holding company Unicom Corp. The company ...
, a subsidiary of
Exelon Exelon Corporation is an American public utility headquartered in Chicago, and incorporated in Pennsylvania. Exelon is the largest electric parent company in the United States by revenue and is the largest regulated electric utility in the Uni ...
. The North Wales Water Authority provides water and sewer service to North Wales and surrounding townships. Cable, telephone, and internet service in North Wales s provided by
Xfinity Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications business segment and division of the Comcast Corporation. It is used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless servic ...
and
Verizon Verizon Communications Inc. ( ), is an American telecommunications company headquartered in New York City. It is the world's second-largest telecommunications company by revenue and its mobile network is the largest wireless carrier in the ...
. Trash and recycling collection in North Wales is provided by private haulers including Advanced Disposal,
Republic Services Republic Services, Inc. is a North American waste disposal company whose services include non-hazardous solid waste collection, waste transfer, waste disposal, recycling, and energy services. It is the second largest provider of waste disposal in ...
,
Waste Management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste, together with monitor ...
, and Whitetail Disposal.


Notable people

* Captain Janks, prolific television prank caller * Sharon Little, singer-songwriter *
Joe McKeehen Joseph McKeehen (born June 28, 1991) is an American professional poker player and mind sports player from North Wales, Pennsylvania. In 2015 he won the World Series of Poker Main Event, earning $7,683,346. Early life and education McKeehen was ...
, professional poker player and
World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada, and since 2004, sponsored by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best ...
champion in 2015 *
John Oates John William Oates (born April 7, 1948) is an American musician, best known as half of the rock and soul duo Hall & Oates along with Daryl Hall. He has played rock, R&B, and soul music, serving as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record ...
, rock musician,
Hall & Oates Daryl Hall & John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, were an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1970. Daryl Hall was generally the lead vocalist, while John Oates primarily supplied electric guitar and ba ...
* William B. T. Trego, historical painter


References


External links


Borough of North Wales official website
{{authority control 1857 establishments in Pennsylvania Boroughs in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Welsh-American culture in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1857