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56-643: Cheltenham Township is a home rule municipality and Township of the First Class located in the southeast corner of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania , United States. It borders Philadelphia to the south and east, Abington Township and Jenkintown to the north, and Springfield Township to the west. Cheltenham was founded in 1682, and its early history was defined by mills, which used Tookany Creek to power gristmills, manufacture shovels, hammers, and spades, and later carpentry products such as doors, window frames, and shutters. The development of regional railroads in

112-706: A U.S. 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. In 2013, Cheltenham Township 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." There are at least four books about Cheltenham Township's history: Cheltenham Township has ten districts: Glenside, Laverock, Edge Hill, Wyncote, Cedarbrook, Chelten Hills, La Mott, Elkins Park, Melrose Park, and Cheltenham Village. The seal of Cheltenham

168-613: A circulation of one million subscriptions within ten years. It was the first American magazine to do so. Louisa Knapp continued as editor until 1889 when she was succeeded by Edward William Bok . Several years later Bok married Mary Louise Curtis in 1896, becoming the Curtises' son-in-law. Bok retired from the magazine in 1919, but the changes he made had vastly increased circulation. Bok introduced business practices such as: low subscription rates, inclusion of advertising to off-set costs, and reliance on popular content. This operating structure

224-607: A conference center, offices, a health club, retail shops, and restaurants. Before his death, Curtis was elected to the American Philosophical Society (1933). He was among the first ten inductees in the American Advertising Federation 's Advertising Hall of Fame (1999). Cyrus Curtis remains #20 on the list of the richest Americans ever. He was known for his philanthropy to hospitals, museums, universities, and schools. He donated $ 2 million to

280-455: A family in Cheltenham in the 2010 Census was $ 72,584. According to the 2010 Census, 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

336-445: A family in Cheltenham was $ 138,731 and for a married couple family it was $ 158,275 vs $ 136,304 and $ 152,228 respectively for Montgomery County as a whole. In 2022, the median income for a household in the township was $ 102,589, up from $ 61,713 in 2010. In 2010, males had a median income of $ 50,564 versus $ 36,439 for females. The per capita income for the township in 2010 was $ 31,424 (~$ 43,906 in 2023). About 3.0% of families and 8.4% of

392-585: A few streams flowing through it, most notably the Tookany Creek . The highest elevation is 411 feet (125 m), at the intersection of Sunset and Lindley Roads. The lowest elevation is 63 feet (19 m), in the southeasternmost part of the township, where Tookany Creek flows into Philadelphia. It includes the census-designated places of Arcadia University , Glenside , and Wyncote . Other communities include Cheltenham , Elkins Park , Melrose Park , La Mott and Laverock , Edge Hill , and Cedarbrook . All of

448-460: 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. In the late 19th century, Cheltenham established itself as one of the most prominent communities in

504-883: 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. Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania) In

560-676: 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

616-468: 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). [1] Bishop McDevitt High School (9–12) under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia ,

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672-561: A time the Philadelphia Public Ledger , The Philadelphia Inquirer , and the New York Evening Post . Management mistakes at the newspapers led to poor financial returns, and eventually, they were sold. While Curtis was alive, his businesses, excepting the newspapers, were successful. Ladies Home Journal was for decades the most widely circulating women's magazine in the U.S., and The Saturday Evening Post enjoyed

728-399: A township of the first class in 1900. In 1976, it passed a home rule charter that took effect in 1977. Cheltenham was the former home of Cradle of Liberty Council 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 . Cheltenham was named a Preserve America community ,

784-570: 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 . Following Cheltenham, many of the lines split to their respective destinations, which makes Cheltenham stations some of

840-568: 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: 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

896-565: Is also home to Arcadia University (formerly known as Beaver College), Salus University (formerly known as The Pennsylvania College of Optometry), Westminster Theological Seminary , Gratz College and Reconstructionist Rabbinical College , the only seminary 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 . Cheltenham

952-470: 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

1008-469: 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 30 inches (76 cm) of snow fell. Just two days later, a second storm came and dropped another 20 inches (51 cm). Cheltenham Township does not have

1064-454: 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

1120-498: 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. The following is a table of the current commissioners of Cheltenham Township along with their Wards and the areas of the township they serve: The Cheltenham Township School District serves the township. There are seven public schools and

1176-475: Is one of seven municipalities in Montgomery County that borders Philadelphia and is 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of the Center City . It also borders Abington Township and Jenkintown 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 9.0 square miles (23 km), all land. The area consists of rolling hills and also features

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1232-652: The Cheltenham College . 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. Cheltenham is a residential township in the southeasternmost part of Montgomery County, which is in Southeastern Pennsylvania (locally known as the Delaware Valley ). It

1288-758: The Franklin Institute , for example; $ 1.25 million to the Drexel Institute of Technology for the construction of Curtis Hall; and $ 1 million to the University of Pennsylvania . He also purchased a pipe organ manufactured by the Austin Organ Company that had been displayed at the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition of 1926 and donated it to the University of Pennsylvania . It was incorporated into Irvine Auditorium when

1344-474: The Great 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,

1400-608: The Great Fire of Portland . Curtis held a variety of newspaper and advertising jobs in Portland and Boston before starting his first publication, a weekly called the People's Ledger , in Boston in 1872. In 1876, he moved to Philadelphia , then a major publishing center, to reduce his printing costs. Curtis's first wife was Louisa Knapp . In 1883, Knapp contributed a one-page supplement to

1456-554: The Pennsylvania Code in titles numbered in the 300s, by county. However, Norristown's published charter in the Montgomery County title of the Pennsylvania code (specifically Title 346) is an obsolete version, as the revised version was never published in the code. Cyrus H. K. Curtis Curtis was born in Portland, Maine . He was forced to leave high school after his first year to start working after his family lost their home in

1512-488: The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 97.21 miles (156.44 km) were maintained by the township. 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

1568-459: The Tribune and Farmer , a magazine published by Curtis. The following year, the supplement was expanded as an independent publication with Louisa as the editor. Its original name was The Ladies Home Journal and Practical Housekeeper , but Knapp dropped the last three words in 1886, and it became Ladies Home Journal . The Ladies' Home Journal rapidly became the leading magazine of its type, reaching

1624-673: The 163-foot Lyndonia in 1907; and the 228-foot Lyndonia in 1920. Curtis was a founding member of the Camden Yacht Club in Camden, Maine, and its Commodore from 1909 to 1933, later donating the club's facilities to the town. In the summer of 1932, Curtis suffered a heart attack while aboard his yacht, the second Lyndonia . While he was recuperating at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, his second wife, Kate Stanwood Cutter Pillsbury Curtis, died suddenly. Curtis then remained in frail health until his death on June 7, 1933, at age 82, and he

1680-551: The City of Philadelphia , 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

1736-786: 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. As of 2016 Taiwanese airline EVA Air 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. As of 2019, there were 124.14 miles (199.78 km) of public roads in Cheltenham Township, of which 26.93 miles (43.34 km) were maintained by

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1792-594: 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 notable mansions built include Abraham Barker 's "Lyndon," Cyrus H. K. Curtis 's " Curtis Hall ," George Horace Lorimer 's "Belgrame," and John B. Stetson 's "Idro." Perhaps

1848-456: The U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania , a home rule municipality is one incorporated under its own unique charter, created pursuant to the state's home rule and optional plans law and approved by referendum. "Local governments without home rule can only act where specifically authorized by state law; home rule municipalities can act anywhere except where they are specifically limited by state law". Although many such municipalities have retained

1904-578: The building was constructed and is known to this day as the Curtis Organ , one of the largest pipe organs in the world. (The largest working organ resides in Philadelphia's John Wanamaker Building, only twenty blocks east of Irvine Auditorium, and the largest in the world, though it isn't currently working, is in the Atlantic City Convention Center, some 60 miles east.) Curtis donated pipe organs to many institutions in Philadelphia and on

1960-617: The busiest in Montgomery County . The stations carry the names of the neighborhoods in which they are located: Elkins Park , Glenside , and Melrose Park . Jenkintown-Wyncote and Cheltenham straddle the township's border. 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

2016-411: The communities form a border with Philadelphia along Cheltenham Avenue . Edge Hill, Laverock, and Cedarbrook's exact populations and land area are uncertain. 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

2072-481: The day of his funeral, all of those organs were played in his honor. In memory of his boyhood music teacher, Hermann Kotzschmar , for whom he had been named, Curtis in 1912 donated the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ to Maine's Portland City Hall Auditorium . In Thomaston, Maine , he funded the 1927–29 recreation of Montpelier , the demolished 1795 mansion of Revolutionary War general Henry Knox . Curtis

2128-533: The early 19th century helped power the American Industrial Revolution , connecting heavy industry factories in Philadelphia with the steel mills and other mining and heavy manufacturing industries in the Lehigh Valley to its north. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cheltenham transitioned to a community of wealthy industrial and merchant Philadelphians , who built large estates in what

2184-567: The first home rule city of Pennsylvania in 1951. The Assembly further adopted the Optional Third Class City Charter Law in 1957, and in 1968, the new Constitution declared that "Municipalities shall have the right and power to frame and adopt home rule charters." The new Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law, creating that right in the statutes of the Commonwealth, was passed in 1972. Home rule charters are published in

2240-726: The highest circulation of any weekly magazine in the world. In 1929, the Post and the Journal together ran fully forty percent of all US magazine advertising. One source lists Curtis as the 51st richest person ever, with a fortune of $ 43.2 billion adjusted for inflation (to 2008 dollars), which according to this source made him richer than J. P. Morgan . Curtis built Lyndon , a Renaissance revival estate in Wyncote, Pennsylvania , with landscaping designed by Frederick Law Olmsted . Two of Curtis's yachts, built 1907 and 1920, were named Lyndonia . Curtis

2296-517: 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 most of any municipality in Montgomery County. Cheltenham became

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2352-457: The most diverse municipalities in the Delaware Valley . By the 2000 census , Cheltenham Township was one of two municipalities in Montgomery County that had a non-white population exceeding 20 percent; the other was Norristown . Cheltenham and other early communities in the Philadelphia area, including Upper Darby Township, Haverford , Lower Merion , and Jenkintown have retained their distinct identities while being surrounded by suburbia over

2408-530: The most famous mansions that still stand to this day are the prominent Widener family mansion Lynnewood Hall , the Elkins Estate which was home to William Elkins , and Grey Towers Castle which was home to William Welsh Harrison. The latter is a National Historic Landmark and was designed by famed architect Horace Trumbauer , who designed many buildings and homes in Cheltenham. As the Gilded Age ended and

2464-404: The population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over. Cheltenham is located on the borderline of the humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) and the hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) zones. As with most Northeast townships, Cheltenham has four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and have occasional heat waves. Autumn

2520-450: The rail lines became part of the heavily-traveled SEPTA Main Line . In the 21st century, historic homes and buildings designed by Frank Furness , Horace Trumbauer , and Frank Lloyd Wright coexist with split level, twin, row, and other forms of high-density housing, along with parks, arboretums, recreational and educational facilities, tree-lined streets, and commercial corridors. Cheltenham

2576-620: 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 , but eventually was moved north to Logan . Large pockets of Koreans were eventually established in Cheltenham, and also in Upper Darby Township and West Philadelphia . Other immigrants migrated to Cheltenham, making it one of

2632-462: The word "Township" or "Borough" in their official names, the Pennsylvania Township and Borough Codes no longer apply to them. All three types of municipalities (cities, boroughs, and townships) may become a home rule municipality. When Pennsylvania was chartered in 1681, its proprietor William Penn was given the power to create counties, towns, and other municipalities, and the legislature

2688-408: 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. In 2022, the median income for

2744-425: Was a private Catholic high school open from 1958 until its closure in 2021. Other current day private schools include Wyncote Academy, Perelman Jewish Day School, Ancillae-Assumpta Academy , Presentation B.V.M. School and Gospel of Grace Christian School. The section of Elkins Park in Cheltenham is the former home of Tyler School of Art , a conceptual fine-arts school that is part of Temple University . Cheltenham

2800-729: Was adopted by men's magazines such as McClure's and Munsey's roughly a decade after it had become the standard practice of American women's magazines. Scholars argue that women's magazines, like the Ladies' Home Journal , pioneered these strategies "magazine revolution". Curtis founded the Curtis Publishing Company in 1891; it would eventually publish Ladies' Home Journal , The Saturday Evening Post , Holiday , and others. A separate company founded by Curtis, Curtis-Martin Newspapers, controlled several newspapers, including for

2856-481: 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 and

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2912-516: Was established in 1682 as part of Philadelphia County by 15 Quakers from Cheltenham , England, including Richard Wall and Tobias Leech, who purchased 4,070 acres (1,650 ha) of land from William Penn . Upon creation of Montgomery County in 1784, Cheltenham became the smallest township in the new county. Cheltenham Township's 15 original founders were: Cheltenham was fueled by the development of various mills along Tookany Creek . Communities and villages grew around these mills and formed what

2968-565: Was given sovereignty over them. "Abuse of legislative interference in local matters in the nineteenth century led to prohibition of special and local laws in the Constitution of 1874". Early in the 20th century, the concept of municipal home rule spread across the United States, and in 1922 the Pennsylvania Constitution was amended to give the legislature the right to grant cities the right to choose home rule. Philadelphia became

3024-590: Was interred at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania . Soon after his death, most of the buildings on Curtis's estate were demolished, and his daughter founded the Curtis Arboretum on the site. After the Curtis Publishing Company moved to Indianapolis , Indiana , in 1982, the company's former headquarters on Independence Square in downtown Philadelphia became the Curtis Center , home to

3080-406: Was more than an occasional sailor, however, noting in a 1922 New York Times interview, " Yachting is not a hobby with me. It is a necessity. I spend half my time on this ship," and further noting that most of his meetings with staff or board members were held in the second Lyndonia's dining room. Curtis had three large yachts built at Charles L. Seabury Co.: the 115-foot Machigonne in 1904;

3136-505: Was still rural land. The 20th century and Great Depression established Cheltenham as one of Philadelphia's inner ring and streetcar suburbs , and attracted high density housing construction that continued into the postwar years and the 21st century. The Reading Railroad tracks in Cheltenham Township were electrified in 1931, which offered faster passenger service. In 1983, following the Reading Railroad's acquisition by Conrail ,

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