Pennsylvania Main Line

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R5 train entering the Paoli station.

The Main Line is an unofficial region of suburban Philadelphia comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (currently Amtrak's Keystone Corridor and SEPTA's R5 line) which runs northwest from Center City Philadelphia. The rail line, from which the area affectionately got its name, was central to creating the Main Line towns which in the 19th century became home to many sprawling country estates built by Philadelphia's wealthiest families.

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[edit] History

The Main Line around 1895. Click for larger image.

The area comprising the Main Line was once home to the Lenni Lenape Indians. The Main Line was settled by Europeans in the 1600s, when William Penn sold a tract of land (the Welsh Tract) to a group of Welsh Quakers for ten cents an acre.[citation needed] This accounts for the many Welsh place names in the area, though not all date to the 1600s. For example Bryn Mawr was thus named only in 1869, previously being named Humphreysville.

The Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed during the early nineteenth century as part of the Main Line of Public Works that spanned Pennsylvania. Later in the century, the railroad, which owned much of the land surrounding the tracks, encouraged the development of this picturesque environment by building way stations along the portion of its track closest to Philadelphia. The construction of sprawling estates attracted Philadelphia elite, many of whom had one house in the city and another larger "country home" on the Main Line.

The old clubhouse of the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford (1892).

The railroad placed stops approximately two minutes apart starting with Overbrook. The surrounding communities became known by the railroad station names which started at Broad Street Station in downtown Philadelphia and went on to 32nd St. Station, and then the stops were named: Overbrook, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, Paoli, finally ending at Malvern. At least 5 of these station buildings, along with the first Bryn Mawr Hotel, were designed by Wilson Brothers & Company. The railroad line now extends to Malvern, Exton, Whitford, Downingtown, and Thorndale.[1] The train that served these stations was known as the "Paoli Local", and that name became a near-synonym for the Main Line itself.

The actual railroad line then continued on to Chicago, with major stations at Lancaster, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The railroad, since taken over by Amtrak, is still in service, although its route is slightly different from the original. It also serves the R5 line of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.

[edit] The Main Line today

Today the Main Line is another name for the western suburbs of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue (U.S. Route 30) and the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line, extending from the city limits to traditionally Bryn Mawr and ultimately Paoli, Pennsylvania[2] comprising an area of approximately 200 square miles. The upper/upper middle class enclave outside of Philadelphia has historically been one of the bastions of "old money" in the Northeast along with places such as Westchester County, New York and Greenwich, Connecticut, though due to location it is far more affordable than either. It is home to some of the wealthiest places in the United States, such as Gladwyne, Pennsylvania which has the 14th highest per-capita income in the country with a population of 1,000 or more, as well as Lower Merion Township which has the 5th highest per-capita income in the country with 50,000 or more.[citation needed].

Downtown Wayne (located in Radnor Township) with an AT&T tower in the background

The Main Line was also the setting for the classic Hepburn/Grant/Stewart motion picture The Philadelphia Story. With diverse topography, steep cliffs along the Schuylkill River, rolling hills, and open meadows, the region has benefited from the early planning of William Penn. The Main Line is known for its multimillion-dollar stone Colonial homes, exclusivity, and upscale shopping at celebrated destinations like Suburban Square in Ardmore and the King of Prussia Mall, one of the largest in the country. There is some disparity on the Main Line, with smaller homes and walkable village life in Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, and Narberth contrasting with the more established suburban landscape. The Main Line is also home to some of the best private schools and colleges in the country including Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, St. Joseph's University, and Villanova University. The principal municipalities comprising the Main Line are (from east to west): [3]

[edit] Communities on the Main Line

The Main Line proper is a line of communities extending northwest from the City of Philadelphia. From Philadelphia, the stations on what is now referred to as the R5 train line are: Overbrook,[4] Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr, which inspired the mnemonic "Old Maids Never Wed And Have Babies". The other rail line communities are outside the traditional Main Line and sometimes considered the Upper Main Line: Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, and Paoli. In recent years, the R5 train service has extended to the west of Paoli.

Communities located on the Main Line include:[3]

(§) Some communities, most notably Gladwyne, Bala Cynwyd, and Penn Valley, are included in what is commonly accepted as the Main Line, as they are typical Main Line communities, are adjacent to Main Line towns, and are located within a municipality (in this case Lower Merion Township) that is considered part of the Main Line[citation needed]. Neither, however, is located on the rail line for which the area is named and therefore they may be considered culturally rather than geographically on the Main Line.

[edit] Recreation & Attractions

Rider jumping in a sidesaddle class at the Devon Horse Show.

[edit] Sporting & Social Clubs

Private Clubs played an important role in the developmnt of the Main Line, offering social gathering places, facilities for sports such as cricket, golf, tennis, squash, and horseback riding, for the families relocating from Philadelphia to the suburban region. Many of the clubs are known for their award winning golf courses, grass tennis courts, exclusivity, and social functions. Some of these clubs include:

[edit] Education

One of the best assets of the Main Line is its numerous nationally ranked public and private schools. The school districts that serve the Main Line are Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County, Radnor Township School District and School District of Haverford Township in Delaware County, and Tredyffrin/Easttown School District and Great Valley School District in Chester County.

Public High Schools

Private Schools

Parochial Schools

[edit] Higher Education

Corr Hall at Villanova University

[edit] Transportation

The Main Line is served by numerous different modes of transportation, and benefits from an ideal position within the Philadelphia region. Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue) is the main thoroughfare through the Main Line; running east to west, it is the backbone of the region and runs through the large majority of its towns and municipalities. The Main Line benefits from numerous highways, including the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) which connects it to Center City Philadelphia, I-476 which runs north to south connecting the region with the Northeast Extension and the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the north, and to Philadelphia International Airport and I-95 to the south. The Main Line is served by three train lines operated by SEPTA, the R5 and the R6 which connect the region with Center City Philadelphia, and the Route 100 Highspeed Line which runs between 69th terminal in Upper Darby to Norristown. Amtrak also serves the region at certain stations along the Keystone Corridor.

[edit] Main Line in books, movies, music and television

[edit] Notable Main Liners, Past and Present

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ SEPTA
  2. ^ Philly NRHS - PRR History
  3. ^ a b http://www.mlcc.org/index.php?id=local_information
  4. ^ The community of Overbrook is a neighborhood within the city limits of Philadelphia and so is generally not regarded as being part of the Main Line.

[edit] External links

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