Millbourne, Pennsylvania

Millbourne, Pennsylvania
Borough
The Market–Frankford Line in Millbourne
The location of Millbourne in Delaware County, Pennsylvania (top) and within Pennsylvania (bottom)
Millbourne Location in Pennsylvania Millbourne Location in the United States
Coordinates: 39°57′48″N 75°15′14″W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Delaware
Founded	1909
Founded by	Samuel Shoemaker and John L. Fry
Named for	Millbourne Mills
Government
• Type	Mayor–council government
• Mayor	Tayub Mahabubul Alam (D)
Area
• Total	0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2)
• Land	0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	128 ft (39 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,212
• Density	16,378.38/sq mi (6,313.42/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area codes	610 and 484
FIPS code	42-49504
Website	www.millbourneborough.org

Millbourne /ˈmɪlbərn/ is a self-governing municipal borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population is 1,212. Millbourne borders Philadelphia along Cobbs Creek. The borough was the former site of Millbourne Mills, which it is named after. The name "Millbourne" comes from the word Mill and "bourne" meaning creek. Millbourne, at over 17,000 people per square mile, is the most densely populated incorporated place in Pennsylvania, and 24th in the entire United States. The borough is a former financially distressed municipality.

History

Bird's-eye view of Millbourne Mills.

Millbourne Mills

Further information: Millbourne Mills (Pennsylvania)

Millbourne Borough was first occupied by Samuel Sellers. The land was used for living and farming for over half a century. His grandson, John Sellers, purchased plots of land in the borough.

Before Sellers' death in 1804, he devised his estates to his sons, Nathan, David, John, and George. Sellers devised a plan of grist and saw-mills to his son John, Jr. These mills were built before 1749.

The mills were owned by the elder Sellers and were operated by James Steel. James continued to operate the mill until 1805 when his son, Thomas Steel, took over.

Thomas Steel purchased the Darby Mill in 1814. In that year, Sellers erected an old part of the now Millbourne Mill. John Jr., after learning the trade of a miller with Thomas Steel, took charge of the new mill.

A stream which empties into the Millbourne dam supplying the water to Millbourne Mills, in 1800, was an oil-mill, which continued until 1848. The old gristmill stood above the present mill. In 1820, it was used for grinding gypsum. As late as 1830, Augustus C. Jones was operating the old mill in grinding logwood, spices, etc. It was later discontinued. The new mill, built in 1814, was placed under the charge of John Sellers, Jr., and was fitted with all the improved machinery of that time.

Early 1900s

Residential homes in the 1920s alongside Market Street.

Between 1906 and 1908 Samuel Shoemaker and John L. Fry saw the possibility of a community in Millbourne. Around 100 residential homes were later built.

In 1907 the Market Street “L” was completed for transportation and on July 1, 1908, the Millbourne Station was officially opened.

On September 21, 1909, Millbourne Fire House was completed. The Millbourne Police Department was also established within the same time period.

On October 12, 1909, Millbourne was separated from Upper Darby Township and was incorporated into a borough. The first council members included John T. Brosnan, Henry A. Shourds, W. H. Lightner, S. F. Wise, L. E. Upham, and E. J. Hawkins.

Sears Roebuck & Co.

Later, a Sears Roebuck & Co. department store was built in 1925 and was located on a plot of land at the northeastern end of Millbourne on what is commonly thought to be a flood plain for Cobbs Creek. The Sears department store, through mercantile tax, provided approximately half of the borough's revenues. It was relocated to the corner of Walnut Street and 69th Street in Upper Darby in 1988. The vacant building was demolished in 2000. The relocation caused significant financial difficulties for the borough.

Geography

Sentinel-2 true-color image of Millbourne (center), West Philadelphia (right), and Upper Darby (left), June 2022

Topography

Millbourne Borough is located at 39°57′48″N 75°15′14″W (39.963735, -75.252615).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.2 km²), all land, making it the smallest municipality in Delaware County by area.

The borough is approximately bounded on the north and east by Cobbs Creek, and on the south by Market Street. Across Cobbs Creek to the north lies an extension of Fairmount Park and the Cobbs Creek Golf Course. Milbourne is situated within the Darby Creek Watershed.

Cobbs Creek

Further information: Cobbs Creek

A common place of interest, Cobbs Creek is located near Millbourne. The creek is commonly used for swimming and fishing. The creek is also connected to the Cobbs Creek trail which is used for hiking and biking. The Cobbs Creek Bikeway runs from a corner at the eastern end of Millbourne, 63rd and Market Streets, to approximately 86th and Cobbs Creek Parkway. It is used by walkers and bicyclists as well as occasional all-terrain vehicles. Plans existed to eventually connect this bikeway to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.

Climate

On the Köppen climate classification, Millbourne has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa). Millbourne has warm-wet summers and very cold-snowy winters. The temperature usually varies from 26°F (-3°C) to 86°F (30°C) and is rarely above 13°F (-10°C) or above 94°F (34°C).

The hottest month of the year is July with an average high of above 77°F (25°C). The coldest month of the year is January with an average high of below 49°F (9°C).

Climate data for Millbourne (Philadelphia Area) (1991–2020 normals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	41.3 (5.2)	44.3 (6.8)	52.8 (11.6)	64.7 (18.2)	74.4 (23.6)	83.2 (28.4)	87.8 (31.0)	85.8 (29.9)	78.9 (26.1)	67.2 (19.6)	55.9 (13.3)	46.0 (7.8)	65.2 (18.5)
Daily mean °F (°C)	26.0 (−3.3)	27.5 (−2.5)	34.3 (1.3)	44.3 (6.8)	54.2 (12.3)	63.9 (17.7)	69.6 (20.9)	67.9 (19.9)	69.9 (21.1)	58.2 (14.6)	38.8 (3.8)	31.2 (−0.4)	48.8 (9.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	33.7 (0.9)	35.9 (2.2)	43.6 (6.4)	54.5 (12.5)	64.3 (17.9)	73.5 (23.1)	78.7 (25.9)	76.8 (24.9)	60.9 (16.1)	49.2 (9.6)	47.4 (8.6)	38.6 (3.7)	54.8 (12.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.13 (80)	2.75 (70)	3.96 (101)	3.47 (88)	3.34 (85)	4.04 (103)	4.38 (111)	4.29 (109)	4.40 (112)	3.47 (88)	2.91 (74)	3.97 (101)	44.11 (1,122)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	7.1 (18)	8.4 (21)	3.6 (9.1)	0.3 (0.76)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.2 (0.51)	3.5 (8.9)	23.1 (58.27)
Source: NOAA

Economy and development

Shops in Millbourne alongside Market Street

Economy

For many years, Millbourne relied on property taxes. A Sears store, covering roughly 18-acre (7.28 hectare), would provide money to the borough through property taxes. But after the closure of the Sears store in 1988, the borough went into financial hardship.

Millbourne was designated a financially distressed municipality on January 7, 1993, by the state of Pennsylvania, after the borough requested for a determination of distress under the act. Factors that led to a distress determination included revenue loss created from the closure of Sears and an evaluation by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Taxes for homeowners in the borough rose between 1993 and 2014.

In the 2000s, under the leadership of mayor Thomas Kramer, Millbourne enacted land value tax. The borough began imposing taxes on the land itself and not on the structures built there. This allowed the borough to raise the necessary funds to stay afloat. The former Sears lot became the largest source of revenue for the borough. On October 21, 2014, the borough was removed from the financially distressed municipality list. Millbourne hadn't overspent its budget in 5 years and the borough even went as far as to use goats to remove weeds.

Grants

Throughout the years, Millbourne has received grants to improve the borough. This included grants to improve the heart of the borough, local recycling and leaf collection programs, develop the Service and Logistics Center for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and for planning around Millbourne Station to attract new businesses.

Development

In 2012, a development plan was created for the vacant 18-acre (7.28 hectare) plot of land that originally hosted Sears. It included multiple retail stores and anchors, housing units and apartments, and new townhall. Due to the property lying within the Cobb's Creek floodplain and being located in a disadvantaged area, the plan was scrapped.

On October 7, 2022, after 7 years of planning, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia opened a logistics facility at the former Sears lot. With the arrival of the new facility, Delaware Country reassessed the site's value at $50.6 million.

Culture

A Bangladeshi Festival in Millbourne

Millbourne Station decorated with iridescent peacock feathers.

Diversity

See also: List of U.S. communities with Asian-American majority populations

In the 1980s, Millbourne had a majority of Greek Americans and East Asians. Since the 2000s, Millbourne has been considered the first municipality in Pennsylvania with an Asian majority (of primarily South Asians).

In 2010, 30% of Millbourne residents identified themselves as being of Asian Indian heritage. The borough is often considered a "Little India" due to this large Indian presence. Most residents stay for a few years before moving to other places, after they become financially stable.

Philadelphia Sikhi Society

A gurdwara is located on Garden Court. Since the 1990s, it has Millbourne's only place of worship. The gurdwara offers prayer services every Sunday and Friday. In 2011, the gurdwara raised relief funds for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Around 1,500 Sikhis from the region visit the gurdwara.

Art

Millbourne Station is decorated with metal iridescent peacock feathers. The project, designed by Erland + Kaman in 2009, is called "Paradise." It is an homage to the diverse culture of Millbourne and its people from the Indian sub-continent. There is also a mural located next to the station via a narrow passageway. The mural project was sponsored by City Year in the 2000s.

Food

A myriad of ethnic grocery stores and restaurants are available in the borough, including South Asian, East Asian, Latin American, and American foods.

Government

Millbourne Borough Hall.

Politics

Millbourne is within District 5 of Pennsylvania's Congressional Districts. For decades, Millbourne was a Republican majority. But due to a large arrival of immigrants, in recent years Millbourne became Democratic.

Republican majority

Joseph Artmont Sr., his son Joseph Artmont Jr., and his Republican allies were replaced with a more diverse array of council members. In the 2000s, Thomas Kramer became the last remaining Republican in the Milbourne Council. In the 2009 general elections, Thomas Kramer won 126 to 58 from then mayor William Donovan Jr.

Current day

In 2021, Mahabubul Tayub Alam was elected mayor of Millbourne. A total of 165 votes were cast to his name. The borough is currently Democratic in terms of registration.

Public safety

The borough maintains its own police department, which provides frequent coverage of each street. The borough had a fire department until it was shut down in 2019. Upper Darby Township fire department, the East Lansdowne fire company and the Yeadon fire company now service the borough. Millbourne has a Town Watch, a volunteer organization run in cooperation with the police department. Magisterial courts with presiding jurisdiction for Millbourne are located in Upper Darby.

Education

K-12 students attend Upper Darby School District schools. Kindergarteners attend the Upper Darby Kindergarten Center. Grades 1-5 attend Charles Kelly Elementary School. Grades 6-8 attend Beverly Hills Middle School. Grades 9-12 attend Upper Darby High School. The Kindergarten Center, Charles Kelly Elementary School, and the Upper Darby High School all provide bus transportation to students in the borough.

According to the 2020 Census, 30.2% of Millbourne's population has a bachelor's degree or higher. 19% have a high school or equivalent degree, 20.3% attended some college with no degree, 3.8% have an associate degree, 18.5% have a bachelor's degree, and 11.7% have a graduate or professional degree.

Around 64.4% of students in the borough are enrolled in K-12 schools. 7.7% are enrolled in preschool, 21.5% are enrolled in undergraduate colleges, and 6.4% are enrolled in graduate professional schools.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	322		—
1920	418		29.8%
1930	396		−5.3%
1940	393		−0.8%
1950	901		129.3%
1960	793		−12.0%
1970	637		−19.7%
1980	652		2.4%
1990	831		27.5%
2000	943		13.5%
2010	1,159		22.9%
2020	1,212		4.6%

Census 2020

As of the 2020 Census, the racial makeup of the borough was 7.1% White, 20% African American, 0.1% Native American, 63.2% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 6.2% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race is 6.5% of the population. 63.8% of the borough's population were foreign-born.

There are 346 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 24% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average family size is 3.64.

In the borough, the population is spread out. 24.3% under the age of 18, 75.7% 18 years of age or older and 9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years.

The median income for a household in the borough was $45,800, and the median income for a family was $44,732. The per capita income for the borough was $15,752. About 7.8% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2010

In Census 2010, the racial makeup of the borough was 13.7% White, 20.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 56.3% Asian, 0.9% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 4.1% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.5% of the population. 56.5% of the borough's population was foreign-born.

Census 2000

In Census 2000, there were 943 people, 366 households, and 214 families residing in the borough. The population density was 16,557 inhabitants per square mile (6,393/km²). There were 420 housing units at an average density of 6,123.7 per square mile (2,364.4/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 21.31% White, 17.18% African American, 0.21% Native American, 54.29% Asian, 2.55% from other races, and 4.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.04% of the population.

Infrastructure

PA 3 westbound entering Millbourne

Transportation

Roads

As of 2013, there was 1.00 mile (1.61 km) of public roads in Millbourne, all of which was maintained by the borough.

Pennsylvania Route 3 is the only numbered highway serving Millbourne. It follows Market Street along an east-west alignment, acting as Millbourne's southern border.

Roads within the borough are maintained by the Millbourne council. Residents within the borough pay for parking permits. There are also parking meters located alongside Wister Drive and Chatham Road. In Delaware County, motorists are able to pay for parking through mobile applications.

Public transportation

View of Millbourne Station on Wister Drive.

Further information: Millbourne station, SEPTA, and Market–Frankford Line

Millbourne station is located at the end of Sellers Ave. The station goes westbound to 69th Street Transportation Center and eastbound to Frankford Transportation Center. The station, located on the Market-Frankford Line, was rebuilt and rededicated in mid-2007. There was a PhillyCarShare shared car "node", where members could use a shared vehicle, in Millbourne before the company's acquisition by Enterprise Holdings.

Utilities

Recycling is available every Wednesday in the borough using specially designed yellow-bins. Regular trash-pick-up is available every Thursday and Friday.

Electricity to the borough is provided by the PECO Energy Company. Water Serivices is provided by Aqua America.

ADSL, Cable, Fiber, Fixed Wireless and Satellite internet technology is available in Millbourne. Comcast Cable Communications, LLC provides the majority of cable internet to residents in the area. 5G in the area is commercially available from Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, and T-Mobile.

External links

• Millbourne Borough
• Delaware County, Pennsylvania
• Millbourne Borough Police Department - Archive from December 28, 2013
• Delaware County History - Historical maps of Millbourne
• Temple University Libraries - Historical resources of Millbourne