Millbourne, Pennsylvania
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Millbourne, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Borough of Millbourne | |
 Millbourne's Market-Frankford Line station | |
 Location in Delaware County and the U.S. state of Pennsylvania | |
  Millbourne Location in Pennsylvania  Millbourne Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 39°57′48″N 75°15′14″W / 39.96333°N 75.25389°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 (Democrat) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2) |
| • Land | 0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2) |
| Elevation | 128 ft (39 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 1,212 |
| • Density | 1,731.43/sq mi (6,378.95/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 610 and 484 |
| FIPS code | 42-49504 |
| Website | www |
Millbourne /ˈmɪlbərn/ is a 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 the Sellers Family's Millbourne Mills. The name of Millbourne Mills comes from the word Mill and "bourne" meaning creek.[3] Millbourne students attend Upper Darby School District schools. Magisterial courts with presiding jurisdiction for Millbourne are also located in Upper Darby. Millbourne, at over 17,000 people per square mile, is the most densely populated incorporated place in Pennsylvania, and 22nd in the entire United States.
History
Millbourne Mills
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 grist-mill 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.[4]
Early 1900s
Between 1906-1908 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.
In 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.[5]
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.[5]
Geography
Millbourne Borough is located at 39°57′48″N 75°15′14″W / 39.96333°N 75.25389°W (39.963735, -75.252615).[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), all land, making it the smallest municipality in Delaware County, Pennsylvania 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.
Darby Creek is located within southeastern Pennsylvania and flows into the Delaware River. The entire area of the watershed is 70 mi2 (181.299 km2) which Milbourne is inside of. The watershed drains through the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge and the Delaware River.[7] A dam is located at the northwestern part of Millbourne on Cobbs Creek.
Landmarks
Parks and recreation
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 Wildlife Refuge. These plans got a boost from a TIGER grant allowing planning for the 58th Street Connector. There were plans for a rail-with-trail bike path along SEPTA's Route 100 line from Radnor to 69th Street.[8]
The adjacent town, Upper Darby, is studying feasibility of a walking path on another old rail right of way, the Newtown Square Branch, which might eventually feed into Millbourne. For bicyclists, it is feasible outside of rush hour to take a bicycle on the Market Frankford Line to reach 30th Street, and bicycle along the Schuylkill River Path to Valley Forge, and the Perkiomen Creek trail to Collegeville or beyond.
Community garden and homeless shelter
Across Market Street, just inside Upper Darby on the eastern end of town, there is a community garden. Farther east of the garden, also in Upper Darby, is the Life Center of Eastern Delaware County. This is a 50-bed homeless shelter for individual adults.
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.
Philadelphia Sikhi Society
A gurdwara is located on Garden Court. In 2011, the gurdwara raised relief funds for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Around 1,500 Sikhis from the region visit the gurdwara.[9]
Economy and development
In 2012, a development plan was created for the vacant 18-acre plot of land that originally hosted Sears. It included multiple retail stores and anchors, housing units and apartments, and new townhall. The plan was scrapped in later years. As of 2022, a Service and Logistics Center for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is being constructed. The new center will create new jobs and will be state of the art.[10]
Financially distressed municipality
Millbourne was designated a financially distressed municipality in 1993 by the state of Pennsylvania. The Borough had a status as a "blighted" community in 2006. Later, the borough was removed from the financially distressed municipality list in 2014. This was after a successful campaign by former mayor Thomas Kramer. Millbourne hadn't overspent its budget in 5 years and the borough even went as far as to use goats to remove weeds.[11]
Culture
Diversity
In 2000, 40.2% of Millbourne residents identified themselves as being of Asian Indian heritage. This was the highest percentage of Indian Americans of any place in the United States. Millbourne is also the only community in Pennsylvania with an Asian American majority. Millbourne is home to a Gurudwara, where the Philadelphia Sikh Society holds services. There is a Mosque about a quarter mile away in Upper Darby. A number of residents originate from Kerala, a south-western state of India. A culture fair held annually nearby in Upper Darby. The Borough boasts an expert in the ancient art of Cambodian court dance.
Annually, a festival is held in Millbourne on Wister Drive. The Bangladeshi Festival of Millbourne is a daylong celebration of Bangladeshi culture filled with music and food. Barbecue, pop-up shops and music are typical at these events.
Art
Millbourne Station is decorated with iridescent peacock feathers. The project, designed by Erland + Kaman in 2009, is called "Paradise."[12] It is an homage to the diverse culture of Millbourne and its people from the Indian sub-continent.[13] 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 is also within easy walking distance, allowing residents to buy home-made tofu, a wide range of Punjabi and other Indian foods, Halal chicken and lamb, a wide range of Asian greens, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean-made foods, Central American foods, and mainstream American foods within minutes of their homes.
Korean, Mexican, Peruvian, Colombian, Vietnamese, Caribbean, Punjabi and an award-winning pizza restaurant (and, until recently, a Filipino-owned restaurant where adobo was served) are all within walking distance.
Government
Politics
In 2021, Mahabubul Alam Tayub was elected mayor of Millbourne. A total of 165 votes were cast to his name.[14]
For decades, Millbourne was a Republican majority. The Borough is currently Democratic in terms of registration. As of February 2022, The Millbourne Council memebrs consists of Mayor Mahabubul Alam Tayub, Council President Alauddin Patwary, Vice President MD Nurul Hasan, Councilman Rafikul Islam Jibon, Councilman MD Munsur Ali, and Councilman Mosharraf Hossain.[15]
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.[16] Millbourne has a Town Watch, a volunteer organization run in cooperation with the police department.
Demographics
| 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% | |
| [17] | |||
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.[18]
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.
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In Census 2000, there were 943 people, 366 households, and 214 families residing in the borough. The population density was 16,557 people per square mile (5,201.3/km2). There were 420 housing units at an average density of 6,123.7 per square mile (2,316.6/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.
As of Census 2020, 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.[19]
Infrastructure
Transportation
Roads
Roads within the borough are maintained by the Millbourne council. There is also parking meters located along-side Wister Drive and Chatham Road. In the Delaware County region, motorists are able to pay for parking though mobile applications.[20] Residents within the borough pay for parking permits.
Public transporation
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 SEPTA on the Market-Frankford Line was rebuilt and rededicated in mid-2008. Millbourne is also near the 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby and the 63rd Street Station in West Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in the early 21st century that, according to U.S. Census data, only about one-third of Millbourne workers commuted by car. There is a PhillyCarShare shared car "node" at 69th Street Station, accessible from Millbourne or by commuters exiting the Market Frankford El at 69th Street.
Utilities
The Millbourne Borough Council re-established a paper recycling program in approximately 2009, which was discontinued due to vandalism of the paper bins. County "igloos" for recycling glass are located behind the auto parts store approximately at the corner of Powell Lane and Market Street. The county offers recycling of electronics periodically. Community clean-ups are held a few times a year on a volunteer basis, often followed by a barbecue or potluck.
Electricity to the borough is provided by the PECO Energy Company. Water Serivices is provided by Essential Utilities, Inc.
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Sellers and Company".
- ^ a b Ashmead, Henry Graham. History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
- ^ a b "Millbourne History".
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2020". United States Census Bureau. 2020. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Darby Creek Watershed".
- ^ "Greenway Plan for the Darby Creek Watershed" (PDF).
- ^ "Millbourne Visions Channel 6 ABC".
- ^ "Development finally coming to Sears site in Millbourne".
- ^ "Corbett: Delco town no longer 'distressed'".
- ^ "Paradise".
- ^ "SEPTA Art in Transit Program".
- ^ "Precincts/County Results".
- ^ "Millbourne Council".
- ^ "110-Year-Old Millbourne Fire Company in Delaware County Shuts Down".
- ^ "Census 2020".
- ^ "2020 Census Data".
- ^ "2020 Census Data".
- ^ "Upper Darby debuts new parking app".
External links
Municipalities and communities of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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