Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford is an unincorporated community located partially in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA, but primarily in Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Philadelphia. It is on the Main Line, which is known historically for its wealth. As of August 2009, the average home price in the Haverford ZIP Code 19041 was $849,000. ZIP Code 19041 borders the unincorporated portion of Haverford Township called "Havertown," as well as the unincorporated communities of Bryn Mawr, Gladwyne, Ardmore, Wynnewood, and a small portion of Broomall. Haverford's name is derived from the name of the town of Haverfordwest in Wales, UK. One translation of the word "Haverford" from the Welsh is "goat crossing." Today, Haverford is most notable for being the site of Haverford College and one of the United States' oldest country clubs, the Merion Cricket Club. The town is connected to central Philadelphia by the Paoli/Thorndale Line commuter rail system and Norristown High Speed Line.

Allgates, the Federal School, Merion Cricket Club, and the Whitehall Apartments are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Its elevation is 318 feet (97 m).

Notable inhabitants

• John C. (Jack) Bogle, financial guru, founder of The Vanguard Group of mutual funds. He is the author of several books, most recently "The Little Book of Common Sense Investing" (John Wiley, 2007). In 1999, Fortune magazine named Bogle as one of the four "Investment Giants" of the twentieth century. In 2004, Time magazine named Bogle as one of the world's 100 most powerful and influential people. He is a former resident of North Rose Lane.
• Catherine Drinker Bowen (1897–1973) author and historian. She was the author of many books including "Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention, May to September 1787" and "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Scenes from the Life of Benjamin Franklin" (1974). She lived on Booth Lane, north of Montgomery Avenue
• Alexander Johnson ("AJ") Cassatt (1839–1906), president of the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1899 to 1906. His estate, "Cheswold," was off of Grays Lane. A bas-relief plaque showing Cassatt on horseback is located on the stone wall of the Merion Cricket Club, at the corner of Grays Lane and Montgomery Avenue. The inscription on the plaque reads

              Alexander Johnson Cassatt
                     1839–1906
         His friends and neighbors hereby record
         their grateful appreciation of many years
         given to generous interest in the welfare of
         Lower Merion Township and to the intelligent
         supervision of the public roads. 1910

Cassatt, the brother of the American impressionist painter Mary Cassatt, was responsible for the granite curbstones which give so many roads in Lower Merion Township such charm. He also designed the distinctive green and yellow metal street signs which characterize the township.

• Herb Clarke (1927–2012), former weatherman for WCAU-TV from 1958 to 1997
• Frank Converse (born 1938), actor, former resident of Laurel Lane.
• Clement Acton Griscom, founder and president of American Steamship Lines. His estate, "Dolobran," is on Laurel Lane. The house was designed by the famous Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, who also designed the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford. Dolobran took four years to build, encompasses a floor area of over 0.5 acres (2,000 m²) on five levels and is "a priceless relic of the Gilded Age on the Main Line." (O'Loughlin, Kathy, "Frank H. Furness: Visionary architect," Main Line Times, August 19, 2010. See also Lower Merion Historical Society, "The First 300 Years: An Amazing and Rich History of Lower Merion Township.")
• Jameer Nelson, All-Star basketball player for the Orlando Magic. A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, he attended St. Joseph's University. He lives in Haverford during the off season (Philadelphia Magazine, "Best of Philly" issue, August 2010, page 134)
• Georges Perrier, chef, founder of Le Bec-Fin restaurant in Philadelphia. He lived on Booth Lane.
• J. Howard Pew, son of Joseph Newton Pew, the founder of Sun Oil Company. His estate, "Knollbrook," was at Grays Lane and Mill Creek Road.
• Karin Katherine Taylor, actress, fashion model, Playmate of the Month in Playboy magazine (June 1996). She founded Style House in Haverford. She is currently living in Palm Beach, Florida.

• 
  Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
• 
  Founders Hall, Haverford College.
• 
  Dolobran (Clement A. Griscom mansion), Laurel Lane (1881), designed by Frank Furness.
• 
  Merion Cricket Club, Montgomery Ave. & Grays Lane (1896), designed by Frank Furness.

See also

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• Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
• Haverford College
• The Haverford School

External links

• Lower Merion Township Website
• Haverford Township Website