Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
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| Swarthmore, Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
| Name | Swarthmore, Pennsylvania |
| Settlement type | Borough |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | United States |
| Subdivision type1 | State |
| Subdivision name1 | Pennsylvania |
| Subdivision type2 | County |
| Subdivision name2 | Delaware County |
| Established title | Settled |
| Established date | 1866 |
| Established title1 | Incorporated |
| Established date1 | 1893 |
| Leader title | Mayor |
| Leader name | Marty Spiegel |
| Area total km2 | 3.58 |
| Area total sq mi | 1.38 |
| Area land km2 | 3.58 |
| Area land sq mi | 1.38 |
| Area water km2 | 0.00 |
| Area water sq mi | 0.00 |
| Elevation ft | 151 |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Population total | 6314 |
| Population density km2 | 1763.69 |
| Population density sq mi | 4574.64 |
| Timezone | EST |
| Utc offset | -5 |
| Timezone DST | EDT |
| Utc offset DST | -4 |
| Postal code type | ZIP Code |
| Postal code | 19081 |
| Area code | 610 and 484 |
| Blank name | FIPS code |
| Blank info | 42-75632 |
| Blank1 name | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 info | 1189128 |
| Website | www.swarthmorepa.org |
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Swarthmore is a residential borough in Delaware County, situated along the Main Line corridor southwest of Philadelphia. It is best known as the home of the prestigious Swarthmore College, a founding member of the Tri-College Consortium and a leading institution in the Quaker tradition of liberal arts education. The borough's character is defined by its collegiate atmosphere, historic Victorian architecture, and extensive community engagement.
History
The land that became Swarthmore was part of a 1682 grant from William Penn to his daughter, Letitia, and was later owned by the Husband family, prominent Quakers. The borough's modern founding is inextricably linked to the 1864 establishment of Swarthmore College by the Religious Society of Friends, with the college's first president, Edward Parrish, playing a key role. The surrounding community was formally laid out in 1866 by a surveyor for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the borough was incorporated in 1893. Its name honors the English homestead, "Swarthmore Hall," of Margaret Fell, an early Quaker leader. The borough's growth was closely tied to the college and the expansion of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which provided direct service to Philadelphia.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Swarthmore has a total area of 1.38 square miles, all of it land. It is bordered by Springfield Township to the north, Nether Providence Township to the west and south, and Ridley Township to the east. The borough's topography is relatively flat, typical of the Atlantic coastal plain, and it is located within the watershed of Crum Creek, which flows to the Delaware River. Major transportation routes include Pennsylvania Route 320 (Chester Road) and the adjacent Media/Wawa Line of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States Census, the borough was home to 6,314 people. The population density was approximately 4,575 people per square mile. The racial makeup was predominantly White, with significant Asian and Black communities. The median household income is substantially higher than both the Pennsylvania and national averages, reflecting the borough's affluent, highly educated character. A large proportion of the housing stock consists of single-family homes, many dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Education
The defining educational institution is Swarthmore College, a top-ranked liberal arts college and member of the Tri-College Consortium with Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College. The borough is served by the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, which operates Swarthmore-Rutledge School for elementary students and Strath Haven Middle School and Strath Haven High School for secondary education. The district is consistently highly rated. The Swarthmore Public Library, an affiliate of the Delaware County Library System, serves as a vital community and academic resource.
Notable people
Notable current and former residents include Nobel laureate in Physics and former Swarthmore College president Philip W. Anderson; Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W. S. Merwin; pioneering computer scientist and Grace Hopper Award winner Frances E. Allen; former United States Senator and World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz; and acclaimed actress and Academy Award nominee Megan Follows. Many notable Swarthmore College faculty and alumni have also resided in the borough.
Points of interest
The central point of interest is the 425-acre arboretum campus of Swarthmore College, featuring the iconic Parrish Hall and the Scott Arboretum. The borough's commercial heart is the Village of Swarthmore, a walkable downtown area with shops and restaurants along Park Avenue. The Swarthmore Borough Hall and the former Swarthmore Train Station are notable historic structures. The community maintains several parks, including George H. W. Bush Park (named for a former borough council president, not the President of the United States) and the Crum Woods, a large forested preserve along Crum Creek.
Category:Boroughs in Pennsylvania Category:Populated places in Delaware County, Pennsylvania