Cheltenham Township Historical Commission

Cheltenham Township Historical Commission
Name	Cheltenham Township Historical Commission
Formation	1968
Type	Historic preservation commission
Headquarters	Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction	Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Leader title	Chair

Cheltenham Township Historical Commission The Cheltenham Township Historical Commission is a local preservation body in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania tasked with documenting, protecting, and advising on cultural resources within Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. It interfaces with municipal bodies such as the Cheltenham Township Board of Commissioners, regional agencies like the Montgomery County Historical Society, and state entities including the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The commission collaborates with preservation groups such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, educational institutions like Temple University and Arcadia University, and cultural organizations including the Cheltenham Center for the Arts, to steward landscapes, buildings, and sites associated with historic figures and events.

History

The commission was established amid the rise of local preservation movements following national legislation such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and in the wake of regional efforts exemplified by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. Early work documented landscapes tied to families and institutions like Elkins Park Historic District, estates associated with William Welsh, and sites connected to Philadelphia-area transportation corridors including the North Pennsylvania Railroad and Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. Over decades the commission engaged with designation processes tied to the National Register of Historic Places and coordinated responses to development pressures from suburbanization patterns that paralleled trends in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Mission and Authority

The commission's mission aligns with principles promoted by the National Park Service and the Secretary of the Interior's standards for historic preservation, advising on treatment of resources from colonial-era sites linked to William Penn through 19th- and 20th-century architecture by architects like Horace Trumbauer and firms such as Cope & Stewardson. Authority derives from municipal ordinances adopted by the Cheltenham Township Board of Commissioners and state enabling statutes in Pennsylvania, operating alongside regulatory frameworks of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The commission issues recommendations for local historic designation, review of demolition permits, and consultation for projects subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act when federal undertakings affect township resources.

Programs and Activities

Programs include historic resource surveys modeled after methodologies used by the Historic American Buildings Survey and inventories maintained in concert with the State Historic Preservation Office. The commission conducts architectural assessments referencing styles such as Georgian architecture, Victorian architecture, and Colonial Revival architecture; it prepares nominations for the National Register of Historic Places and local historic district reports akin to work by the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Activities extend to preservation planning that intersects with transportation projects by SEPTA and regional land-use discussions involving PennDOT and Montgomery County Planning Commission.

Historic Properties and Districts

The commission has worked on properties within neighborhoods associated with figures like Albert Einstein (nearby associations), residences linked to local leaders, and institutional campuses such as those of Cheltenham High School and religious sites connected to congregations like Elsa B. Allan Memorial Church. Notable local historic districts reflect patterns similar to the Glenside Historic District, the Elkins Park Historic District, and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places across Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Preservation priorities include domestic architecture, landscape features, cemeteries with monuments by sculptors in the tradition of William Struthers, and commercial corridors influenced by regional commerce tied to Old York Road.

Preservation Policies and Ordinances

The commission advises on local ordinances that regulate alterations, demolitions, and design review, modeled after practices encouraged by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and guidance from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Policies integrate Secretary of the Interior standards with municipal zoning administered by the Cheltenham Township Planning Commission and enforcement coordinated with the Cheltenham Township Building Department. Ordinances address compatibility criteria, certificate of appropriateness processes, and incentives paralleling those offered through tax credits and programs supported by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

Community Engagement and Education

Educational outreach leverages partnerships with institutions such as The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, local libraries affiliated with the Free Library of Philadelphia system, and schools including Cheltenham Township School District. Programs feature walking tours akin to those organized by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, lectures highlighting figures connected to the township, exhibits in collaboration with the Cheltenham Center for the Arts, and oral-history projects that mirror initiatives by the Library of Congress's collections. The commission promotes volunteer engagement through mentorships with preservation students from Temple University, archival collaborations with the Montgomery County Archives, and public workshops on stewardship and rehabilitation.

Governance and Funding

Governance comprises appointed volunteer commissioners serving terms established by the Cheltenham Township Board of Commissioners, with liaisons to municipal departments including the Cheltenham Township Manager's office and the Cheltenham Township Parks and Recreation Department. Funding is a mix of municipal budget allocations, grants from entities such as the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and private foundations like the Pew Charitable Trusts, and program-specific fundraising in partnership with organizations like the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and local friends groups.

Category:Historic preservation in Pennsylvania Category:Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Category:Local government in Pennsylvania