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Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania

Coordinates: 40°07′29″N 75°09′59″W / 40.12472°N 75.16639°W / 40.12472; -75.16639
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This article is about the Township of Upper Dublin, PA. For the school district, see Upper Dublin School District.
The Township of Upper Dublin
Township
Quaker Manor House
Quaker Manor House
Official seal of The Township of Upper Dublin
Seal
Location of Upper Dublin in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Location of Upper Dublin in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40°07′29″N 75°09′59″W / 40.12472°N 75.16639°W / 40.12472; -75.16639
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyMontgomery
Purchased1684
Government
 • President
Board of Commissioners		Ira S. Tackel
Area
[1]
 • Total13.26 sq mi (34.3 km2)
 • Land13.23 sq mi (34.3 km2)
 • Water0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation
230 ft (70 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total25,569
 • Estimate 
(2016)[2]
26,225
 • Density1,900/sq mi (740/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
19001, 19002, 19025, 19034, 19038, 19075, 19090
Area code(s)215, 267, 445
FIPS code42-091-79008
Websiteupperdublin.net

Upper Dublin Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,569 at the 2010 census. Until the 1950s, Upper Dublin was mostly farmland and open space, but transitioned to a residential suburb during the postwar population boom. The population went from just over 6,000 residents in the 1950s to just under 20,000 by 1970. Today, Upper Dublin is mostly spread-out development housing, and has the fourth highest median income in Montgomery County.[3]

Upper Dublin is made up of several community areas, many of which are unincorporated areas in Montgomery County with no legal status, and are used primarily by the US Postal Service. These community areas are portions of Abington (19001), Ambler (19002) (excluding the Borough of Ambler), Ardsley (19038), Dresher (19025), Fort Washington (19034), Jarrettown (19025), Maple Glen (19002), North Hills (19038), Oreland (19075), and Willow Grove (19090).

History

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Founding

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Edward Tanner was granted land by William Penn in the Province of Pennsylvania and named it "Upper and Lower Dublin." Lower Dublin was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation in 1854.[4] The "upper" portion has continued to exist around the original survey for the laying out and naming of Susquehanna Road. Upper Dublin Township was established in 1701, when William Penn ordered a survey of all townships in the Commonwealth. It was first settled in 1698, and incorporated in 1719.[5] The township was granted its current status of First Class Township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on January 1, 1946. Originally the area started as a farming community with additional activity in the mining of limestone. Limekiln Pike today continues to be an important travel artery.

American Revolutionary War

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Main article: Battle of White Marsh
Battle of White Marsh in a German illustration
Emlen House, headquarters of George Washington, November 2 – December 11, 1777

During the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, George Washington and the Continental Army were encamped here after their October 4, 1777, defeat at the Battle of Germantown, and immediately prior to their march to Valley Forge. From December 5–8, 1777, the Battle of White Marsh was fought here between British and American forces. Throughout the encampment, Washington was headquartered at the Emlen House, built by Quaker George Emlen in 1745. British commander General William Howe observed the American lines from the belltower of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church (at Bethlehem Pike and Camp Hill Road), site of the British encampment on December 5. Fort Washington State Park, in neighboring Whitemarsh Township, contains the area in which the primary American defenses were situated.

2021 tornado

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On September 1, 2021, an EF2 tornado spawned by the remnants of Hurricane Ida hit Upper Dublin Township, specifically the towns of Fort Washington and Maple Glen.[6]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Township has a total area of 13.2 square miles (34.2 km2), of which 13.2 square miles (34.2 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.15%) is water. The township is situated in the Delaware watershed and almost all of it is drained by the Wissahickon Creek into the Schuylkill River, except for very small areas near the northeastern boundary drained by the Neshaminy Creek and the Pennypack Creek.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1800744—
18501,330—
18601,4378.0%
18701,58810.5%
18801,85616.9%
18902,0088.2%
19001,933−3.7%
19102,93651.9%
19203,0453.7%
19304,37943.8%
19404,6205.5%
19506,63743.7%
196010,18453.4%
197019,56292.1%
198022,34814.2%
199024,0287.5%
200025,8787.7%
201025,569−1.2%
202026,6654.3%
(1930-2000);[7] (1850-1930)[8]

As of the 2010 census,[9] there were 25,569 people, 9,397 households, and 7,214 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,966 inhabitants per square mile (759/km2). The racial makeup of the township 83.0% White, 6.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 8.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.3% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.[10]

There were 9,397 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the Township the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 19, 3.9% from 20 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 33.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males.

As of the 2000 census,[9] the median income for a household in the township was $80,093, and the median income for a family was $91,418 (these figures had risen to $106,337 and $123,030 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[11]). Males had a median income of $68,353 versus $39,152 for females. The per capita income for the Township was $37,994. About 2.7% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

The ten most common ancestries of residents are Irish (21.3%), German (19.0%), Italian (14.2%), English (10.2%), Russian (8.7%), Asian (6.2%), Polish (6.0%), African American (1.4%) United States or American (8.0%), and French (2.0%).

The most common languages spoken at home after English (88.6%) are Korean (3.1%), Italian (1.7%), Chinese (1.5%), Spanish or Spanish Creole (1.0%), German (0.7%), and French (0.6%).

Notable people

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Government

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Presidential elections results[14]
Year Republican Democratic
2020 29.3% 5,451 69.1% 12,862
2016 30.9% 5,045 65.2% 10,653
2012 40.6% 6,345 58.4% 9,131
2008 38.1% 6,106 61.3% 9,836
2004 43.0% 6,589 56.8% 8,704
2000 41.8% 5,827 56.0% 7,810
1996 41.6% 5,179 50.8% 6,329
1992 40.9% 5,423 43.0% 5,696

Upper Dublin became a Pennsylvania First Class Township in 1946. Elected representatives (Commissioners) serve four-year terms of office. The government is a council/manager type. There are seven commissioners, one for each ward. The Commissioners from odd numbered wards stand for election in 2023, 2027, 2031 etc. and the even numbered wards in 2021, 2025, 2029 etc. A manager runs the day-to-day operations with his staff. There are eight departments: Administration, Finance, Library, Public Works, Police, Parks and Recreation, Code Enforcement, and Fleet & Facilities. Fire protection is provided primarily by the Fort Washington Fire Company No. 1, a volunteer fire department.

Business and industry

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The Upper Dublin Friends Meeting House, built in 1814.

The Fort Washington Office Park is a center of commerce in Upper Dublin Township. When it opened in 1955, this was the first modern suburban business park on the East Coast. Strategically located at a Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange, this 566-acre suburban office park contains more than 80 commercial buildings totaling over six million square feet, and is home to 230 businesses, employing more than 12,000 workers across a variety of industries. The mix of uses has shifted from light industrial to office-based businesses over its 60+ year lifespan.

To remain competitive, Upper Dublin Township partnered with state and county government agencies to develop a multifaceted modernization plan including major infrastructure improvements, transportation planning and a proposed mixed-use zoning ordinance. With the proposed mixed-use zoning, the addition of new multifamily housing, retail and dining are anticipated. In September 2016, the Township formed a new Municipal Authority, to oversee the planning, design and financing of the Office Park's public improvement projects going forward.

The business community's response to this modernization program has been positive, with numerous new business openings including corporate headquarters, research labs and call centers. Among the companies that recently moved in to Fort Washington Office Park are Aon Affinity Insurance, Kellogg Company, Citizens Bank, Life Time Athletics, Ashfield Healthcare, Impax Laboratories, Lincoln Investment Planning, TruMark Financial Federal Credit Union, TransWorld Systems, Connexin Software and Acclara Solutions. They join long-term businesses in Fort Washington including Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson and NutriSystem's headquarters offices. Toll Brothers moved its corporate headquarters to the office park in 2020.

In 2017 Upper Dublin Township acquired a 56,000 s.f. office building in the Fort Washington Office Park, to house several municipal functions and supplement its community services. Later, it was announced that the Upper Dublin Public Library would be moving to this facility. The Upper Dublin Public Library opened in 2020.

Transportation

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I-276/Pennsylvania Turnpike eastbound in Upper Dublin Township

As of 2018 there were 131.11 miles (211.00 km) of public roads in Upper Dublin Township, of which 3.70 miles (5.95 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), 23.79 miles (38.29 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 103.62 miles (166.76 km) were maintained by the township.[15]

Numbered routes serving Upper Dublin Township include PA 63 (Welsh Road, which forms the northeast border), PA 152 (Limekiln Pike), I-276 (Pennsylvania Turnpike), and PA 309 (Fort Washington Expressway). I-276 and PA 309 meet at the Fort Washington Interchange. I-276 also has a westbound cashless tolling slip ramp in Upper Dublin Township connecting with Virginia Drive east of PA 309. Other important roads include Bethlehem Pike, Butler Pike, Morris Road, Norristown Road, and Susquehanna Road.[16][17]

The Lansdale/Doylestown Line of SEPTA Regional Rail passes through Upper Dublin Township, but has no stops within the township. The nearest stops are the Fort Washington station in Whitemarsh Township, Oreland station in Springfield, and the Ambler station in Borough of Ambler. SEPTA provides bus service to Upper Dublin Township along Route 80, which runs a limited stop weekday route through the township between the Olney Transportation Center in North Philadelphia and the Horsham business parks; Route 94, which passes through the western part of the township near Fort Washington on its route between Chestnut Hill and the Montgomery Mall; Route 95, which passes through the western part of the township near Fort Washington on its route between Gulph Mills and Willow Grove; and Route 201, which provides weekday service between the Fort Washington business parks and the Fort Washington station.[18]

Norfolk Southern Railway's Morrisville Line freight railroad line passes through Upper Dublin Township, running parallel to the south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.[17][19]

Education

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Main article: School District of Upper Dublin

There are four elementary schools (K-5), one middle school (6-8) and one high school (9-12) which are fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The professional staff has an average of 16 years teaching experience and approximately 85 percent hold advanced degrees.

The four elementary schools are Fort Washington Elementary School, Maple Glen Elementary School, Jarrettown Elementary School, and Thomas Fitzwater Elementary School; the middle school is Sandy Run Middle School, and the high school is Upper Dublin High School. Upper Dublin High School is considered to be one of the best-performing public schools in Pennsylvania, with the fifth highest combined score average on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) in the state. The high school has been recognized three times by the United States Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

The Township is also home to a number of private schools. There is an area Catholic grade school, Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School, in Maple Glen. Our Lady of Mercy was formed in 2012 by the merger of St. Alphonsus in Maple Glen, St. Anthony-St. Joseph in Ambler, and St. Catherine of Siena in Horsham.[20]

The township has the following universities: Temple University Ambler and Fort Washington campuses, DeVry University Fort Washington campus and Gwynedd Mercy College Fort Washington campus.

Parks and recreation

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Upper Dublin has more than 40 sites and 600 acres (2.4 km2) of parkland and open space ranging in size from neighborhood squares to sprawling meadow-like areas. There are natural resource areas as well as active recreation sites with varying amenities including tennis courts, play lots, jogging/exercise trails, picnic pavilions, playing fields, basketball courts and sand volleyball courts. In 2005, the Township opened MonDaug Bark Park, with wooded trails as well as a 1-acre (0.40 ha) fenced, off-leash dog park.

In 2006, the Board of Commissioners adopted an extensive Open Space & Environmental Resources Protection Plan that guides local acquisition, development and protection efforts to the year 2020.

Upper Dublin is also home to two golf courses. Manufacturers Golf & Country Club is nestled on historic Camp Hill and is nationally known. Lu Lu Country Club is located in the southeastern section of the township bordering Abington.

References

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  1. ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  2. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  3. ^ Montco Info
  4. ^ "Incorporated District, Boroughs, and Townships in the County of Philadelphia, 1854". Philadelphia History. ushistory.org. Retrieved February 11, 2008.
  5. ^ Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
  6. ^ Philadelphia Inquirer
  7. ^ http://dvrpc.org/reports/DB82.pdf[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ ancestry.com
  9. ^ a b "Upper Dublin Township, American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "Census 2010: Philadelphia gains, Pittsburgh shrinks in population". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 14, 2011.
  11. ^ "Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania - Selected Economic Characteristics: 2005-2007". Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  12. ^ Marc Narducci (December 23, 2010). "Union sign Upper Dublin High player, 15". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
  13. ^ "Animations color KU grad's world". tribunedigital-mcall. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  14. ^ "Montgomery County Election Results". Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  15. ^ "Upper Dublin Township map" (PDF). PennDOT. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  16. ^ Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Map) (18th ed.). 1"=2000'. ADC Map. 2006. ISBN 0-87530-775-2.
  17. ^ a b Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  18. ^ SEPTA Official Transit & Street Map Suburban (PDF) (Map). SEPTA. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  19. ^ Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Region Timetable 1, August 4, 2008
  20. ^ "2012 Catholic grade school consolidations/closings". Catholicphilly.com. July 15, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
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