Dresher, Pennsylvania

Last updated

Dresher
USA Pennsylvania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dresher
Location of Dresher in Pennsylvania
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dresher
Dresher (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°08′27″N75°10′01″W / 40.14083°N 75.16694°W / 40.14083; -75.16694
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
County Montgomery
Township Upper Dublin
Area
  Total
3.24 sq mi (8.4 km2)
  Land3.24 sq mi (8.4 km2)
  Water0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation
203 ft (62 m)
Population
 (2000)
  Total
5,610
  Density1,700/sq mi (670/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
19025
Area codes 215, 267, and 445

Dresher (previously Dreshertown) is a community in Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The population was 5,610 at the 2000 census. Because Dresher is neither an incorporated area nor a census-designated place, all statistics are for the ZIP Code 19025, with which the community is coterminous.

Contents

History

Dreshertown developed around a sawmill and gristmill built by John Kirk sometime before 1750. George Dresher bought the mill about 1780 and the family owned it for 54 years. The Dreshers began a small burial ground next to their residence. The Dreshertown Cemetery is mostly descendants of Christopher Dresher, an early Schwenkfelder immigrant. The family left Silesia, a province in the German kingdom of Prussia, in 1726 to escape religious persecution as Schwenkfelders. They first landed in England, and in 1734, left Plymouth, England, and arrived in Philadelphia with their children, Christopher and Anna, on the St. Andrews, one of three ships carrying Schwenkfelders, [1]

Bean's 1884 History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania describes Dreshertown as follows:

"Dreshertown is situated at the intersection of the Limekiln turnpike with the Susquehanna Street road, and equidistant from Fitzwatertown and Jarrettown. As these two highways are ancient, they must denote an early settlement. It contains a store, grist-mill and eleven houses. A post-office was established here in 1832..."

An old blacksmith shop stood at the corner of Dresher Road and Limekiln Pike. Francis Houpt ran a general store beginning in 1871 at the village center: the triangle formed by Peg Street, Susquehanna Road and Limekiln Pike. In the 1880s, the McCormick Brothers were wheelwrights and blacksmiths at a shop at this intersection [2] that was owned first by Michael Carolan (1844-1906), an Irish immigrant born near Kells, County Meath, who came, at age three, with his family to New York aboard the Patrick Henry.

In about 1876, after the death of his mother, Michael opened a blacksmith shop on the Limekiln Pike in Dreshertown. The same year, he moved with his wife, Annie Larner (1852-1901) and young children to the center of Fitzwatertown, about a mile to the south of his shop at Dreshertown.

In the center of Dreshertown on May 8, 1878, Carolan, "blacksmith," and his wife, "Annie L. Carolan," paid Martin Costello $500, the equivalent of about $30,000 in real price today, for 53 square perches of land, about 1/3 of an acre, at the aforementioned triangle along Limekiln Pike at Peg Street, next door to the Houpt store. Michael owned the parcel only six months before selling, on December 5 that year, to Henry J. Houpt for the exact price he paid. [3] [4] This was the only real estate property Michael owned in his lifetime.

By June 1880, Michael is renting the Dreshertown shop, where he owns $1,200 capital, $1,200 value of material, $2,500 value of product, which is the equivalent today of about $151,000. [5] He has 4 employees, 2 males above age 16, and paid $1.60 per day to skilled mechanic and $1.25 a day to the ordinary laborer. Between May 1879 and November of that year, he worked 12 hour days, and from November to May 1880, he worked 9 hour days. Nearby are 10 other business including 6 blacksmiths, 2 wheelwrights (the McCormicks), and 2 wagon and carriage makers. [6] [7] The Likekiln Pike was a toll road and major thoroughfare. [8]

In about 1882, the Carolan family left Fitzwatertown and the McCormick Brothers took over the shop in Dreshertown. The Carolans moved to a rental in Rowlandville, [9] in North Philadelphia, near Wyoming Ave. and Tacony Creek. By 1887, they were to the immediate south, in Franklinville, where Michael and Annie lived the remainder of their lives.

The Pennsylvania Railroad built a line through Dreshertown in 1888 and a station stood where Susquehanna Road and Limekiln Pike cross. [10]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the community has a total area of 3.24 square miles (8.4 km2), all land. The headwaters for Sandy Run, a tributary of Wissahickon Creek are located in Dresher.

Dresher is located north of Philadelphia and is adjacent to the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276).

Demographics

At the 2000 census, there were 5,610 people, 1,765 households, and 1,538 families in the community. The population density was 1,734.04/sq mi. There were 1,830 housing units at an average density of 564.67/sq mi. The racial make-up was 89.9% White, 1.0% African American, 0.7% Native American, 6.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

Out of the 1,765 households, 47.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.4% were married couples living together, 2.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.9% were non-families. 12.0% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.31.

The age distribution was 30.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% 65 or older. The median age was 39.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 96 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93 males.

The median household income was $99,231 and the median family income was $107,236. Males had a median income of $82,897 versus $35,316 for females. The per capita income for the community was $38,865. 2.1% of the population and 2.1% of families were below the poverty line.

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is adjacent to Philadelphia's northern fringe. The population was 58,502 as of the 2020 census, making it the second most populous township in Montgomery County after Lower Merion Township. The population density is 3603.3 per square mile (1,377/km2), making it the second most densely populated township in Montgomery County after Cheltenham Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Washington, Pennsylvania</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Fort Washington is a census-designated place and suburb of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The CDP, as of 2020, is entirely in Upper Dublin Township. The population was 5,446 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horsham Township, Pennsylvania</span> Home rule municipality in Pennsylvania, United States

Horsham Township is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is located ten miles north of Center City Philadelphia. The township, incorporated in 1717, is one of the oldest original municipalities in Montgomery County. Although it retains the word "Township" in its official name, it has been governed by a Home Rule Charter since 1975 and is therefore not subject to the Pennsylvania Township Code. The population was 26,564 at the time of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Frederick Township, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Lower Frederick Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,840 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlborough Township, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Marlborough Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,178 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Montgomery Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is the location of the Montgomery Mall, a regional shopping mall serving the Route 309 corridor of the Philadelphia suburbs. Much of Montgomery Township's development is suburban in character, with newer tract houses and strip shopping centers. Homes in Montgomery Township have North Wales and Lansdale addresses, but businesses that are located within the township boundaries are given the Montgomeryville ZIP Code. The township is in the North Penn School District and is part of the North Penn Valley region that is centered around the borough of Lansdale.

Oreland is a United States census-designated place (CDP) in Springfield and Upper Dublin townships, just outside the Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy areas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Oreland has a ZIP code of 19075, and the population was 5,678 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skippack, Pennsylvania</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Skippack, originally named "Van Bebber's Township", is a census-designated place (CDP) in Skippack Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,758 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Hanover Township, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Upper Hanover Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,464 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Moreland Township, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Upper Moreland Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The population was 24,015 at the 2010 census. Upper Moreland Township is a primarily residential community located about 13 miles outside Center City Philadelphia. It is made up of distinctive neighborhoods that are complemented by several thriving business, industrial, and commercial districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania</span> Home rule municipality in Pennsylvania, United States

Whitemarsh Township is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It retains its former classification of "Township" in its official name despite being a home rule municipality. The population was 19,707 at the 2020 census. Whitemarsh is adjacent to the neighborhood of Andorra in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, and is bordered in Montgomery County by Springfield, Upper Dublin, Whitpain, and Plymouth townships, Conshohocken, and the Schuylkill River, which separates it from Lower Merion Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willow Grove, Pennsylvania</span> Census-designated place in Pennsylvania, United States

Willow Grove is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. A community in Philadelphia's northern suburbs, the population was 13,730 at the 2020 census. It is located in Abington Township and Upper Moreland Township. Willow Grove was once known for Willow Grove Park, an amusement park that was open from 1896 to 1976, now the site of Willow Grove Park Mall. Willow Grove is considered an edge city of Philadelphia, with large amounts of retail and office space. It was a stop on the network for fugitive enslaved people, known as the Underground Railroad, in the mid 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcester Township, Pennsylvania</span> Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Worcester Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 9,750 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wyncote, Pennsylvania</span> Place in Pennsylvania, United States

Wyncote is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders the northwestern and northeastern section of Philadelphia. Wyncote is located 11 miles from Center City Philadelphia at the southeasternmost tip of Montgomery County. The Jenkintown-Wyncote SEPTA station is the fifth busiest regional rail station in the SEPTA system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania</span> Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

Susquehanna Depot, often referred to simply as Susquehanna, is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, located on the Susquehanna River 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Binghamton, New York. In the past, railroad locomotives and railroad cars were made here. It is also known for its Pennsylvania Bluestone quarries.

Franklinville is a neighborhood of North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. According to the City Planning Commission, the boundaries of Franklinville are roughly a triangle bounded by West Sedgley Avenue, North Broad Street, and West Hunting Park Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 152</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 152 (PA 152) is a 25.3-mile-long (40.7 km) state highway located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route travels north–south from an interchange with PA 309 located in the Cedarbrook neighborhood of Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County north to another interchange with PA 309 located northeast of Telford in Bucks County. PA 152 is known as Limekiln Pike for most of its length. From the southern terminus, the route passes through suburban areas to the north of Philadelphia, serving Dresher, Maple Glen, and Chalfont. North of Chalfont, PA 152 runs through rural suburbs of Philadelphia before reaching Silverdale. Past here, the road continues northwest through Perkasie, where it turns southwest and passes through Sellersville before reaching its northern terminus.

Jarrettown is an unincorporated community located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community is in Upper Dublin Township, 2.2 miles (3.5 km) east of the Borough of Ambler and 2.75 miles (4.43 km) southwest of Horsham.

Fitzwatertown is an unincorporated community located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The community is in Upper Dublin Township, 2.13 miles (3.43 km) south of Jarrettown, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) west of Abington, 1.1 miles south of Dreshertown, 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Oreland and approximately 12.3 miles (19.8 km) north of Philadelphia.

References

  1. "Dreshertown signs spring up in Upper Dublin; early settler a part of township's history". thereporteronline. July 5, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
  2. Fort Washington and Upper Dublin. Arcadia Publishing. 2004. ISBN   978-0-7385-3520-3.
  3. "Measuring Worth - Results". www.measuringworth.com. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  4. Recorder Of Deeds, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Filed December 23, 1878.
  5. "Measuring Worth - Results". www.measuringworth.com. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  6. U.S. Census, Manufactures Census (Schedule 3-taken between June 01, 1879 and May 31, 1880) Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania, Post Office Jarrettown.
  7. 1880 US Census, Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, p 35, June 17, 1880.
  8. Ten years prior, on a farm to the east of Fitzwatertown, Michael was just starting out as a blacksmith and had a personal estate worth only $600, or the equivalent today of about $14,500.
  9. "About". The Rowland Company. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  10. Fort Washington and Upper Dublin. Arcadia Publishing. 2004. ISBN   978-0-7385-3520-3.