Penfield, Haverford Township, Pennsylvania

Penfield, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated community
A view of the Grange Estate woods from Penfield at the end of Grove Place
Penfield Show map of Pennsylvania Penfield Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°58′58″N75°17′18″W / 39.98278°N 75.28833°W / 39.98278; -75.28833
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Delaware
Township	Haverford
Elevation	85 m (278 ft)
Population
• Total	1,519
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area codes	610 and 484
GNIS feature ID	1183464 [1]

Penfield is an unincorporated community in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Penfield borders the unincorporated communities of Brookline, Chatham, Carroll Park, and Beechwood in Haverford. ^[2]

History

Philadelphia Inquirer advertisement for Penfield, highlighting the train service

The farming land that would be developed into Penfield was originally owned by Clifford Burke Harmon. ^[3] The Penfield development coincided with the farmlands of Henry C. Terry, shortly before sale of the land around 1900. ^{[4] [5]}

The development of Penfield began to be planned in 1907 when the Philadelphia and Western train brought service from 69th street to Norristown. ^{[3] [4]} The proximity of Penfield to the city of Philadelphia was a selling point for the budding suburb. ^{[6] [4]} The reliance on the P&W rapid transit line and the development of Penfield around it make it an early 19th century example of a streetcar suburb, one of several in the Western Suburbs of Philadelphia. The development of Penfield, including its sidewalks, roads, gutters and landscaping, was undertaken by Clifford B. Harmon & Company. ^{[4] [7]} Clifford B. Harmon was a wealthy real estate developer and aviator, founding the International League of Aviators. The development of Penfield was well underway by 1910. ^[8]

Penfield is located right next to the Grange Estate, Lawrence Cabin, and Nitre Hall. All three notable historic properties are in the Karakung Valley, also known as Powder Mill Valley.

Penfield is served by the Haverford Township School District, Haverford Township Police Department, and the Brookline Fire Station. Its nearest transit stop is Penfield Station on the M Line.

Demographics

The population of Penfield was 1,519 as of the 2020 census. ^[9]

References

1. "Penfield". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. "Comp Plan Update" (PDF). Haverford Township. December 2024.
3. "Penfield". I LIVE IN HARFORD. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
4. "Beechwood, Brookline and Penfield". ArcGIS StoryMaps. January 8, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
5. Smith, E.V. (1900). Atlas of the Properties of the Main Line Pennsylvania Railroad. 27 South Sixth Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: J.L. Smith.
6. "Rapid Transit Brings Penfield". Philadelphia Inquirer. April 30, 1910.
7. "Rapid Progress Made at Penfield". Philadelphia Inquirer. September 5, 1909.
8. "Penfield Section Surging to the Front". The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 22, 1910. p. 6.
9. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2024.