Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Last updated May 03, 2019

Providence Township was a township in southeastern Pennsylvania, United States from 1729 until it was divided in 1805. Initially the township was part of Philadelphia County. Then in 1784, Providence Township was in that portion of Philadelphia County that was split off to form Montgomery County.

Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state located in the northeastern, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The Appalachian Mountains run through its middle. The Commonwealth is bordered by Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and New Jersey to the east.

Montgomery County, locally also referred to as Montco, is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the 71st most populous in the United States. As of 2017, the census-estimated population of the county was 826,075, representing a 3.3% increase from the 799,884 residents enumerated in the 2010 census. Montgomery County is located adjacent to and northwest of Philadelphia. The county seat is Norristown. Montgomery County is geographically diverse, ranging from farms and open land in the extreme north of the county to densely populated suburban neighborhoods in the southern and central portions of the county.

History

Originally the land was a major part of William Penn's Manor of Gilberts. In 1699, Penn sold off 5,000 acres (20 km²) east of the Perkiomen Creek and leased the land to the west.^[1] On 2 March 1729, the courts created Providence Township, although it was often referred to as New Providence.^[2]

William Penn was the son of Sir William Penn, and was an English nobleman, writer, early Quaker, and founder of the English North American colony the Province of Pennsylvania. He was an early advocate of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful treaties with the Lenape Native Americans. Under his direction, the city of Philadelphia was planned and developed.

The Manor of Gilberts was one of the areas of land that William Penn set aside for himself as the Proprietor of the Province of Pennsylvania. The Manor was located on the along the left (northeastern) bank of the Schuylkill River, extending above and below the Perkiomen Creek. The Manor was created on 8 October 1683 when Penn wrote a warrant assigning the Manor to himself. The Gilberts were Willam Penn's mother's family.

Perkiomen Creek creek in southeastern Pennsylvania, United States

Perkiomen Creek is a 37.7-mile-long (60.7 km) tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania in the United States. The water course was also named Perquaminck Creek, on Thomas Holme's 1687 map.

On 12 November 1805, Providence Township was divided along the Perkiomen Creek into the townships of Upper Providence and Lower Providence .^[3]^[4]

Upper Providence Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 21,219.

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Berks County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 411,442. The county seat is Reading.

Audubon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,433 at the 2010 census.

Collegeville is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia on the Perkiomen Creek. Collegeville was incorporated in 1896. It is the location of Ursinus College, opened in 1869. The population was 5,089 at the 2010 census.

Lower Providence Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, about 17 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The population was 25,436 at the 2010 census.

Perkiomen Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 9,139, which represents a 28.8% increase from the 2000 total of 7,093 residents. Governmentally, it is a township of the second class, governed by a board of supervisors. It is part of the Perkiomen Valley School District. Perkiomen Township includes an abundance of history that goes as far back as to the first tribes who inhabited the area. This township started with the inhabitants of the Lenni-Lenape Tribe and progressed in many ways into what it is today.

Schwenksville is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,385 at the 2010 census. It is notable for being located near the site of the Philadelphia Folk Festival. The borough was founded in 1684, when the Lenni-Lenape Indians ceded to William Penn the land along the Perkiomen Creek; it was incorporated in 1903. The borough was named for George Schwenk, whose son, Jacob Schwenk, served in George Washington's army.

Graterford is an unincorporated community in Perkiomen Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Moreland Township, is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

Oaks is an unincorporated community located in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles (30 km) northwest of Philadelphia. Its boundaries are defined in large part by the village's position at the junction of Perkiomen Creek and the Schuylkill River.

The Perkiomen Trail is a 19-mile-long (31 km) multi-use rail trail along the Perkiomen Creek in Pennsylvania.

Mont Clare is a village in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The village is located on the left bank of the Schuylkill River, opposite Phoenixville and Chester County. Mont Clare is at the site of the former Jacobs' ford. Mont Clare hosts the only functional lock and one of only two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal. Mont Clare was the birthplace of the infamous outlaw Sundance Kid.

Barto is an unincorporated community situated between the boroughs of Bally and Bechtelsville in Washington Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Barto is part of the Delaware Valley, located near the border with Montgomery County. Its zip code is 19504 and the West Branch Perkiomen Creek flows southeast through it to join the Perkiomen Creek in the Green Lane Reservoir.

Chapel is a village located on Pennsylvania Route 29 and the Perkiomen Creek in Hereford Township, Berks County and Upper Hanover Township, Montgomery County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It uses the 18070 zip code of Palm, which is located just to the southeast. It is served by the Upper Perkiomen School District and uses the area code of 215.

Landis Store is a village in District Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. It is drained by the West Branch Perkiomen Creek into the Perkiomen Creek in the Green Lane Reservoir. It is split between the Alburtis zip code of 18011, the Barto zip code of 19504, and the Boyertown zip code of 19512.

Plymouth Meeting Historic District is a national historic district that straddles Plymouth and Whitemarsh Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The adjacent Cold Point Historic District is north of it.

Center Point, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Worcester Township, Montgomery County at the junction of Routes 73 and 363. It is drained by the Zacharias Creek westward into the Skippack Creek, a tributary of the Perkiomen Creek. It is served by the Methacton School District and by the Collegeville, Lansdale, and Norristown post offices with the zip codes of 19426, 19446, and 19403, respectively.

References

↑ "HOW PENN DIVIDED HIS VAST HOLDINGS OF LAND". The Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. July 21, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
↑ Bean, Theodore W., ed. (1884). HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, ILLUSTRATED, 1884. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck. p. 1044.
↑ Bean, p. 1049
↑ House Resolution 374

Coordinates: 40°07′29″N75°28′09″W / 40.12481°N 75.46920°W / 40.12481; -75.46920

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

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[1] "HOW PENN DIVIDED HIS VAST HOLDINGS OF LAND". The Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. July 21, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved March 3, 2010.

[Bean-2] Bean, Theodore W., ed. (1884). HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA, ILLUSTRATED, 1884. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck. p. 1044.

[3] Bean, p. 1049

[4] House Resolution 374

v t e Municipalities and communities of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
County seat: Norristown
Boroughs	Ambler Bridgeport Bryn Athyn Collegeville Conshohocken East Greenville Green Lane Hatboro Hatfield Jenkintown Lansdale Narberth Norristown North Wales Pennsburg Pottstown Red Hill Rockledge Royersford Schwenksville Souderton Telford‡ Trappe West Conshohocken
Townships	Abington Cheltenham Douglass East Norriton Franconia Hatfield Horsham Limerick Lower Frederick Lower Gwynedd Lower Merion Lower Moreland Lower Pottsgrove Lower Providence Lower Salford Marlborough Montgomery New Hanover Perkiomen Plymouth Salford Skippack Springfield Towamencin Upper Dublin Upper Frederick Upper Gwynedd Upper Hanover Upper Merion Upper Moreland Upper Pottsgrove Upper Providence Upper Salford West Norriton West Pottsgrove Whitemarsh Whitpain Worcester
CDPs	Arcadia University Ardmore‡ Audubon Blue Bell Bryn Mawr Eagleville Evansburg Flourtown Fort Washington Gilbertsville Glenside Halfway House Harleysville Haverford College‡ Horsham King of Prussia Kulpsville Maple Glen Montgomeryville Oreland Penn Wynne Plymouth Meeting Pottsgrove Sanatoga Skippack Spring House Spring Mount Stowe Trooper Willow Grove Woxall Wyncote Wyndmoor
Unincorporated communities	Arcola Ardsley Ashmead Village Bala Cynwyd Barren Hill Belmont Hills Bethayres Camp Hill Cedarbrook Cedars Center Point Center Square Chapel‡ Colmar Congo Creamery Crestmont Cheltenham Dresher Earlington Edge Hill Elkins Park Erdenheim Eureka‡ Fairview Village Fitzwatertown Franconia Frederick Fulmor Geryville‡ Gladwyne Graterford Gulph Mills Gwynedd Gwynedd Valley Haverford‡ Hollywood Huntingdon Valley Jarrettown Lafayette Hill La Mott Laverock Layfield Lederach Line Lexington‡ Linfield Mainland McKinley Meadowbrook Melrose Park Merion Mingo Miquon Mont Clare Montgomery Square New Hanover Square Noble North Hills Oaks Obelisk Palm Penn Valley Perkiomenville Port Indian Port Kennedy Port Providence Prospectville Rahns Rosemont‡ Roslyn Roychester Rydal Salford Salfordville Sassamansville Spring Mill Sumneytown Swedeland Three Tuns Tylersport Unionville‡ Villanova‡ Wayne‡ West Point Worcester Wynnewood‡ Yerkes Zieglerville
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties