Jenkintown, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Borough
View entering Jenkintown from Wyncote
Keystone Marker
Location of Jenkintown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Montgomery
Incorporated	December 8, 1874
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• Total	0.59 sq mi (1.52 km2)
• Land	0.59 sq mi (1.52 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	322 ft (98 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,719
• Density	8,052.90/sq mi (3,106.87/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	19046
Area codes	215, 267 and 445
FIPS code	42-38000

Jenkintown is a small town, also called a borough, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of Center City Philadelphia.

History of Jenkintown

Jenkintown was named after William Jenkins, who was an early settler from Wales.

How Jenkintown Started

This area was settled around 1697. Jenkintown officially became a borough on December 8, 1874. At that time, it was about 248 acres (1 square kilometer) taken from Abington Township. Today, Jenkintown is about 0.58 square miles (1.5 square kilometers) and is home to around 4,700 people.

Jenkintown's Layout

Jenkintown is mostly a place where people live. It is divided into East and West by a main business area. This business area runs along and around Old York Road (which is also Route 611).

On the east side of Old York Road, you'll find bigger homes with larger yards. On the southeast side, there's a mix of row homes, duplexes (houses for two families), and single-family homes. Most of the homes are west of York Road. This area has a traditional small-town feel with many types of houses. There are also apartment buildings, some for rent and some as condominiums. The Jenkintown Elementary School and Jenkintown High School are in the middle of this residential area.

Jenkintown's Volunteer Fire Department

The Jenkintown Fire Department is made up of two fire companies. These companies were started over 125 years ago. It is a completely volunteer department. This means the firefighters are volunteers and do not get paid.

The two companies are the Pioneer Fire Company #1 (started in 1884) and the Independent Fire Company #2 (started in 1889). They have about 150 members in total, with 50 active firefighters.

Jenkintown During the Revolutionary War

In December 1777, parts of the British army marched through Jenkintown. They were on their way to the Battle of White Marsh.

Historic Places in Jenkintown

Several buildings in Jenkintown are very old and important. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

• The Jenkins' Town Lyceum Building
• The Jenkintown-Wyncote station
• The Strawbridge and Clothier Store

Jenkintown as a Shopping Center

Strawbridge and Clothier in Jenkintown, established in 1931.

From the mid-1950s to the early 1980s, Jenkintown was a very popular shopping area. It served the northern suburbs of Philadelphia.

The part of Old York Road from Lord & Taylor (just south of Jenkintown) to Sears (in Abington Township) was even called the Golden 2½ Miles. Five large department stores were located along Old York Road:

• Bonwit Teller at the "Avenue of Shops." This store opened in 1955. Later, it became a Bloomingdale's home furnishings store in 1972.
• Lord & Taylor at #323. Near it was the Benjamin Fox Pavilion, a large office and shopping complex.
• Strawbridge & Clothier at #610. This building is now called Jenkins Court. It opened in 1931 and was one of the first suburban department stores. It moved to Willow Grove Park Mall in 1988.
• Sears at #1495 in Abington. It moved to the Willow Grove Park Mall in 1987.
• Wanamaker's at #901 in Abington Township. It opened in 1958. Today, this area is called Noble Town Center and has many different stores.

Geography of Jenkintown

Jenkintown is located at 40°5′46″N 75°7′46″W / 40.09611°N 75.12944°W / 40.09611; -75.12944. The U.S. Census Bureau says the borough is about 0.6 square miles (1.5 square kilometers) in total area, and it's all land. Jenkintown is surrounded by Abington Township on the north, west, and east sides. It also borders Cheltenham Township to the south.

Education in Jenkintown

The Jenkintown School District includes Jenkintown Elementary School and Jenkintown Middle/High School. Over 700 students attend schools in this district.

St. Joseph the Protector Regional Catholic School serves the area. It is located in Glenside and Abington Township. This school was created in 2012 when Immaculate Conception School in Jenkintown merged with St. Luke the Evangelist School in Glenside.

Abington Friends School is a private Quaker school. It is in nearby Abington Township. This school teaches students from age 3 up to 12th grade. Abington Friends School has been on its original campus since 1697.

Manor College is also in Abington Township, but it uses a Jenkintown mailing address. This private Catholic college was started in 1947. It was founded by the Byzantine Ukrainian Sisters of Saint Basil the Great. It is connected with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Jenkintown's Population

In 2020, Jenkintown had a population of 4,719 people.

According to the 2010 census:

• 87.5% of the people were White.
• 5.7% were Black or African American.
• 2.0% were Asian.
• 1.8% were from two or more races.
• 3.0% of the population had Hispanic or Latino family backgrounds.

In 2000, there were 4,478 people living in Jenkintown. The average household had about 2.19 people. The average family had about 3.08 people.

The median age in Jenkintown was 42 years old.

• 22.9% of the population was under 18 years old.
• 21.0% of the population was 65 years or older.

The median income for a household in Jenkintown was $47,743. The median income for a family was $72,902. About 5.1% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Transportation in Jenkintown

Roads and Highways

PA 611 southbound leaving Jenkintown

Old York Road, part of PA 611, northbound in Jenkintown

As of 2017, Jenkintown had 12.30 miles (19.79 km) of public roads. Most of these roads (10.80 miles or 17.38 km) are maintained by the borough itself. The rest (1.50 miles or 2.41 km) are maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

PA Route 611 goes north and south through Jenkintown. It follows Old York Road. South of Jenkintown, it leads to Philadelphia. North of Jenkintown, it goes to Willow Grove and Doylestown.

PA Route 73 runs east and west along the southern edge of Jenkintown. It follows Washington Lane and Township Line Road. West of Jenkintown, it goes to Wyncote. East of Jenkintown, it leads to Northeast Philadelphia. Greenwood Avenue also runs east and west through the center of Jenkintown, heading west to Wyncote.

Trains and Buses

Jenkintown-Wyncote station of SEPTA Regional Rail

The Jenkintown-Wyncote station is a very important stop for SEPTA's Regional Rail trains. The Lansdale/Doylestown Line, Warminster Line, and West Trenton Line all stop here. It is the busiest SEPTA Regional Rail station outside of Philadelphia. The station building itself is beautiful, with a Queen Anne-style design by the famous architect Horace Trumbauer.

SEPTA also provides City Bus service in Jenkintown:

• Route 55 follows PA 611. It goes south to the Olney Transportation Center in North Philadelphia and north to Willow Grove and Doylestown.
• Route 77 goes west to the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia and east to Northeast Philadelphia.

Notable People from Jenkintown

Many interesting people have connections to Jenkintown:

• Bryan Cohen, an American-Israeli basketball player.
• Bradley Cooper, a famous actor and filmmaker.
• Lawrence Curry, an educator and politician.
• Adam F. Goldberg, a television and film producer. He created the TV show The Goldbergs, which is set in Jenkintown.
• David Hungerford, a cancer researcher.
• Mary Frances Lovell, a writer and humanitarian.
• George Low Jr., a professional golfer.
• George Low Sr., a professional golfer.
• Carol Polis, a professional boxing judge.
• Ezra Pound, a well-known poet and critic.
• Lessing J. Rosenwald, a former chairman and president of Sears.
• Max Ritter, an Olympic swimmer.
• Allyson Schwartz, a politician.

Images for kids

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  View entering Jenkintown from Wyncote

• 

  Jenkintown Keystone Marker

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  Location of Jenkintown in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

See also

In Spanish: Jenkintown (Pensilvania) para niños