Marple Township, Pennsylvania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marple Township
Township
Seventeenth-century Thomas Massey House on Lawrence Road
Seal
Location in Delaware County and the state of Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the United States
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Delaware
Area
• Total	10.52 sq mi (27.24 km2)
• Land	10.20 sq mi (26.42 km2)
• Water	0.31 sq mi (0.81 km2)
Elevation	361 ft (110 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	23,428
• Estimate  (2016)	23,780
• Density	2,330.92/sq mi (899.96/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	19008, 19063, 19064
Area code(s)	610
FIPS code	42-045-47616

Marple Township is a community located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It's a type of local government area called a township. A part of Marple Township is known as Broomall. In 2015, about 23,743 people lived here. The township is managed by a group called the Marple Township Board of Commissioners.

History of Marple Township

Portion of 1687 Holme map. Marple Township is on the right side of the map, below Newtown and above Springfield.

The area of Delaware County was first settled by a religious group called Quakers. They arrived in Pennsylvania by the Delaware River on September 29, 1683. Their ship was named the Endeavor.

Marple Township was first settled in 1684. It was officially recognized as a township in the same year. The original name was "Marpool," but it was changed to "Marple" on a map made by Thomas Holme in 1687. The "Marpool" spelling might have been a mistake.

Early Settlers and Historic Homes

One of the settlers who came on the Endeavor was Thomas Massey. He received a large piece of land, about 300 acres, from William Penn. The house he built on this land is still standing today. Some of its original gardens are also preserved.

Another important family, the Van Leers, also lived in the area. Dr. Bernardhus Van Leer owned the nearby Van Leer House. His family also built the Van Leer Cabin.

Law Enforcement and Growth

In 1948, Marple Township got its first police station. Before this, there was no local police force. Only a county sheriff handled crimes. People often had to solve problems between themselves.

Marple became a "first-class township" in 1961. This means it gained more local government powers.

Geography and Natural Features

Marple Township covers about 10.5 square miles (27.2 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 10.2 square miles (26.4 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.3 square miles (0.8 square kilometers), is water.

The community of Broomall is inside Marple Township. However, the township also includes parts of the ZIP codes for Springfield and Media. Other small villages here include Larchmont and Lawrence Park.

Waterways in Marple

Several waterways flow through Marple Township. These include Crum Creek, Darby Creek, Hotland Run, Springton Lake, and Trout Run.

Marple Presbyterian Church, built 1834–1835, oldest church in the township

Neighboring Towns

Marple Township shares borders with several other communities:

• Radnor Township to the north
• Haverford Township to the east
• Nether Providence Township to the south
• Springfield Township to the southeast
• Upper Providence Township to the southwest
• Newtown Township to the northwest

People of Marple Township

In 2010, about 23,428 people lived in Marple Township. This was a small decrease from 23,737 people in 2000.

Population Diversity

The people living in Marple Township come from many different backgrounds. Based on the 2010 census:

• 89.6% were White
• 2.1% were African American
• 0.1% were Native American
• 7.0% were Asian
• 0.3% were from other races
• 0.9% were from two or more races
• About 1.3% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Household Information

In 2000, there were 8,623 households in the township. About 30.0% of these households had children under 18 living there. Most households, 64.1%, were married couples living together.

The average household had 2.64 people, and the average family had 3.12 people. The median age in the township was 43 years old.

Education in Marple Township

Lewis Tannery was used as a safe house on the Underground Railroad.

Marple Township is part of the Marple Newtown School District. This school district has four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.

Delaware County Community College is also located in Marple Township. It is a public college where students can earn a two-year degree.

The community also has a public library called the Marple Public Library.

St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church on N. Malin Road

Parks and Recreation

Marple Township has a system of eleven parks for everyone to enjoy. The local government takes care of these parks.

Some of the parks include:

• Broomall Fields: Has fields for Little League Baseball.
• Green Bank Farm: A large open field with a walking and hiking trail.
• Highland Avenue Park: A smaller park with a roller hockey rink, basketball court, and a tennis practice wall.
• Kent Park: Features a playground, picnic area with barbecues, a gazebo, a stream, a paved walking trail, and tennis courts.
• Malin Road Tot Lot: Similar to Kent Park, with a playground and picnic area.
• Marple Gardens: Offers a playground, picnic area, basketball court, and a kids baseball/softball field used for Tee-Ball.
• New Ardmore Avenue Park: Has a playground, picnic area, basketball court, large fields, and a creek.
• Old Marple School Park: Includes a playground, picnic area, walking trail, and a hill for sledding.
• South Marple Little League: Features tennis courts, a roller hockey rink, and a snack bar.
• Thomas Fields: Has two Little League baseball fields, a Babe Ruth baseball field, snack bars, a small playground, and a trail to Kent Park.
• Veteran's Memorial Park: A large park with a playground, walking trail, big field, entertainment gazebo, restrooms, and soda machines.

Getting Around Marple Township

I-476 "Blue Route" southbound in Marple Township

As of 2021, Marple Township has about 106.26 miles of public roads. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) maintains 25.81 miles, and the township maintains 80.45 miles.

Major Roads

Several important roads pass through Marple Township:

• U.S. Route 1: A major highway running north-south through the southern part of the township.
• Pennsylvania Route 3: Runs east-west through the northern part of the township, known as West Chester Pike.
• Pennsylvania Route 252: Travels north-south through the western part of the township, called Newtown Street Road.
• Pennsylvania Route 320: Goes north-south through the township along Sproul Road.
• Interstate 476: A highway known as the "Blue Route," running north-south through the eastern part of the township. It has exits for U.S. Route 1 and Pennsylvania Route 3.

Public Transportation

SEPTA provides bus services to Marple Township. These buses connect the township to other nearby areas:

• SEPTA Route 104: Travels along West Chester Pike, connecting West Chester to the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby.
• SEPTA Route 107: Runs from the Lawrence Park Shopping Center in the township to the 69th Street Transportation Center, passing through the Springfield Mall.
• SEPTA Route 112: Follows Media Line Road and West Chester Pike, connecting Delaware County Community College to the 69th Street Transportation Center.
• SEPTA Route 115: Offers weekday service along Media Line Road and West Chester Pike, connecting Delaware Community College to the Darby Transportation Center in Darby and the Philadelphia International Airport.
• SEPTA Route 118: Travels along Newtown Street Road, connecting Newtown Square to the Chester Transportation Center in Chester.
• SEPTA Route 120: Follows West Chester Pike, connecting Cheyney University to the 69th Street Transportation Center.
• SEPTA Route 126: Runs from the Lawrence Park Shopping Center to the 69th Street Transportation Center, going through Havertown.

Famous People from Marple

• Bernardhus Van Leer (1687-1790): An early settler of Pennsylvania.
• Samuel Van Leer (1747-1825): A captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
• John Bartram (1699-1777): A famous American botanist, gardener, and explorer.

See also

In Spanish: Municipio de Marple para niños