Penn Valley, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Penn Valley
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Unincorporated community
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Penn Valley sign on Montgomery Avenue
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 Penn Valley
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Montgomery |
| Township | Lower Merion |
| Elevation | 295 ft (90 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | Under 4,000 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Zip Code |
19072
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| Area codes | 610 and 484 |
Penn Valley is a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, United States. It doesn't have its own post office. This means people living here share a zip code with nearby towns like Merion, Narberth, or Wynnewood. Even so, Penn Valley is a unique place. Its community group marks its borders with special signs. These signs show William Penn and a farmhouse, and they've been around since 1930.
Contents
History of Penn Valley
Lower Merion was first settled in 1682 by Welsh Quakers. By 1713, it became a township with about 50 people. Before 1930, the area we now call Penn Valley was known by different names. These included "Fairview," "Crow's Hill," and "Bowler's Woods."
At first, Penn Valley was a farming area. It was famous for Percival Roberts's large 539-acre dairy farm, "Penshurst." Smaller farms surrounded it. These farms were located on roads like PA Route 23 and Conshohocken State Road. Penn Valley became more like a suburb in 1939. That's when the big 75-room Penshurst mansion was taken down to build homes. Today, you can still see old farm silos on Fairview Road.
Penshurst Farm's Story
Penshurst Farm was built by Percival Roberts. His family helped found Lower Merion in 1682. The farm stretched across Hagy's Ford Road and Conshohocken State Road. It went all the way down to the Schuylkill River. The large 75-room mansion, built in 1903, was known for its amazing English gardens. It had old-fashioned fountains, a fish pond, and terraced stairs. Some parts of these still exist today. The mansion even made its own electricity and had its own water system.
The dairy farm at Penshurst was one of the best in Pennsylvania. It had modern milking machines and many barns. The farm raised special animals, including award-winning Ayrshire cattle. These cows were known for eating alfalfa. The farm also had top-quality Berkshire hogs, chickens, and sheep. Penshurst milk was popular because it was not pasteurized.
In 1939, the mansion was taken down, and its items were sold. Most of the land was sold in 1943 to a company. It was then divided into smaller plots for homes. The farm's water storage tower stayed until the 1980s. It was near the sports fields of Welsh Valley Middle School. This tower gave its name to a nearby street, Tower Lane. It was later taken down because it was considered unsafe.
Today, the only things left of the mansion are its old gates. You can see them where Conshohocken State Road turns left towards Gladwyne and Ardmore.
Penn Valley Women's Club
Penn Valley is home to the Penn Valley Women's Club. Farmers built the first building as a schoolhouse and meeting place in 1826–1828. A new club building replaced the original one in 1876. This building was taken down around 1926. But you can still see its remains set back from Fairview Road. Until World War II, the Women's Club was used for religious services.
The original Penn Valley Women's Club building was fixed up in 1951. It is now home to The Penn Valley Civic Association. This group helps manage the area. In 1978, the Women's Club was named a historic site. This was done by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. It was repaired again in 2016.
Historic Home at 200 Fairview Road
Another historic building was at Fairview Road and Summit Avenue. It was a small house with a special porch. Even though it was a historic house, it was taken down in 2013. This happened after a fire in the basement caused too much damage to fix. A new house was built on the site in 2014.
William Penn Milestones
During the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin was the United States Postmaster General. He wanted stone markers to help postal riders stay on schedule. In 1793, a fire insurance company put up milestones. These honored William Penn's family for donating land. Milestones 9 through 13 are located within Penn Valley. They show a mile number on the front. On the back, they have Penn's family coat of arms.
Mill Creek Valley Region
The Mill Creek flows through Penn Valley on its way to the Schuylkill River. In the late 1600s and early 1700s, 24 stone mills were along the creek. They used water power to process wool, paper, and gunpowder. This continued until the early 1900s. One mill owner, John Frederick Bicking, had a paper mill and ten acres of land. The Bickings family cemetery can still be found on Fairview Road.
Penn Valley's Population
The 2010 Census found that Penn Valley has less than 4,000 people. Most residents are Caucasian (88%). About 4% are Asian, and 2.4% are Hispanic. A small number are Black (1.8%) or other races. Many Caucasian residents have Russian (14.7%) or Eastern European (4.0%) family backgrounds.
The average family income in Penn Valley is over $100,000. This places it among the highest-income areas in the United States. No children in the community live below the poverty level.
Geography and Landscape
Penn Valley is located between Merion and Gladwyne. It's in the middle of the northern part of the Philadelphia Main Line. This area is named after the Pennsylvania Railroad's original rail line. The railroad runs west from 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. It passes through many communities, including Merion and Narberth/Penn Valley.
Most of Penn Valley is residential, meaning it's mostly homes. Some parts of Montgomery Avenue are different. This road separates western Penn Valley from Narberth.
Penn Valley is only a valley in certain spots. Some areas slope steeply down to creeks or the Schuylkill River. For example, Conshohocken State Road slopes down to a hollow. There, it meets Mill Creek Road and turns sharply towards Gladwyne.
The highest point in Penn Valley is on a ridge. It's above the playing fields of Welsh Valley Middle School. From there, you can easily see the tallest buildings in downtown Philadelphia. This spot is 380 feet above sea level.
Community Services
Lower Merion Township manages its recycling and trash burning center in Penn Valley. It's located at the end of Woodbine Avenue. Police and public works are managed from the Lower Merion Township Office Building in Ardmore.
The Lower Merion School District serves Penn Valley. Its main office is in Ardmore.
Train Stations for Travel
The Narberth train station is close to Penn Valley's "business district." Merion and Ardmore stations are a bit further away. All three stations have warm waiting areas, restrooms, and pay phones. You can call for a taxi service. About 10% of Penn Valley's residents take the train to work.
Bus Routes
SEPTA's 121 and 44 bus lines go through Penn Valley on weekdays. They travel between Center City Philadelphia and Gladwyne, Pennsylvania.
Hospitals Nearby
Both Bryn Mawr Hospital and Lankenau Hospital are within 5 miles of Penn Valley.
Libraries for Learning
Penn Valley has great access to the Lower Merion Library System. This system is part of the Montgomery County Library System. It also connects to many excellent libraries in Philadelphia. The Lower Merion Library System has recently updated several of its libraries. These include Narberth Free Library (2012), Ardmore Free Library (2013), and Ludington Memorial Library in Bryn Mawr (2014). Other nearby libraries include Gladwyne Free Library and Bala-Cynwyd Library. Residents of Lower Merion can use all libraries in the system for free. They offer many books, movies, and online resources.
Penn Valley also has its own Little Free Library. This is a wooden box on Hagys Ford Road. You can take a book from the box. In return, you should leave another book in its place.
Fire Stations for Safety
The two closest Fire Departments are the Gladwyne Fire Station and the Narberth Fire Station. The Gladwyne Fire Station's mascot is a dalmatian dog named Rowdy.
Wildlife in Penn Valley
Before people settled here, Penn Valley's forests had many animals. These included bears, cougars, wolves, rattlesnakes, and bald eagles. But after forests were cleared and homes were built, most of these rarer animals left.
Today, you can find squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and various birds. There are also red foxes, opossums, skunks, and raccoons. White-tailed deer are common too.
White-tailed deer can sometimes cause problems in Penn Valley. They can stop traffic and eat garden plants. They can also spread Lyme disease. The last count showed 44 deer per square mile in Penn Valley. This is much higher than the recommended number.
Languages Spoken
Most people in Penn Valley speak English. However, about 3.5% of residents mainly speak French.
Education Opportunities
Schools for Young Learners
Most public school children in Penn Valley go to Penn Valley Elementary School. They then attend Welsh Valley Middle School. Both are part of the Lower Merion School District. For high school, students and their parents can choose between Lower Merion High School or Harriton High School. There are also private schools nearby. These include St. Margaret's School, Haverford School (all boys), Baldwin School and Agnes Irwin Schools (all girls), and the co-ed Shipley School.
Colleges Nearby
No colleges are directly in Penn Valley. But many campuses are close by. Saint Joseph's University is less than ten minutes away. Villanova University is also nearby. Other colleges include Rosemont College, Haverford College, and the famous Bryn Mawr College.
Local News and Media
Local events are covered by The Main Line Times newspaper. There's also Main Line Life monthly magazine and Philadelphia magazine. The Philadelphia Inquirer is another source for news. For radio, KYW Newsradio 1060 AM gives minute-by-minute updates. Local TV stations like KYW-TV (CBS 3) and WPVI-TV (6 ABC) broadcast news and entertainment all day.
Weather Patterns
Penn Valley usually has hot, humid summers. Winters are cold and snowy. The area tends to get more rain and snow than the national average. This is because of its many woods, closeness to water, and higher elevation.
Natural Events
Penn Valley has never had a major natural disaster. However, some big events have happened nearby. In 1972, heavy rains caused the Schuylkill River to flood. This affected areas like Belmont Hills and Manayunk. In 1994, a small earthquake happened 46 miles away. It caused some minor damage in the Reading area.
In 1994 and 1995, tornadoes occurred within 20 miles of Penn Valley. These storms caused some deaths and millions of dollars in property damage.
Famous People from Penn Valley
Many notable people have lived in or have connections to Penn Valley:
- David J. Adelman: A successful CEO and co-founder of FS Investments.
- Joe Banner: Former President of the Philadelphia Eagles football team.
- Charles Barkley: A famous former professional basketball player and current TV analyst.
- Aaron T. Beck: A well-known psychiatrist who created cognitive therapy.
- Judge Phyllis W. Beck: The first woman on Pennsylvania's Superior Court.
- Judith S. Beck: A psychologist and director at the Beck Institute.
- D. Dudley Bloom: A World War II naval officer and inventor of rolling travel luggage.
- Elias Burstein: A physicist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
- David Crane: A television producer, co-creator of the popular show Friends.
- Oliver Spurgeon English: A pioneer in mind-body medicine.
- Jennifer Fox: A documentary filmmaker.
- Richard L. Fox: A lawyer and author.
- Richard J. Fox: A real estate executive and giver to charity.
- Jim Gardner: A retired news broadcaster for 6ABC.
- Hans Jacob Hagy: A paper manufacturer who supplied Benjamin Franklin.
- Ben Hibbs: A journalist and editor for famous magazines.
- Vincent Kling: An architect known for modern designs.
- Josh Kopelman: An entrepreneur and investor.
- David W. Leebron: A former dean at Columbia Law School and president of Rice University.
- Garry Maddox: A former Major League Baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Aaron McKie: A former NBA basketball player and current college coach.
- Marjorie Margolies Mezvinsky: A former US Representative from Pennsylvania.
- George Brooke Roberts: An industrialist and president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
- Percival Roberts, Jr.: An industrialist who built the "Penshurst" estate.
- Bobby Rydell: A famous rock and roll singer.
- Byron Saam: The longtime voice of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.
- David Shulkin: A former US Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
- M. Night Shyamalan: A well-known writer and director of Hollywood films.
- Steve Spagnuolo: A football coach and current Defensive Coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.
- Lawrence H. Summers: A famous economist and former US Secretary of the Treasury.
