Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Drexel Hill is a census-designated place
in Upper Darby Township
, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Drexel Hill is located southwest of Center City, Philadelphia
and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 30,036 at the 2007 census.
The CDP
has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land.
buildings, a Catering Banquet & Corporate Events Center and over 2,600 parking spaces, including 520 private garages. The community provides recreational areas for all ages. There are playgrounds and walking paths throughout.
. The cabin is believed to have been built by early Swedish settlers who were part of New Sweden
colony. The cabin was most likely built between 1638 and 1655, but the exact year is not known. Log Cabin
architecture was a major contribution of the colonial Swedes. European settlers from other countries copied this style of housing and the log cabin became popular all across America.
Thornfield, the house of Thomas Garrett
a famed abolitionist, lies on Garrett Road (named for his family, who were among the earliest settlers of that part of the Township) and Maple Avenue in Drexel Hill. Garrett resided here before 1822 and would later work as a station master in Wilmington, Delaware, the last stop on the Underground Railroad
.
The largest ethnic groups in Drexel Hill are: Irish (41.8%), Italian (24.5%), German (16.7%), English (9.9%), Polish (4.2%), United States (2.8%), Hispanic (2.16%).
There were 11,896 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $48,765, and the median income for a family was $65,862 . Males had a median income of $42,841 versus $31,904 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $25,471. About 3.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Drexel Hill can be subdivided into areas with various income levels. South Of Garrett Road (Garrettford elementary school and Saint Charles church) along Burmont Road and Marshall Road is a "working class" blue collar area with row homes, twin homes, and apartment dwellings. Parking along these side streets in "South Drexel Hill" can be difficult because of the congestion and close proximity of houses. Heading North on Burmont Road you will see small businesses and twin homes and apartment dwellings going right up to the Drexeline shopping center. North of Garrett Road (East of Burmont Road)is mostly single homes with much more open space. State Road before Dermond Field and Drexel Hill Middle School is mostly twin and row homes closer to the upper darby (highland park section) border. State Road and Township Line road after Dermond Field and Drexel Hill Middle School is more upper middle class single homes and the most affluent part of Drexel Hill. The area bound by Garrett road and School Lane adjacent to Upper Darby HS, Monsignor Bonner High School, and Prendie High School is also an affluent part of Drexel Hill called Drexel Park. The outskirts of Drexel Hill (South Drexel Hill specifically the Garrettford/Kellyville and Oakview sections) closer to the Clifton Heights and Lansdowne Borough borders, have seen an influx of new residents from various parts of SE Delco and Philadelphia. The police have a strong presense in this part of Drexel Hill south of Garrett Road to deter/enforce any potential crime. Drexel Hill is a part of Upper Darby township that has been known as a safe area but has suffered deterioration in certain areas.
and Route 102 Sharon Hill. Several bus lines also operate via Drexel Hill, including routes 107, 110, 111, 115 and 122.
), State Road, Burmont Road, Garrett Road, Lansdowne Avenue, Marshall Road, Drexel Avenue, Edmonds Avenue and Shadeland Avenue.
Saint Alice's Elementary School (The school closed in 2008, but the parish remains open. Victor Taylor was a student at Saint Alice's from 1974 to 1982.)
resided here from 1954 to 1956 at the Drexelbrook Apartment complex before moving to Wallingford, Pennsylvania
, while hosting Barr’s Diamond Theater and a radio show on WFIL
, prior to being selected to host American Bandstand
. Television personality Ed McMahon
also resided at the Drexelbrook, as Dick Clark's neighbor, prior to teaming up with Johnny Carson
on "Do You Trust Your Wife?", then "The Tonight Show
". Well-known children's author
Lloyd Alexander
also lived in Drexel Hill with his wife and several cats.
'70s folk/pop singer-songwriter Jim Croce
grew up in the Bywood and Drexel Hill sections of Upper Darby. He graduated Upper Darby Sr. High in 1960, and attended Villanova University 1961-1965. He married Ingrid Jacobson of Wallingford. Her family is believed to have bought the house Dick Clark sold upon leaving for the west coat when Bandstand left WFIL in the early '60s. Croce's career was cut short in a Louisiana plane crash, September 20, 1973 after a concert at Northwestern Stae University. Croce was the first to be inducted on Upper Darby High school's "Wall Of Fame" in April 1976. Croce's songs included "Operator (that's not the way it feels)", "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", "I Got A Name" and "Time In A Bottle".
are said to have been based upon female high school classmates from Drexel Hill.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Upper Darby Township
Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Darby Township is a home rule township bordering West Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Although it retains the term "Township" in its legal name, presumably for historic reasons, it is the largest municipality of any type in Delaware County. Upper Darby is also home to the Tower Theater, a...
, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Drexel Hill is located southwest of Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, Philadelphia
Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...
and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 30,036 at the 2007 census.
Geography
Drexel Hill is located at 39°57′00"N 75°18′7"W (39.949962, -75.301841).The CDP
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), all of it land.
Drexelbrook
Drexelbrook is a community within Drexel Hill that encompasses 1,223 homes in 90 federal styleFederal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
buildings, a Catering Banquet & Corporate Events Center and over 2,600 parking spaces, including 520 private garages. The community provides recreational areas for all ages. There are playgrounds and walking paths throughout.
Historic sites
The Swedish Log Cabin on Creek Road alongside Darby Creek is possibly the oldest log house in North America. Drexel Hill is located within the area claimed by the Swedish colony of New SwedenNew Sweden
New Sweden was a Swedish colony along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America from 1638 to 1655. Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware, was the first settlement. New Sweden included parts of the present-day American states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
. The cabin is believed to have been built by early Swedish settlers who were part of New Sweden
New Sweden
New Sweden was a Swedish colony along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America from 1638 to 1655. Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware, was the first settlement. New Sweden included parts of the present-day American states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
colony. The cabin was most likely built between 1638 and 1655, but the exact year is not known. Log Cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
architecture was a major contribution of the colonial Swedes. European settlers from other countries copied this style of housing and the log cabin became popular all across America.
Thornfield, the house of Thomas Garrett
Thomas Garrett
Thomas Garrett was an abolitionist and leader in the Underground Railroad movement before the American Civil War....
a famed abolitionist, lies on Garrett Road (named for his family, who were among the earliest settlers of that part of the Township) and Maple Avenue in Drexel Hill. Garrett resided here before 1822 and would later work as a station master in Wilmington, Delaware, the last stop on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census the racial makeup of Drexel Hill was: White, 87.06%; Black or African American, 5.45%; American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.11%; Asian, 5.31%; Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.05%; and other, 2.02%.The largest ethnic groups in Drexel Hill are: Irish (41.8%), Italian (24.5%), German (16.7%), English (9.9%), Polish (4.2%), United States (2.8%), Hispanic (2.16%).
There were 11,896 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $48,765, and the median income for a family was $65,862 . Males had a median income of $42,841 versus $31,904 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $25,471. About 3.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Drexel Hill can be subdivided into areas with various income levels. South Of Garrett Road (Garrettford elementary school and Saint Charles church) along Burmont Road and Marshall Road is a "working class" blue collar area with row homes, twin homes, and apartment dwellings. Parking along these side streets in "South Drexel Hill" can be difficult because of the congestion and close proximity of houses. Heading North on Burmont Road you will see small businesses and twin homes and apartment dwellings going right up to the Drexeline shopping center. North of Garrett Road (East of Burmont Road)is mostly single homes with much more open space. State Road before Dermond Field and Drexel Hill Middle School is mostly twin and row homes closer to the upper darby (highland park section) border. State Road and Township Line road after Dermond Field and Drexel Hill Middle School is more upper middle class single homes and the most affluent part of Drexel Hill. The area bound by Garrett road and School Lane adjacent to Upper Darby HS, Monsignor Bonner High School, and Prendie High School is also an affluent part of Drexel Hill called Drexel Park. The outskirts of Drexel Hill (South Drexel Hill specifically the Garrettford/Kellyville and Oakview sections) closer to the Clifton Heights and Lansdowne Borough borders, have seen an influx of new residents from various parts of SE Delco and Philadelphia. The police have a strong presense in this part of Drexel Hill south of Garrett Road to deter/enforce any potential crime. Drexel Hill is a part of Upper Darby township that has been known as a safe area but has suffered deterioration in certain areas.
SEPTA
SEPTA operates two suburban trolley Lines through Drexel Hill: Route 101 MediaMedia, Pennsylvania
The borough of Media is the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and is located west of Philadelphia. Media was incorporated in 1850 at the same time that it was named the county seat. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census. Its school district is the Rose Tree Media School District...
and Route 102 Sharon Hill. Several bus lines also operate via Drexel Hill, including routes 107, 110, 111, 115 and 122.
Major roads
The major roads running through Drexel Hill are Township Line Road (Route OneU.S. Route 1 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway, extending from the Florida Keys in the south to the Canadian border in the north. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, US 1 runs for from the Maryland state line near Oxford to the New Jersey state line near Trenton.-Maryland to Interstate...
), State Road, Burmont Road, Garrett Road, Lansdowne Avenue, Marshall Road, Drexel Avenue, Edmonds Avenue and Shadeland Avenue.
Public schools
- Drexel Hill Middle SchoolDrexel Hill Middle SchoolDrexel Hill Middle School , located in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, United States, is one of the two middle schools in the Upper Darby School District...
- Aronimink Elementary School
- Garretford Elementary School
- Hillcrest Elementary School
- Upper Darby Kindergarten Center
- Stonehurst Elementary School
- Bywood Elementary School
- Beverly Hills Middle School
- Upper Darby Senior High School
Parochial schools
- Monsignor Bonner High SchoolMonsignor Bonner High SchoolMonsignor Bonner High School is an all-male Augustinian Catholic High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, United States. Bonner was created in 1953 as Archbishop Prendergast High School for Boys...
for boys - Archbishop Prendergast High SchoolArchbishop Prendergast High SchoolArchbishop Prendergast High School is an all-girl Catholic High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. The school is often referred to by its nickname, "Prendie". The school operates in a landmark building that formerly served as St....
for girls - Saint Andrew the Apostle School
- Saint Bernadette's School
- Saint Dorothy's Elementary School
Saint Alice's Elementary School (The school closed in 2008, but the parish remains open. Victor Taylor was a student at Saint Alice's from 1974 to 1982.)
Notable people
Television personality Dick ClarkDick Clark (entertainer)
Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark is an American businessman; game-show host; and radio and television personality. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dick Clark Productions, which he has sold part of in recent years...
resided here from 1954 to 1956 at the Drexelbrook Apartment complex before moving to Wallingford, Pennsylvania
Wallingford, Pennsylvania
Wallingford is an unincorporated community in Nether Providence Township, Delaware County in Pennsylvania, USA. Founded in 1687, it is named for Wallingford, England...
, while hosting Barr’s Diamond Theater and a radio show on WFIL
WFIL
WFIL is a radio station and a former television station serving the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its transmitter is located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania....
, prior to being selected to host American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. Television personality Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon
Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...
also resided at the Drexelbrook, as Dick Clark's neighbor, prior to teaming up with Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
on "Do You Trust Your Wife?", then "The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
". Well-known children's author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Alexander
Lloyd Chudley Alexander was a widely influential American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books...
also lived in Drexel Hill with his wife and several cats.
'70s folk/pop singer-songwriter Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
grew up in the Bywood and Drexel Hill sections of Upper Darby. He graduated Upper Darby Sr. High in 1960, and attended Villanova University 1961-1965. He married Ingrid Jacobson of Wallingford. Her family is believed to have bought the house Dick Clark sold upon leaving for the west coat when Bandstand left WFIL in the early '60s. Croce's career was cut short in a Louisiana plane crash, September 20, 1973 after a concert at Northwestern Stae University. Croce was the first to be inducted on Upper Darby High school's "Wall Of Fame" in April 1976. Croce's songs included "Operator (that's not the way it feels)", "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", "I Got A Name" and "Time In A Bottle".
Popular culture
The characters known as "The Plastics" in the movie Mean GirlsMean Girls
Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have...
are said to have been based upon female high school classmates from Drexel Hill.
Further reading
- Drexel Hill at city-data.com