Oaks, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Oaks is a village 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
.
and Brower's Locks at Oaks, and the system was heavily traveled. The village of Oaks was named after the canal's designer, Thomas Oakes
. Later in the nineteenth century, the railroad largely supplanted the role of the canal. The Perkiomen Railroad built the Oaks station in 1868. The Philadelphia and Reading, sometimes referred to as the Reading Railroad, merged the short line as its Perkiomen Branch. Oaks village cropped up around the station.
Famous residents of Oaks have included Jacob G. Francis
and Harry Whittier Frees
.
In 1985, construction of the eastern portion of US Route 422 was completed, connecting King of Prussia to Oaks and out to Reading and beyond, and spurring growth in the area. However, Oaks remained less developed than its suburban neighbors, due to a limited number of connections to its wastewater treatment plant. As plans for a new plant began, development started in the retail space next to the highway, starting with the construction of several modern box store retailers and a 24-theater cinema. In 2008, the expanded Oaks Wastewater Treatment Plant was completed, and a new round of both housing and retail growth began, including the opening of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
Interest in resuming rail service was spurred by the Schuylkill Valley Metro
(SVM) project, which was rejected by Federal Transit Administration
in 2006. Another proposal called the Greenline
would make Oaks the terminus of a new rail line, with a new station located adjacent to the Expo Center.
and the Perkiomen Trail
. The private West Collection of artwork is open to the public at the headquarters of SEI Corporation
, and Oaks is now home to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
. Home of Local Baseball Team the Oaks Wilbur's commemorating a passed mascot named Wilbur.
Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Upper Providence Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 21,219.- History :...
, Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 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
Perkiomen Creek
Perkiomen Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.Perkiomen Creek begins in Hereford Township, Berks County, initially flows eastward into Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, and turns southward to reenter...
and the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
.
History
The two waterways defined much of the village's early history. In 1825, the Schuylkill Navigation Company completed the Schuylkill CanalSchuylkill Canal
Schuylkill Canal is the common, but technically inaccurate, name for the Schuylkill Navigation, a 19th-century commercial waterway in and along the Schuylkill River in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The "canal" was actually a system of interconnected man-made canals and slack-water pools in the...
and Brower's Locks at Oaks, and the system was heavily traveled. The village of Oaks was named after the canal's designer, Thomas Oakes
Thomas Oakes (engineer)
Thomas Oakes was the Chief Engineer of the Schuylkill Navigation Company. He was responsible for the design and early construction of the Navigation's Schuylkill River canals in the early 19th century...
. Later in the nineteenth century, the railroad largely supplanted the role of the canal. The Perkiomen Railroad built the Oaks station in 1868. The Philadelphia and Reading, sometimes referred to as the Reading Railroad, merged the short line as its Perkiomen Branch. Oaks village cropped up around the station.
Famous residents of Oaks have included Jacob G. Francis
Jacob G. Francis
Jacob Gottwals Francis was an author, a historian, a photographer, and a Church of the Brethren minister....
and Harry Whittier Frees
Harry Whittier Frees
Harry Whittier Frees was an American photographer who created novelty postcards and children's books based on his photographs of animals. He dressed the animals and posed them in human situations with props...
.
Present
Today, the village of Oaks is set in dense suburbs. Many of its original structures remain, including the general store, the locktender's house, and many historic homes. Although the tracks are no longer in service in the center of Oaks, a station built in 1918 to replace the original is still located today at the intersection of Egypt Road and Station Avenue.In 1985, construction of the eastern portion of US Route 422 was completed, connecting King of Prussia to Oaks and out to Reading and beyond, and spurring growth in the area. However, Oaks remained less developed than its suburban neighbors, due to a limited number of connections to its wastewater treatment plant. As plans for a new plant began, development started in the retail space next to the highway, starting with the construction of several modern box store retailers and a 24-theater cinema. In 2008, the expanded Oaks Wastewater Treatment Plant was completed, and a new round of both housing and retail growth began, including the opening of the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
Interest in resuming rail service was spurred by the Schuylkill Valley Metro
Schuylkill Valley Metro
The Schuylkill Valley Metro was a proposal for a 62-mile railway system that would link Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the city of Reading, Pennsylvania in central Berks County, USA, using the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line and Cynwyd Line, as well as two current freight-only rights-of-way owned...
(SVM) project, which was rejected by Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
in 2006. Another proposal called the Greenline
Green Line (Pennsylvania)
The Greenline is a proposed $138 million mass transit line for the Upper Schuylkill Valley region in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It is still in the planning stages and its construction is not guaranteed. The line is being advocated by a group called Citizens for the Train...
would make Oaks the terminus of a new rail line, with a new station located adjacent to the Expo Center.
Public attractions
Public attractions in Oaks include the 107 acre (0.43301402 km²) Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, as well as the Schuylkill River TrailSchuylkill River Trail
The Schuylkill River Trail is a multi-use trail under construction for expansion along the banks of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania...
and the Perkiomen Trail
Perkiomen Trail
The Perkiomen Trail is a long multi-use rail trail in Pennsylvania.It begins at the junction with the Schuylkill River Trail near Valley Forge NHP and ends in Green Lane Park. It follows the Perkiomen Creek and connects Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, Central Perkiomen Valley Park, and Green Lane Park...
. The private West Collection of artwork is open to the public at the headquarters of SEI Corporation
SEI Corporation
SEI Investments Company is a financial services firm headquartered in Oaks, Pennsylvania, USA. The firm is a global provider of asset management, investment processing, and investment operations solutions. SEI provides products and services to institutions, private banks, investment advisors,...
, and Oaks is now home to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
Sports
Oaks was the home of the Valley Forge Freedom of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey LeagueMid-Atlantic Hockey League
The Mid-Atlantic Hockey League was a minor professional ice hockey league in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions of the United States. The league began play in November 2007...
. Home of Local Baseball Team the Oaks Wilbur's commemorating a passed mascot named Wilbur.
External links
- Upper Providence Township
- Schuylkill Canal Association
- Pictures of the Schuylkill Canal, including Brower's Locks
- Schuylkill River Heritage Area
- Lower Perkiomen Valley Park
- Perkiomen Trail
- Oaks Fire Company
- The West Collection
- The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks
- Oaks Neighbors Community website