Lower Merion Historical Society

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location.

Bibliography:

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.

The central objective of the Lower Merion Historical Society's Lower Merion/Narberth Building Photographs Project is to record all the buildings that are to be torn down, before the demolition. This focus was begun in 2005 when the number of teardowns increased sharply, fueled by low interest rates and a scarcity of empty land for new building. An earlier project began in 2000 with photographs of all the buildings on Rock Hill Road in Bala Cynwyd, well in advance of the area's being designated as the Gateway to Lower Merion and then the Rock Hill Overlay District.

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location.

Bibliography:

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.

The Lower Merion Academy was created at the bequest of Jacob Jones in 1812. Jones, a Quaker settler, left land and money to build the school and to pay for a teacher. The Academy was one of the first public schools in the United States and was one of the first in Lower Merion township to provide a free education. The school was in use until 1915. The building is still standing and is currently in use by the Lower Merion School District and several community organizations.

Bibliography:

Maier, Phyllis C. and Mary Mendenhall Wood, eds. Lower Merion--A History . Ardmore, PA: Lower Merion Historical Society, 1988.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania established a public school system in 1834. Before this time there were many schools already in existence in Lower Merion Township. These schools were consolidated in 1835 in response to the actions of the Commonwealth and the Lower Merion School District was established in 1836. The District still serves the needs of the students of Lower Merion Township as well as the Borough of Narberth and includes nine schools as of 2011.

Bibliography:

Goldsborough, Ted. "Public Schools in Lower Merion and Narberth." Accessed November 16, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/schools.html.

Lower Merion School District. "About LMSD." Accessed November 16, 2011. http://www.lmsd.org/sections/about/.

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location.

Bibliography:

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.

The Autocar Company was founded as a manufacturer of commercial passenger vehicles circa 1897 in Pittsburgh and moved to Ardmore, Pennsylvania in 1900. During World War I the company focused production on trucks, ambulances, and personnel carriers to aid in the war effort. The company developed new engine technologies that could power larger vehicles, and even invented an electric car that was briefly popular with people in cities. During World War II Autocar supplied armored trucks and half trucks as well as other military vehicles. In 1953 Autocar was purchased by the White Motor Company and the plant was later moved to Exton, Pennsylvania. The company was purchased by Volvo in 1981, and continues to produce heavy trucks as of 2011.

Bibliography:

"The Development" in The First 300: The Amazing and Rich History of Lower Merion, ed. by Dick Jones. Ardmore, Pa.: Lower Merion Historical Society, 2000. Accessed November 15, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first300/part09.html.

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location.

Bibliography:

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location. Bibliography:

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.

In August of 1682, Welsh Quakers from the County of Merionethshire landed in Pennsylvania. These "Merioneth Adventurers" were bound for the "Welsh Tract," granted to them by William Penn. Today, the area is Lower Merion township and Narberth borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Lower Merion township has become known for two industrial giants, the Pencoyd Iron Works and the Autocar Company. The Pencoyd Ironworks was started by the Roberts family in 1852. The company became a major bridge and structural steel supplier. The Autocar company moved to Ardmore from Pittsburgh in 1900. Autocar was a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company moved to Exton, Pennsylvania in 1953.

In the mid-19th century, the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed, running from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The route passed through Lower Merion, and like other "Main Line" towns, the area developed into an affluent suburban community due to its convenient location.

Bibliography:

Francis, Gerald A. "Celebrating William Penn's Vision and the First Welsh Settlement in Lower Merion and Narberth: 1682-2007." The Lower Merion Historical Society, 2007.

Lower Merion Historical Society. "Business and Industry." Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first200/business_5.html.