Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

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Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Ogontz
Shoemakertown[1]
Census-designated place
Clockwise from top, Wall House, Cheltenham Twinning Fingerpost, Cheltenham EMS Building, Cheltenham Township Municipal Building, Township Police Headquarters sign on Old York Road, Beth Shalom Synagogue
Clockwise from top, Wall House, Cheltenham Twinning Fingerpost, Cheltenham EMS Building, Cheltenham Township Municipal Building, Township Police Headquarters sign on Old York Road, Beth Shalom Synagogue
Nickname(s): 
EP
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania is located in Pennsylvania
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
Location of Elkins Park in Pennsylvania
Coordinates: 40°04′37″N 75°07′37″W / 40.07694°N 75.12694°W / 40.07694; -75.12694Coordinates: 40°04′37″N 75°07′37″W / 40.07694°N 75.12694°W / 40.07694; -75.12694
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyMontgomery
TownshipsAbington, Cheltenham
CommissionersAnn L. Rappoport (West)
Mitchell Zygmund-Felt (Central)
Brad M. Pransky (West)
Elevation
157 ft (48 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern Standard Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight Time)
ZIP Code
19027
Area code(s)215, 267 and 445

Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly 7 miles (11 km) from Center City. It is four station stops from Center City on Septa Regional Rail.[2] It was listed as a census-designated place prior to the 2020 census.

Historically Elkins Park was home to Philadelphia's early 20th century business elite, among them John B. Stetson, John Wanamaker, Henry W. Breyer, Jay Cooke, William Lukens Elkins and Peter A.B. Widener. In the later 20th century it was home to Ralph J. Roberts, co-founder of Comcast, as well as to the Gimbels family,[3] founders of the department store chain.

Today it remains home to many gilded age mansions such as Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room, neoclassical estate, the Elkins Estate presently being restored as a hotel-spa, distillery and events center[4] and the Henry West Breyer Sr. House, the former residence of the ice cream magnate which now serves as the Cheltenham Township Municipal building.[5]

Elkins Park is notable for its varied architectural styles (among them: Modern, American colonial and Dutch colonial, Queen Anne, English Cottage and Tudor[6]) its wealth of homes designed by renowned 19th and 20th century architects such as Horace Trumbauer,[7] Louis Kahn[8] and Robert A.M. Stern[9] and its diversity of religious institutions. With six synagogues it also makes up the foundation of the "Old York Road Corridor" of the Philadelphia area Jewish community, supported by the approximately 25,000 Jews in the Cheltenham-Jenkintown-Abington region.[10]

Though distinct communities, the neighborhoods of Melrose Park and historic La Mott, share a postal code with Elkins Park.

Points of interest[]

Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room, Gilded Age mansion
  • Beth Sholom Synagogue, the only synagogue designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
  • Elkins Estate, former family summer home of Pennsylvania Railroad Company magnate William L. Elkins
  • High School Park, an 11-acre park with four distinct ecosystems, was the original grounds of Cheltenham High School and became a township park in 1996 after the building burned down
  • Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room, Gilded Age mansion
  • St. Paul's Episcopal Church, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982[11]
  • Richard Wall House Museum, a house listed on State and National Registers of Historic Places, had the distinction of being the oldest Pennsylvania house in continuous residence until rehabilitation work began, now a museum

Government[]

Elkins Park is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It is represented by Madeleine Dean in Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district.

Schools[]

The portion in Cheltenham Township is zoned to Cheltenham Township School District.

  • Myers Elementary School
  • Elkins Park Middle School
  • Lynnwood Elementary School (now closed and converted into an administrative building); served as an elementary school from February 1951 through 1977

The portion in Abington Township is zoned to Abington School District.

  • McKinley Elementary School

Private:

Tertiary:

  • Alvernia University's Philadelphia campus
  • Gratz College
  • Salus University
  • The former campus of the Tyler School of Art, the art school of Temple University. The site is currently being developed as "a center for artists and architects" for Creatio International.[12]
  • Settlement Music School

Transportation[]

Public transportation[]

Elkins Park is served by SEPTA Regional Rail trains on the Glenside Line, Warminster Line, West Trenton Line and Lansdale/Doylestown Line at the Elkins Park station. The Jenkintown and Melrose Park stations are also found near the neighborhood of Elkins Park, and are served by the same regional rail lines. SEPTA bus routes 28, 55, 70 and 77 also provide service to Elkins Park.

Road[]

Toward the western end of Elkins Park is Pennsylvania Route 611 (Old York Road). In Elkins Park, Pennsylvania Route 73 runs along Township Line Road, mostly marking the border between Cheltenham and Abington townships.

Locale[]

Notable people[]

  • Laurie Halse Anderson, American writer, lived in Elkins Park[13]
  • Jay Ansill, composer and folk musician
  • Jenna Arnold, American businessperson, author, and a national organizer for the Women's March on Washington[14]
  • Melissa Bank, American author, grew up in Elkins Park[15][16]
  • Jan Berenstain and Stan Berenstain, writers and illustrators best known for creating the children's book series The Berenstain Bears[17]
  • Michael S. Brown, Nobel prize winner in medicine or physiology
  • Ilene Chaiken, American television producer, director, writer, and founder of Little Chicken Productions[18]
  • Bill Cosby, actor, comedian and recently convicted felon lives in Elkins Park[19]
  • Douglas Feith, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, grew up in Elkins Park[20]
  • Marvin Harrison, NFL wide-receiver for the Indianapolis Colts
  • Lil Dicky, rapper and comedian
  • William Lukens Elkins, oil and transport magnate
  • William McIntire Elkins, rare book collector
  • Mark Levin, radio talk show host
  • Edgar Lee Masters, poet; spent his final years in Elkins Park
  • Mary Ellen Mark, photojournalist
  • Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
  • Yonatan Netanyahu, Israeli soldier and brother of Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Raymond Perelman, American businessman and philanthropist[21]
  • Brad Raider, American stage and screen actor, director, and producer[22]
  • Ralph J. Roberts, co-founder of Comcast; father of current Comcast chief executive officer, Brian L. Roberts
  • Jeffrey Solow, classical cellist and academic
  • Richard Suckle, American film producer. Suckle was one of several producers nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture for the 2013 film American Hustle[23]
  • Eleanor Elkins Widener, founder of Widener Library to honor her son
  • Harry Elkins Widener, grandson of Peter A. B. Widener and namesake of Widener Library at Harvard University; born in Elkins Park and died on the Titanic
  • Peter A. B. Widener, head of a wealthy and historically prominent family
  • Bernard Wolfman, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School[24]

In popular culture[]

In the AMC period drama television series Mad Men, the character Betty Draper was raised in the "tiny Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania". During the show's second season, Betty's father has a series of strokes, and is taken to "Elkins Park Hospital".[25] This would have actually been the former Rolling Hill Hospital, which opened in 1953, and is now known as MossRehab and Einstein at Elkins Park, part of the Einstein Healthcare Network.

Ann Patchett's 2019 novel The Dutch House is primarily set in Elkins Park.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Elkins Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
  2. ^ "SEPTA | Regional Rail Schedules". septa.org. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  3. ^ Lasky, Julie (June 27, 2018). "$925,000 Homes in Maryland, California and Pennsylvania". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  4. ^ "Elkins Estate set for major renovation". PBS39 WLVT. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  5. ^ "History - Cheltenham Township PA". cheltenhamtownship.org. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  6. ^ McQuate, Bridget. "Foursquare, Years to Go". Old House Journal Magazine. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  7. ^ "Trumbauer, Horace (1868 - 1938) -- Philadelphia Architects and Buildings". philadelphiabuildings.org. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  8. ^ Romero, Melissa (August 15, 2017). "9 homes Louis Kahn designed in and around Philly". Curbed Philly. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  9. ^ Romero, Melissa (September 28, 2016). "Elkins Park apartment designed by a young Robert A.M. Stern asks $399K". Curbed Philly. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  10. ^ "Old York Road". Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  11. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  12. ^ Adelman, Jacob. "Buyer of Tyler art school campus in Elkins Park revealed as program under international evangelical group". Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  13. ^ Johnson,Correspondent, Liz. "Young Adult author to talk about latest trilogy at Newtown Bookshop". Bucks County Courier Times. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  14. ^ Meerbott, Kelly (October 30, 2020). "E34: Using Our Collective Power for Good- Jenna Arnold on White Women Creating Change | Kelly Meerbott - Leadership & Team Development Coach". Kelly Meerbott. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  15. ^ Iovine, Julie V. (July 22, 1999). "AT HOME WITH: MELISSA BANK; So Familiar, So Private". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  16. ^ digital.jewishexponent.com http://digital.jewishexponent.com/issues/ACR-February-2019/files/pages/translate/2a.html. Retrieved August 26, 2021. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ Writers, By Michael D. Schaffer and Bill Reed, Inquirer Staff. "A bear-hug farewell to Jan Berenstain, cocreator of the Bear family". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  18. ^ "Ilene Chaiken is a breakout star of 2004". EW.com. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  19. ^ Daniel Arkin, "Judge confines Bill Cosby to his Pennsylvania home until he is sentenced", NBC News (April 27, 2018).
  20. ^ Steve Goldstein, Life in academia for a planner of Iraq war, Philadelphia Inqurier (January 29, 2007).
  21. ^ DiStefano, Joseph N. "Raymond G. Perelman, master investor and philanthropist, dies at 101". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  22. ^ correspondent, Michael Elkin. "Brad Raider of Elkins Park: A Hollywood insider who now helps the stars look inward". Bucks County Courier Times. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  23. ^ dmichaels (February 26, 2014). "The Cheltenham Man Behind the Oscar-nominated 'American Hustle'". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  24. ^ Obituary at The Philadelphia Inquirer
  25. ^ "The Inheritance". Mad Men. Season 2. Episode 10. AMC.

External links[]

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