R5 train entering the Paoli station.
The
Main Line is an unofficial region of suburban
Philadelphia comprising a collection of affluent towns built along the old
Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (currently
Amtrak's Keystone Corridor and
SEPTA's R5 line) which runs northwest from
Center City Philadelphia. The rail line, from which the area affectionately got its name, was central to creating the Main Line communities which in the 19th century became home to many sprawling country estates built by Philadelphia's wealthiest families.
History
The Main Line around 1895.
The old clubhouse of the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford (1892).
The area comprising the Main Line was once home to the
Lenni Lenape Indians. The Main Line was settled by Europeans in the 1600s, when
William Penn sold a tract of land (the
Welsh Tract) to a group of
Welsh Quakers for ten
cents an acre. This accounts for the many Welsh place names in the area, though not all date to the 1600s. For example
Bryn Mawr was thus named only in 1869, previously being named Humphreysville.
The Main Line of the
Pennsylvania Railroad was constructed during the early nineteenth century as part of the
Main Line of Public Works that spanned Pennsylvania. Later in the century, the railroad, which owned much of the land surrounding the tracks, encouraged the development of this picturesque environment by building
way stations along the portion of its track closest to Philadelphia. The construction of sprawling estates attracted Philadelphia elite, many of whom had one house in the city and another larger "country home" on the Main Line. In the 20th century, many of these families relocated to the Main Line suburbs, part of the national trend of
white flight and suburbanizaton. As a result, the Main Line saw rapid investment, prosperity, and growth into greater Philadelphia's most affluent and fashionable region.
The railroad placed stops approximately two minutes apart, starting with Overbrook. The surrounding communities became known by the railroad station names which started at
Broad Street Station in downtown Philadelphia and went on to 32nd St. Station, and then the stops were named Overbrook, Merion, Narberth,
Wynnewood, Ardmore,
Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, Paoli, finally ending at Malvern. At least five of these station buildings, along with the first Bryn Mawr Hotel, were designed by
Wilson Brothers & Company. The railroad line now extends to Malvern, Exton, Whitford, Downingtown, and Thorndale. The train that served these stations was known as the "Paoli Local", and that name became a near-synonym for the Main Line itself.
The actual railroad line then continued on to
Chicago, with major stations at
Lancaster,
Harrisburg and
Pittsburgh. The railroad, since taken over by
Amtrak, is still in service, although its route is slightly different from the original. It also serves the R5 line of the
SEPTA Regional Rail system.
The Main Line today
Downtown Wayne (located in Radnor Township) with an
AT&T tower in the background
Today the Main Line is another name for the western suburbs of Philadelphia along
Lancaster Avenue (U.S. Route 30) and the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line, extending from the city limits to traditionally Bryn Mawr and ultimately
Paoli, Pennsylvania comprising an area of approximately 200 square miles. The upper/upper middle class enclave outside of Philadelphia has historically been one of the bastions of "
old money" in the Northeast along with places such as
Westchester County,
New York and
Greenwich, Connecticut. It is home to some of the
wealthiest places in the United States, such as
Gladwyne, Pennsylvania which has the
14th highest per-capita income in the country with a population of 1,000 or more, as well as
Lower Merion Township which has the
5th highest per-capita income in the country with 50,000 or more.
The Main Line was also the setting for the classic Hepburn/Grant/Stewart motion picture
The Philadelphia Story. With diverse topography, steep cliffs along the Schuylkill River, rolling hills, and open meadows, the region has benefited from the early planning of William Penn. The Main Line is known for its multimillion-dollar stone Colonial homes, exclusivity, and upscale shopping at celebrated destinations like Suburban Square in
Ardmore and the
King of Prussia Mall, one of the largest in the country. There is some disparity on the Main Line, with smaller homes and walkable village life in Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, and Narberth contrasting with the more established suburban landscape. The Main Line is home to some of the best colleges in the country, including Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and Villanova University, as well as some of the most famous and exclusive private schools in the United States. The Haverford School for Boys, The Agnes Irwin School, Friends' Central School, Baldwin, The Shipley School, and The Episcopal Academy are six especially prestigious institutions.
Communities on the Main Line
The Main Line proper is a line of communities extending northwest from the City of Philadelphia. From Philadelphia, the stations on what is now referred to as the R5 train line are:
Overbrook,
Merion,
Narberth,
Wynnewood,
Ardmore,
Haverford and
Bryn Mawr, which inspired the
mnemonic "Old Maids Never Wed And Have Babies". The other rail line communities are outside the traditional Main Line and sometimes considered the Upper Main Line:
Rosemont,
Villanova, Radnor,
St. Davids,
Wayne,
Strafford,
Devon,
Berwyn,
Daylesford, and Paoli. In recent years, the R5 train service has extended to the west of Paoli. Some communities, most notably
Gladwyne,
Bala Cynwyd, and
Penn Valley, are included in what is commonly accepted as the Main Line, as they are typical Main Line communities, are adjacent to Main Line towns. Neither, however, is located on the rail line for which the area is named and therefore they may be considered culturally rather than geographically on the Main Line.
The Main Line by community:The Main Line by municipality:Demographics
There are no collective data for the Main Line so all data are by
ZIP code. In comparison, the median family income and home price for the state of Pennsylvania are $68,646 and $155,000, respectively. The following ZIP codes are those within the previously mentioned municipalities that make up the Main Line. All data, with the exception of average home price, are as of the 2000 census.
For comparison, the median family income of
Beverly Hills, California is $110,040.
Recreation and attractions
Rider jumping in a sidesaddle class at the Devon Horse Show.
- King of Prussia Mall: An upscale shopping mall which is arguably America's largest shopping complex at one location.
- Harriton House: Located in Bryn Mawr, it was built in 1704 by a Welsh Quaker named Rowland Ellis. He named the estate "Bryn Mawr", meaning "high hill" in Welsh, which is where the community gained its name. The house's best known occupant was Charles Thompson, the first and only secretary of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
- Bryn Mawr Film Institute: A non-profit community theater founded in 2002 in the old Bryn Mawr theater building, built in 1926, which it is in the process of significantly restoring and renovating. The institute offers showings of classic movies of the 20th century, opera, film education courses, and film discussions.
- The Appleford Estate: A 300-year-old 24 acre estate located in Villanova. Today it is carefully maintained as an arboretum and a bird sanctuary. Its gardens were designed by renowned landscape architect Thomas Sears and include woods, meadows, formal gardens, brick walkways, rhododendron tracts, a stream, pond, and waterfall. Visitors are welcome to visit free of charge and the house is available as a rental for special events.
- Merion Golf Club: Ranked America's 7th best golf course in 2008 and will host the U.S. Open in 2013.
Sporting and social clubs
thumb|275px|right|Looking down the first fairway at Merion Golf Club.Private Clubs played an important role in the development of the Main Line, offering social gathering places, facilities for sports such as cricket, golf, tennis, squash, and horseback riding, for the families relocating from Philadelphia to the suburban region. Many of the clubs are known for their award winning golf courses, grass tennis courts, exclusivity, and social functions. Some of these clubs include:
- Radnor Valley Country Club
- Waynesborough Country Club
Education
One of the best assets of the Main Line is its numerous nationally ranked public and private schools. The school districts that serve the Main Line are
Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County,
Radnor Township School District and
School District of Haverford Township in Delaware County, and
Tredyffrin/Easttown School District and
Great Valley School District in Chester County. In addition to the Main Line's nationally ranked public schools, the region is also home to some of the best and most exclusive private schools in the country.
Public High SchoolsPrivate SchoolsCatholic Schools- Archbishop John Carrol High School
Higher Education
Corr Hall at Villanova University
Transportation
The Main Line is served by numerous different modes of transportation, and benefits from an ideal position within the Philadelphia region.
U.S. Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue) is the main thoroughfare through the Main Line; running east to west, it is the backbone of the region and runs through the large majority of its towns and municipalities. The Main Line benefits from numerous highways, including the
Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) which connects it to Center City Philadelphia, I-476 which runs north to south connecting the region with the Northeast Extension and the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the north, and to Philadelphia International Airport and I-95 to the south. The Main Line is served by three train lines operated by SEPTA, the R5 and the
R6 which connect the region with Center City Philadelphia, and the
Route 100 Highspeed Line which runs between 69th terminal in
Upper Darby to
Norristown. Amtrak also serves the region at certain stations along the Keystone Corridor.
Main Line in books, movies, music and television
thumb|200px|right|Cover of The Philadelphia Story- The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. Valley Forge Military Academy (where Salinger attended for 2 years) is the basis for Pencey Prep. The Shipley School, a Main Line private school, is also mentioned by Holden when speaking of the alma mater of a girl he once dated.
- In Her Shoes: Toni Collette's character attends a Main Line wedding and jokes about what she should wear.
- To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar: Patrick Swayze's character is from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.... The gang makes a detour to see his family home located on Bala Cynwyd's extremely wealthy Highland Ave (the house shown in the movie still stands today, although it has been recently repainted), just in time to see his snobby-looking mother going into the house. Although Highland Avenue runs through Bala Cynwyd, the home is technically on the neighboring Merion side of the street.
- Stella Dallas: Stella's ex-husband and family are wealthy Philadelphia suburbanites.
- A Stranger is Watching: The main character's murdered wife Nina grew up in a wealthy Philadelphia Main Line Family. In the book, it mentions that Nina went to Bryn Mawr College.
- Mad Men: The character of Betty Draper is from Lower Merion and went to Bryn Mawr College.
- ["Blackbird Sisters" mysteries: Nancy Martin]
- Pterodactyls, by Nicky Silver. The play is set in a Main Line house.
Notable Main Liners, Past and Present
thumb|350px|right|Grace Kelly, former Princess of Monaco- Tory Burch: fashion designer and New York City socialite
- John R. Schenker: billionaire and founder of Schenker BioGen Industries, former CFO ExxonMobil BBOS
- Dorrance Hamilton: billionaire and heir to the Campbells Soup fortune
- E. Irvin and Clarence Scott: founders of Scott Paper Company (maker of Scott Paper towels) and inventors of the toilet paper roll
- Ronald Perelman: billionaire, controlling owner of MacAndrews & Forbes and Revlon
