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Gladwyne is a suburban community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,050 at the 2000 census. As Gladwyne is neither an incorporated area nor a census-designated place, all data is for the ZIP code 19035, with which the community is coterminous. It was ranked the wealthiest zipcode in the country in 2008, and is in close proximity to the next two (3 wealthiest zipcodes were Gladwyne, Villanova, Merion Station). It is situated in the Pennsylvania Main Line in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, and the Main Line of which it is a part contains 8 of the top 25 wealthiest zipcodes in the country. Its ZIP code has the 1st highest per-capita income in the country with a population of 1,000 or more. Taxes are reasonable (relative to price) due to the low service demands (lower crime, social services) and a Lower Merion AAA bond rating, one of only three such townships in the nation.
Within Gladwyne, there are four churches, a synagogue, a library, several schools, the Gladwyne fire company, the Stony Lane Swim Club, playgrounds, parks, businesses, and retail shops. It is home to the Philadelphia Country Club, the Gladwyne Civic Club, and The Courts, a private tennis club and is less then 1 mile from the Merion Cricket Club. It has great appeal due to its many large estates, significant preserved open spaces, Bridlewild trails, beauty of its homes (no “Mc” in its mansions), close proximity to major arteries (76, 476) and train stations (Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr are all less then 2 miles distant), and exclusivity (1,483 households). Because the town was early to preserve space and has had many large donations of land, developers were not able to subdivide into more typical suburban developments as readily and it retains a mixture of farm, colonial town, and late 19th/early 20th housing.
An early notable industrialist James Crosby Brown (Pennsylvania Railroad) had a 185 acre estate that was divided into non-divisable (deed restricted) lots of 3 to 17 acres upon his death, an early act of (partial) preservation that set a tone for future acts by both individuals and the township. The Lower Merion Conservancy plays a significant role in protecting the local heritage and has its office in Gladwyne in Rolling Hill Park. Long time residents frequently complain of the mansions replacing older, smaller homes, where Gladwyne and Villanova are preferred because of the ability to site them on large parcels more suitable to their scale. The conservancy has achieved notable successes but high land prices make it difficult to acquire property when it becomes available.
History Gladwyne was settled in 1682 by Welsh Quakers. It was near the Welsh Tract, and was known formerly as “Merion Square”. It was given its new name of Gladwyne in 1891 in order to imitate the stylish Welsh names of adjoining towns, although the name is meaningless in Welsh. Many Mills operated in Gladwyne in the early years through the 19th century, and Mill Creek, site of many of them, is both a major road and creek through town. Shortly after the American Civil War, wealthy Philadelphians began to discover Gladwyne, establishing summer homes there. The development of Rt. 76 in the 1960s and the subsequent development of King of Prussia as a major business center increased Gladwyne‘s appeal for some, as it was the Main Line town situated closest to 76 and situated midway between the two major business areas (King of Prussia, Philadelphia).
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the community has a total area of 4.9 square miles (12.8 km²), all land. It is primarily rolling hills in topography.
Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 4,050 people, 1,476 households, and 1,057 families residing in the community. The population density was 820.0 people per square mile (316.7/km²). There were 1,538 housing units at an average density of 311.4/sq mi (120.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.22% White, 2.34% Asian, 0.77% African American, 0.32% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,476 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% are married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.98.
In the community the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 2.0% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 28.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.8 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $159,905, and the median income for a family was $200,000+, with a high proportion over $500,000. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $51,103 for females. The per capita income for the community was $90,940. About 2.1% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over. Median 2008 home price was $1,378,750, and average land price was ~ $1,400,000 per acre.
Education
Public schools Pupils living in Gladwyne attend schools in the Lower Merion School District, unless they go to private schools. It has an excellent reputation for both private and public schools, with Lower Merion public schools frequently being ranked amongst the best in the nation, public or private. Both high schools are being replaced as of Fall 2008, part of a $350,000,000 program. Most other Lower Merion public schools have already been recently renovated as well.
Private schools The Gladwyne Montessori School is a private, preschool to 6th grade school located at 920 Youngsford Road in Gladwyne, across from the Gladwyne Park. There are a number of pre-K and K private schools within Gladwyne. Notable schools within close proximity include The Agnes Irwin School (all girl school), Friends Central, Haverford Friends, Haverford School (all boy school), Shipley School, and Baldwin (all girl school), all of which are frequently considered amongst the best in the nation.
