History of Upper Dublin Township

Upper Dublin dates back to the Colonies in 1684, when Edward Tanner named his land grant from William Penn "Upper and Lower Dublin." The "lower" portion has since been absorbed by Philadelphia. The "upper" portion has continued to exist around the original survey for the laying out and naming of Susquehanna Road. Upper Dublin Township was established in 1701, when William Penn ordered a survey of all townships in the Commonwealth. It was first settled in 1698 and was incorporated in 1719 according to records from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission regarding Montgomery County municipalities. The county itself was formally created on September 10, 1784. The Township was granted its current status of First Class Township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on January 1, 1946. Originally the area started as a farming community with additional activity in the mining of limestone. Limekiln Pike today continues to be an important travel artery. Historically the Township boasts of George Washington's headquarters at the Emlen House in 1777. This was during the Whitemarsh Encampment, prior to the fateful march to Valley Forge. George Emlen, a Philadelphia Quaker, had built this family summer house around 1745.

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Government

Upper Dublin became a First Class Township in 1946. In accordance with the Pennsylvania First Class Township Code, the elected representatives (Commissioners) serve 4 year terms. The government is a Council/Manager type. There are seven Commissioners, one for each ward. A picture of the Commissioners and their contact information is available on this Web Site. The Commissioners from odd numbered wards stand for election in 2007, 2011, etc. and the even numbered wards in 2008, 2012, etc. The manager runs the day to day operations with his staff. There are 6 departments: Administration, Finance, Public Works Services, Police, Parks and Recreation, and Code Enforcement. The fire protection is provided primarily by the Fort Washington Fire Company No. 1, which is an all volunteer organization with dispatch from the Montgomery County central station.

Township staff developed reference sheets in response to a request to provide information for two Boy Scout merit badges dealing with our Local, State and Federal Governments. If you would like a copy of one or both of these reference sheets, please send your request via e-mail to slohoefer@upperdublin.net.

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Schools

Upper Dublin School District

The School District of Upper Dublin is a separate governmental body guided by the statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It has a Board of School Directors elected by the residents with the power to levy taxes within state guidelines. A superintendent is in charge of day to day operations as well as strategic planning.

There are 4 elementary schools (K-5), one middle school (6-8) and one high school (9-12), which are fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The professional staff has an average of 16 years teaching experience and approximately 85 percent hold advanced degrees.

Upper Dublin School District Mission Statement
Within a safe, caring environment of mutual respect and sensitivity to diversity, the partnership of staff, parents and community will:

• Enable all students to be successful learners
• Encourage all students to develop their unique talents and abilities
• Ensure all students have resources to pursue their interests
• Thus empowering all students to be life-long learners and contributing members of a rapidly changing world.

Additional School Information

• View A Phone List of Public & Non-Public Schools
• Visit the Upper Dublin School District Website

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Business and Industry

The primary center of business and industry in the Township is the Fort Washington Office Park. It occupies 536 acres. There is about 6 million square feet of building area in the park. There are more than 65 buildings of various sizes up to 658,535 square feet. There are other centers of business and industry as well throughout the Township.

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Transportation

Upper Dublin has major road arteries passing through it. The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 276) intersects with State Route 309 in Fort Washington. Route 309 is a limited access highway and has four intersections in the Township in addition to the Turnpike, at Butler Pike, Highland Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue and Susquehanna Road. Some of these intersections are currently under construction. Other major roadways include: Limekiln Pike (State Route 152), Welsh Road (State Route 63), Butler Pike (Montgomery County), Norristown Road and Fitzwatertown Road. Train service is available nearby (Ambler, Fort Washington, Fenwick, Oreland, North Hills and Ardsley stations) provided by SEPTA (SouthEastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). Bus service is available from the Fort Washington station to the Fort Washington Office Park. Visit the Traffic Information web page.

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Open Space

Upper Dublin Township has produced an Open Space and Environmental Resource Protection Plan in accordance with the requirements set forth by Montgomery County. Through meetings with Upper Dublin's Citizens Advisory Committee, a set of five goals for the Plan were agreed upon. The following goals are specific to neighborhood parks and playgrounds, geared to serving local needs. They are the focus for serving the open space and recreation needs of neighborhoods into the future. Visit the Open Space Plan web page.

• Every resident should be able to walk safely, within a half-mile radius, to a neighborhood playground or school playground.
• Every resident should be able to walk safely, within a half-mile radius to at least one neighborhood or community park to satisfy both active and passive recreation needs. School grounds may be considered if they are open to the public and include open fields or lawns suitable for walking.
• Sidewalks and crosswalks should be installed where high-volume streets make pedestrian access to parks and playgrounds difficult or dangerous.
• Draft voluntary guidelines and mandatory regulations (where possible) to protect the Sandy Run and other significant tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek.
• Establish open space linkages within the Township and between Upper Dublin and adjacent municipalities. These linkages may be active in nature with trails or sidewalk connections, or they be preserved "green connectors" having qualities such as steep slopes, woodlands, or stream valleys which would not include public use.

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Statistics

Upper Dublin Township is located in eastern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Settled: 1698; Established: 1701; Incorporated: 1719; First Class Township: 1946
Total Area: 13 square miles (8,320 acres)

Upper Dublin is made up of several community areas:

• Abington (19001)
• *Ambler (19002)
• Ardsley (19038)
• Dresher (19025)
• Fort Washington (19034)
• Jarrettown (19025)
• Maple Glen (19002)
• North Hills (19038)
• Oreland (19075)
• Willow Grove (19090)

*The Borough of Ambler is a separate entity and not part of Upper Dublin

Land Use Distribution

Developed Land: 90.5%
Undeveloped Land: 9.5%

Developed Land by Percentage:

Residential: 59.6%
Commercial: 2.4%
Industrial: 3.6%
Utilities: 1.5%
Recreational: 11.6%
Institutional: 8.4%

Demographics (2000 Census)

Population: 25,878
Population Density: 1,990 per square mile
Households: 9,174

Educational Level (2000 Census)

High School Graduate or Higher: 92.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 57.6%

Age Structure (2000 Census)

Ages 0 to 4: 6.0%
Ages 5 to 19: 23.1%
Ages 20 to 24: 3.2%
Ages 25 to 44: 25.4%
Ages 45 to 64: 28.5%
Ages 65 and Older: 13.7%

Income Levels (2000 Census)

Per Capita Income: $37,994
Median Household Income: $80,093
Median Family Income: $91,418

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