View source for Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania

{{short description|Township in Pennsylvania, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Whitemarsh Township
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| settlement_type = [[Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania)|Home-rule]] [[Township (Pennsylvania)|township]]
| image_skyline = MathersMillPA.JPG
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| image_caption = [[Farmar Mill]] in Whitemarsh Township, built {{Circa|1690}}
| image_flag = Flag of Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania.png
| image_seal = Seal of Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania.svg
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania.png
| blank_emblem_type = Logo
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| image_map1 = File:Whitemarsh Township Montgomery County.png
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| map_caption1 = Location of Whitemarsh Township in [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]]
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| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = United States
| subdivision_type1 = State
| subdivision_name1 = Pennsylvania
| subdivision_type2 = County
| subdivision_name2 = [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery]]
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| established_title = Settled
| established_date = 1683
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| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web |title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_42.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 14, 2017}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi = 14.73
| area_land_sq_mi = 14.59
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.14
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| elevation_ft = 220
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| population_as_of = [[2010 United States census|2010]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total = 17349
| pop_est_as_of = 2016
| pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2016">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2016.html |title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates |access-date=June 9, 2017}}</ref>
| population_est = 17795
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| timezone1 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset1 = -5
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| area_codes = [[Area codes 610 and 484|610, 484]]
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| blank_info = 42-091-84624
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| blank2_name_sec2 = Wikimedia Commons
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| website = {{URL|http://www.whitemarshtwp.org}}
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Whitemarsh Township''' is a [[Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania)|home-rule]] [[Township (Pennsylvania)|township]] in [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]], United States. It retains its former classification of "[[Township (Pennsylvania)|Township]]" in its official name despite being a home rule municipality. The population was 19,707 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]. Whitemarsh is adjacent to the neighborhood of [[Andorra, Philadelphia|Andorra]] in the [[Roxborough, Philadelphia|Roxborough]] section of [[Philadelphia]], and is bordered in Montgomery County by [[Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Springfield]], [[Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Dublin]], [[Whitpain Township, Pennsylvania|Whitpain]], and [[Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Plymouth township]]s, [[Conshohocken, Pennsylvania|Conshohocken]], and the [[Schuylkill River]], which separates it from [[Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania|Lower Merion Township]].

Communities in Whitemarsh Township include [[Barren Hill, Pennsylvania|Barren Hill]], [[Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania|Lafayette Hill]], part of [[Miquon, Pennsylvania|Miquon]], which straddles Whitemarsh and Springfield townships, [[Spring Mill, Pennsylvania|Spring Mill]], part of [[Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania|Plymouth Meeting]], which straddles Whitemarsh and Plymouth townships, and part of [[Fort Washington, Pennsylvania|Fort Washington]], some of which is in Whitemarsh, but which is chiefly in Upper Dublin Township.

==History==
[[File:Mount Joy Conshohocken PA.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Joy (Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania)|Mount Joy]], built 1735]]
Whitemarsh was originally inhabited by the [[Lenape]] tribe of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. It was first settled by European colonists in 1683. At that time, Whitemarsh was part of a tract of land that Major Jasper Farmar had purchased from [[William Penn]].<ref name="whitemarshtwp.org">{{cite web |title=History |url=http://www.whitemarshtwp.org/229/History |website=Whitemarsh Township, PA - Official Website |access-date=April 30, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> Farmar died shortly thereafter, before making the voyage across the ocean to settle on his newly purchased land. But his widow and family, with servants, sailed to Philadelphia in 1685,<ref name="whitemarshtwp.org"/> and established their homestead on the part of their land that lay in nearby [[Fort Washington, Pennsylvania|Fort Washington]].<ref name="whitemarshtwp.org"/> After Farmar's widow died in the 1690s, her son Edward began to sell 100- to 200-acre parcels of their Whitemarsh land to [[Quakers]] and German immigrants.<ref name="whitemarshtwp.org"/>

In 1686, [[limestone]] was discovered in [[Oreland, Pennsylvania|Oreland]], which extends across nearby Springfield and Upper Dublin townships. The subsequent discovery of limestone in the township itself drew new settlers to Whitemarsh.<ref name="whitemarshtwp.org"/> In 1704, Whitemarsh Township was incorporated. At that time, it was located in [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia County]]. In 1784, [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]] was created, and Whitemarsh was made part of it, becoming one of the new county's 28 original communities. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Whitemarsh was characterized by large English estates and its famed limestone quarries.

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], both the [[Battle of White Marsh]] and the [[Battle of Barren Hill]] took place within the township.

===National Register of Historic Places<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> ===
*[[Alan West Corson Homestead]]
*[[Cold Point Historic District]]
*[[County Bridge No. 54]]
*[[Farmar Mill]]
*[[Hope Lodge (Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania)|Hope Lodge]]
*[[Hovenden House, Barn and Abolition Hall]]
*[[Lee Tire and Rubber Company]]
*[[Miller's House at Spring Mill]]
*[[Mount Joy (Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania)|Mount Joy]]
*[[Plymouth Meeting Historic District]]
*[[The Highlands (Pennsylvania)|The Highlands]]
*[[Union School (Fort Washington, Pennsylvania)|Union School]]

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of 14.7&nbsp;square miles (38.1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 14.6&nbsp;square miles (37.8&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land, and 0.1&nbsp;square miles (0.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.68%) is water.

The U.S. Census Bureau includes two [[census-designated places]] that include parts of Whitemarsh: [[Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania|Plymouth Meeting]] and [[Fort Washington, Pennsylvania|Fort Washington]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 2408
|1860= 3047
|1870= 3151
|1880= 3239
|1890= 3516
|1900= 3350
|1910= 3359
|1920= 3436
|1930= 4286
|1940= 4855
|1950= 5977
|1960= 12286
|1970= 15886
|1980= 14987
|1990= 14863
|2000= 16702
|2010= 17349
|2020= 19707
|footnote=Population 1850-2010 <ref>[https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html], U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed April 21, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Census 2020 |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/whitemarshtownshipmontgomerycountypennsylvania/PST045219}}</ref>
}}
As of the 2010 census, Whitemarsh Township was 90.7% White, 3.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.2% Asian, and 1.2% were two or more races. 1.7% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry [https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA#locality-tab].

As of the 2000 census,<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 16,702 people, 6,179 households, and 4,597 families residing in the township. The population density was {{convert|1,143.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 6,372 housing units at an average density of {{convert|436.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the township was 93.29% [[White American|White]], 2.21% [[African American]], 0.02% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 3.70% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.14% from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#Race|other races]], and 0.63% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanics or Latinos]] of any race were 0.99% of the population.

There were 6,179 households, out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.06.

The age distribution was 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $78,630, and the median income for a family was $91,731. Males had a median income of $58,774 versus $41,977 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $39,785. About 1.6% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==
[[File:Whitemarsh Twp Bldg.jpg|thumb|left|Whitemarsh Township Building]]
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ '''Presidential elections results'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.montcopa.org/Archive.aspx?AMID=132 |title=Montgomery County Election Results |publisher=Montgomery County, Pennsylvania |access-date=January 16, 2017}}</ref>
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|-
|style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2020|2020]]
|style="text-align:center; background:#fff3f3;"|33.1% ''4,413''
|style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"|'''66.1%''' ''8,809''
|-
|style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2016|2016]]
|style="text-align:center; background:#fff3f3;"|34.2% ''3,847''
|style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0ff;"|'''61.8%''' ''6,960''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2012|2012]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|43.6% ''4,540''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''55.5%''' ''5,782''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2008|2008]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|40.5% ''4,311''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''59.0%''' ''6,275''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|42.8% ''4,336''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''56.9%''' ''5,767''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 2000|2000]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|42.4% ''3,685''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''55.5%''' ''4,822''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1996|1996]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|42.4% ''3,173''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''49.4%''' ''3,698''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|[[U.S. presidential election, 1992|1992]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''43.3%''' ''3,537''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|42.4% ''3,495''
|-
|}
Whitemarsh Township is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors elected to four-year terms. Currently, the board members are Chair Jacy Toll, Vice-chair Fran McCusker, Vincent Manuele, Patrice Turenne, and Elizabeth Moy.<ref name="government">{{cite web |title=Government |url=http://www.whitemarshtwp.org/27/Government |website=Whitemarsh Township, PA - Official Website |access-date=January 11, 2019}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Recreation==
[[Fort Washington State Park]] is a {{convert|483|acre|km2|adj=on}} area in the middle of the township along the [[Wissahickon Creek]].

Miles Park, at the intersection of Germantown Pike and Joshua Road, has basketball courts, baseball fields, a walking track, a snack bar, and vending machines.

Several country clubs have grounds within the town: the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, the ACE Club, and the Green Valley Club, which each have one [[golf course]], and the [[Philadelphia Cricket Club]], which has two golf courses.

==Education==
{{Further|Colonial School District (Pennsylvania)}}
The [[Colonial School District (Pennsylvania)|Colonial School District]] provides public education to the children of Whitemarsh Township.

==Transportation==
{{stack|[[File:2022-10-11 12 25 36 View east along Interstate 276 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Delaware River Extension) from the overpass for Joshua Road in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|[[Interstate 276|I-276]]/[[Pennsylvania Turnpike]] eastbound in Whitemarsh Township]]}}
As of 2018, there were {{convert|88.36|mi}} of public roads in Whitemarsh Township, of which {{convert|3.70|mi}} were maintained by the [[Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission|Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC)]], {{convert|25.03|mi}} were maintained by the [[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] (PennDOT) and {{convert|59.63|mi}} were maintained by the township.<ref name=PennDOTmap>{{cite web |url=https://gis.penndot.gov/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/Type5/46224.pdf |title=Whitemarsh Township map |publisher=PennDOT |access-date=March 10, 2023}}</ref>

The east–west [[Pennsylvania Turnpike]] ([[Interstate 276]]) and the north-south Fort Washington Expressway ([[Pennsylvania Route 309]]) run through the township. Although neither has an interchange in Whitemarsh, the turnpike has an interchange in nearby Plymouth Township, and the Route 309 expressway has an interchange in nearby [[Fort Washington, Pennsylvania|Fort Washington]] that also connects with the turnpike. Arterial roads in the township include [[Ridge Pike]], [[Germantown Pike]], [[Butler Pike]], Skippack Pike ([[Pennsylvania Route 73]]), [[Bethlehem Pike]], Stenton Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Joshua Road, and Morris Road.<ref name=PennDOTMontgomery>{{cite map |publisher=[[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation|PennDOT]] |title=Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Highway Map |url=http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/Montgomery_GHSN.PDF |year=2015 |access-date=January 12, 2016 |archive-date=September 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905093040/http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/Montgomery_GHSN.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Two [[SEPTA Regional Rail]] lines serve the township. The [[Lansdale/Doylestown Line|Lansdale/Doylestown]] line, which connects Bucks, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, has a station on the easternmost side of the township: the [[Fort Washington station]]. And the [[Manayunk/Norristown Line|Manayunk/Norristown]] line, which runs along the Schuylkill River, has two stations on the westernmost side of the township: one in [[Miquon station|Miquon]] and another, farther north, in [[Spring Mill station|Spring Mill]].

[[SEPTA]] operates [[SEPTA City Bus|City Bus]] Routes {{SEPTA bus link|27}} and {{SEPTA bus link|51}} and [[SEPTA Suburban Bus|Suburban Bus]] Routes {{SEPTA bus link|94|95|97}}, and {{SEPTA bus link|201}} in the township, connecting it to Philadelphia and to other suburbs.<ref name=septamap>{{cite map |title=SEPTA Official Transit & Street Map Suburban |publisher=SEPTA |url=https://www5.septa.org/wp-content/uploads/travel/map-suburban-transit-street.pdf |access-date=May 2, 2016}}</ref>

Since December 21, 2017, [[OurBus]] has provided Whitemarsh Township with intercity bus service, as part of a route that runs from [[West Chester, Pennsylvania]], to [[Park Avenue]] on [[Manhattan]] Island in [[New York City]]. The bus stop in Fort Washington is adjacent to the Fort Washington railroad station.<ref>{{cite web |title=Book an Intercity (Prime) Ticket |publisher=OurBus |url=https://www.ourbus.com/bookTicket |access-date=February 14, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rettew Jr. |first=Bill |title=Company plans bus service from West Chester to New York City |work=Daily Local News |location=West Chester, PA |date=December 16, 2017 |url=http://www.dailylocal.com/article/DL/20171216/NEWS/171219841 |access-date=February 14, 2018}}</ref>

[[Norfolk Southern Railway]]'s [[Morrisville Line]], which carries only freight, passes through Whitemarsh Township, running parallel to the southern side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.<ref name=PennDOTMontgomery/><ref name=NStimetable>[http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/NS/NS%20ETTs/NS%20Harrisburg%20Div%20ETT%20%231%208-4-2008.pdf#page=8 Norfolk Southern Harrisburg Region Timetable 1, August 4, 2008]</ref>

There are no airports in Whitemarsh Township. The closest airport is the [[Wings Field]] in Whitpain Township.<ref name=PennDOTMontgomery/>

==See also==
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]]
*[[Great Train Wreck of 1856]]
*[[St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh]]
*[[Erdenheim Farm]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.whitemarshtwp.org/ Whitemarsh Township]
* [http://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Montgomery_County/Whitemarsh_Township.html living places page]
* [http://www.morethanthecurve.com/ Lafayette Hill and Whitemarsh News & Events]

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Whitemarsh Township
|North     = [[Ambler, Pennsylvania|Ambler Borough]]
|Northeast = [[Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania|Upper Dublin Township]]
|East      = [[Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Springfield Township]]
|Southeast = [[Philadelphia]]
|South     = [[Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Lower Merion Township]]
|Southwest = [[Conshohocken, Pennsylvania|Conshohocken Borough]]
|West      = [[Plymouth Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Plymouth Township]]
|Northwest = [[Whitpain Township, Pennsylvania|Whitpain Township]]
}}
{{S-start}}
{{Succession box
 | title  = [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania#Locale|Bordering communities]]<br />of [[Philadelphia]]
 | years  = 
 | with   =
 | before = [[Lower Merion Township, PA|Lower Merion]]
 | after  = [[Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Springfield Township]]
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Montgomery County, Pennsylvania}}
{{PA Home Rule Municipality}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Home Rule Municipalities in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Townships in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]]