Merion Station, Pennsylvania

This article is about the community in Pennsylvania. For the golf club, see Merion Golf Club.

Merion is an unincorporated community in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is contiguous to Philadelphia and is also bordered by Wynnewood, Narberth, and Bala Cynwyd. Merion Meeting House was built at the present intersection of Montgomery Avenue and Meetinghouse Lane in 1695 by Welsh settlers.

Merion Civic Association

The Merion Civic Association was organized in 1913 by Edward W. Bok with the motto "To be Nation right and State right, we must first be Community right." The Merion Civic Association made several important improvements to Merion such as paving, better lighting, cast-iron street signs, better fire and police protection, and planned tree-planting. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote an article in 1917 for Bok's magazine entitled "Model Merion."

After World War I, the Merion Civic Association sought to construct a community center in memorial to the 81 men from Merion who served in the armed forces during the conflict. Eldridge R. Johnson, the founder and president of the Victor Talking Machine Company, donated his house on Hazelhurst Avenue to this cause. The house was demolished and a new Merion Tribute House was built on its foundation. It was built with careful attention to detail, with Gothic patterns and local stone. The stone was shaped on site and window mullions all hand cut to match. The Tribute House is still used today for meetings of the Merion Civic Association and is supported by renting the space for parties or meetings. Merion also has its own school it is Merion Elementary of the Lower Merion School District.

Important Institutions

Another important institution in Merion is the Barnes Foundation, an art display housed in a mansion on Latches Lane. Schools in Merion include Merion Elementary, a public school, and four private schools, Episcopal Academy[1], Akiba Hebrew Academy, Merion Mercy Academy, and Adath Israel. The Merion Botanical Park is located between Merion Road and the railroad tracks.

Saint Joseph's University straddles City Line Avenue. Most of its campus is located in Philadelphia, but some buildings are in Merion. The University constructed a pedestrian bridge over City Line Avenue to allow for easier access. The University recently bought and renovated Merion Gardens Apartments , at the northwest corner of the East Wynnewood Road / City Avenue intersection, for student housing under opposition from local residents. Episcopal Academy has plans to move to a new campus in Newtown Square by September 2008. Saint Joseph's University signed a definite agreement to buy the campus of Episcopal Academy, which physically borders the University, on August 18, 2005[2]. This will significantly increase the physical presence of Saint Joseph's University in Merion. Also Akiba Hebrew Academy changed its name to the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy and is expected to move to a new Radnor Campus in the fall of 2008.

Transportation

The R5 (SEPTA) line, originally part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was built through Merion in the late 1800s. Most SEPTA trains heading east to Philadelphia or west to Thorndale stop at Merion Station, located in the center of Merion.

Other public transportation options in Merion are limited. SEPTA Route 44 travels along Old Lancaster Road and Montgomery Avenue, the northern boundary of Merion. Certain Route 44 buses also stop at the Narberth Station. SEPTA Route 65 provides transportation along City Line Avenue, the border between Merion and Philadelphia. SEPTA Route 105 stops at the Wynnewood Shopping Center, which is within walking distance of certain parts of Merion.

Demographics and Government

Merion is located in zipcode 19066. Lower Merion Township is responsible for all governance. According to the United States Census, 2000 Merion has 5,951 residents, 93.6% of whom are White; 2.1% are Black or African American; 2.7% are Asian; and 1.3% are Hispanic or Latino. 95.1% have a High school degree or higher and 76.7% have a Bachelor's degree or higher. 9.4% were born in a foreign country. 12.3% speak a language other than English at home. The median household income in 1999 was $103,229, and 2.7% of individuals were below the poverty line.

Merion has a significant Jewish population and serves as home to Adath Israel, a Conservative Jewish temple. The Orthodox Jewish population is served by Lower Merion Synagogue, just outside Merion in Bala Cynwyd.

Shopping

The main commercial area of Merion is located along Montgomery Avenue and extends into neighboring Bala Cynwyd. This area is sometimes called the Merion-Cynwyd Commercial District. It includes restaurants, gift shops and other stores, as well as local landmark establishments including Hymie's Deli, Murray's Deli, and Babis Pharmacy.

Neighborhoods

The community north of Montgomery Avenue surrounding General Wayne Park is often referred to as Merion Park, and is in the same zipcode as Merion.

Interesting trivia

• The family of Georg Ludwig von Trapp, the family depicted in The Sound of Music, settled temporarily in Merion after escaping Europe [1].
• Award-winning author Kate DiCamillo spent her early childhood in Merion.
• NBA star Kobe Bryant went to high school in Lower Merion.

Points of interest

• The Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation
• Barnes Foundation
• General Wayne Inn
• Merion Golf Club

References

[1] Anonymous. The von Trapp Family Story. Official website of Trapp Family Lodge. http://www.trappfamily.com/familystory/history.php?tid=137 , accessed 7/3/06.