Llanerch, Pennsylvania

Llanerch is an unincorporated community in Haverford Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Llanerch is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 1, Pennsylvania Route 3, and Darby Road.^[2] The name Llanerch means "Open Space" in Welsh.^[3]

Llanerch, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated community
The former Llanerch School in Llanerch, built in 1913
Llanerch Show map of Pennsylvania Llanerch Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°58′17″N 75°17′57″W
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Delaware
Township	Haverford and Upper Darby
Elevation	78 m (256 ft)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code(s)	610 and 484
GNIS feature ID	1179730[1]

History

Prior to colonization, Llanerch was land belonging to the Lenape tribe. It fell under possession of William Penn by royal charter, and was subsequently settled by Welsh Quakers.^[4] Much of the Welsh influence on the area today is apparent through road names such as "Llandillo" and "Llandaff". The name Llanerch itself derives from Llannerch, an historical Welsh commote, presumably where settlers of the region came from.^[5]

Until the 1890s, Llanerch remained a mostly undeveloped area, with only a handful of families occupying the area.^[6] However, following the development of railway in nearby Philadelphia and the growth of the now-extinct trolley lines down West Chester Pike and Darby Road, Llanerch's population grew as the area became a junction between the city and many smaller, nearby boroughs. "The Battle of Llanerch Crossing" (1895) was a rights battle over land between railway companies that ended at a crossroads in Llanerch, ending with a ruling at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.^[7][8] There is a memorial to the historical background involving the case in the form of Llanerch Crossing, a small park with a mural and markers detailing the history of the feud.^[9]

Llanerch is served by the Haverford Township Police Department, the Haverford Township School District, and the Llanerch Volunteer Fire Company.^[10]

Religion

The community is home to the historic Llanerch Presbyterian Church, built in 1912,^[11] and the former St. Andrew's Brookline Methodist Church, built in 1898, no longer in use for worship.^[12]

In popular culture

Several scenes from the movie Silver Linings Playbook were shot in Llanerch, such as The Llanerch Diner, located on U.S. Route 1, where the diner scene was shot.^[13][14][15]

References

1. "Llanerch". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. Delaware County, Pennsylvania Highway Map (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
3. Kerr, Richard (2016–2018). "Llanerch" (PDF). Haverford Township Historical Society.
4. "The Birth of Llanerch Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
5. Glenn, Thomas Allen (1970). Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania (Revised ed.). Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company. p. 19.
6. "Llanerch". Philadelphia Inquirer. January 1, 1899. p. 36. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
7. "Llanerch". I LIVE IN HARFORD. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
8. "This photograph from ca. 1900 looks west along the Philadelphia & West Chester Traction Company's West Chester Pike ..." Hagley. March 8, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
9. "Haverford Heritage Trail-Site 31". hht.havtrail.com. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
10. "Llanerch Fire Company - Llanerch, PA". Llanerch Fire Department Co. January 1, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
11. "About 4". The Presbyterian Church of Llanerch. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
12. "A History of the Church". HaverfordUMC. 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
13. "'Silver Linings Playbook' draws diners to special booth at Llanerch". WHYY. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
14. Hostutler, Mark (November 12, 2022). "Upper Darby's Llanerch Diner Again the Scene of Film Crews". DELCO.Today. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
15. Trinacria, Joe (July 26, 2017). "Delco Diner That Starred In "Silver Linings Playbook" Temporarily Closes". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2023.