Havertown

Welcome to Havertown

Havertown is a residential suburban unincorporated community in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 9 miles west of the center of Philadelphia. Havertown's ZIP Code is 19083. Havertown is notable for being the birthplace of Swell Bubble Gum, which closed its doors in late 2004, and was demolished in 2011. The Swell site in 2013 will be the home of the brand new Haverford Township Area YMCA. Havertown is one of the few towns that have a Superfund site caused by a timber mill that finished telephone poles; the chemical that was used to coat the telephone poles was dumped into the ground. Coincidently, these two sites are directly across the street from one another.

Havertown is also home to 5 (Five) Volunteer Fire Departments:

• Oakmont 38 (oakmontfire.org), which houses the following apparatus; Engine 38, Squad 38, Ladder 38, and Rescue 38.
• Manoa (manoafire.com), which houses the following apparatus; Engine 56, Squad 56, Rescue 56 and Utility 56, in addition to the fire apparatus, Manoa is also home to Ambulance 56-7, and 56-7A.
• Brookline (brooklinefirecompany.org), which houses the following apparatus; Engine 35, Ladder 35, Foam 35, and Spill 35.
• Llanerch 34 (llanerchfire.org), which houses the following apparatus; Engine 34-1 and Engine 34-2, and Tower 34. In addition to fire apparatus Llacerch also is home to, Ambulances 34-7, and 34-7A, as well as 34-8 (which is a Mass Casualty/Rehab Unit).
• Bon Air 58 (bonairfire.com), which houses the following apparatus; Pipeline 58, Squad 58, and Rescue 58.

Havertown is also known for its large Irish-American population. Many Irish-Americans still live there today. According to the 2000 US Census, Haverford Twp. ranks in the top 60 of census-recognized municipalities nationwide in percentage of population with Irish ancestry. The neighborhood takes pride in its distinct Irish heritage and is home to many Irish bars and shops. Many locals still reverentially (and only half-jokingly) refer to Havertown as the "33rd county" (of Ireland). For these reasons the neighborhood remains a very popular destination for Irish immigrants. Of the 51,560 residents, 11,182 noted "Irish" as their first reported ancestry.

Havertown’s rich history began with Haverford Township's founding by Welsh Quakers in 1681 on land purchased by William Penn. The town is home to many historic sites, such as the Grange Estate, a mansion that entertained the Revolutionary War figures George Washington and General Lafayette. Nitre Hall, also located within the town’s borders, supplied the United States with over 800,000 pounds of gunpowder during the War of 1812. Other Havertown sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the Federal School and Lawrence Cabin.

Havertown is home to over 30 outdoor parks and playing fields. The town also provides other recreation facilities including the Haverford Township Free Library, an outdoor skate park, and the Haverford Township Skatium, a multi-use ice rink for Havertown residents. The town is guarded and watched over by the Haverford Township Police Department and is under the protection of five fire companies: Bon Air, Brookline, Llanerch, Manoa, and Oakmont.

Havertown is served by the School District of Haverford Township, which has one high school, one middle school, and five elementary schools. A newly-refurbished elementary school, Chestnutwold Elementary, re-opened its doors early September 2008. It replaced Oakmont Elementary, which became home to the district offices. In 2009, Manoa Elementary School moved from Manoa Road to the intersection of Manoa and Eagle Roads, taking part of the field that had been there for many years. The Haverford High School sports teams are called the "Fords," and have a Model T Ford as mascot.

The recently renovated Haverford Reserve includes a community park for the ultimate recreation experience. Some of the upcoming components that will be added to the new Proposed Community Recreation & Environmental Center at Haverford Reserve include a double gymnasium, walking track, multi purpose rooms, environmental nature area, and a health and wellness area.

The namesake of Haverford and Havertown is Haverfordwest, Wales, UK.

Notable Residents

• Howard Benson, Two-time Grammy nominated producer.
• Leo Burt, domestic terrorist - still at large On FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list indicted in connection with the 1970 Sterling Hall bombing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus.
• Paul V. Carty, executive editor of The Town Talk and thetowntalk.com in Alexandria, La., owned by the Gannett Company of McLean, Va.
• Speedy Claxton, former NBA player.
• Jerry Crawford, MLB Umpire.
• Joe Crawford, NBA Referee.
• Marguerite de Angeli, award-winning children's book author lived in Manoa in the 1930s.
• Tim Donaghy, disgraced former NBA Referee.
• Kyle Eckel, current NFL player with New Orleans Saints, 2-time MVP of Army-Navy game.
• John Facenda, Philadelphia newscaster and narrator for NFL Films.
• Rick Fisher, two time Tony Award Winner for lighting.
• Frank Gasparro, Chief Engraver of the US Mint.
• Julie Gold, composer.
• Brendan Hansen, Four-time Olympic medalist.
• Ross Katz, Hollywood film producer.
• Billy King, former GM of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team.
• John LeClair, NHL Former Philadelphia Flyer.
• Joe Lunardi, ESPN bracketologist.
• Glen Macnow, Philadelphia radio personality.
• Marcus McElhenney, American coxswain, 2008 Olympics bronze medalist.
• Jeremy Morse, Drama Desk nominated actor.
• Ryan Mulhern, former Washington Capitals player.
• Paul Rastatter, historian; adjunct Professor at Delaware County Community College.
• Robin Roberts, Phillies pitcher resided in Manoa.
• James Rolfe, The Angry Video Game Nerd.
• Jean Shiley-Newhouse, 1932 Olympic Gold Medalist.
• Mike Tollin, Hollywood film producer and director.
• Sam Venuto, former American football running back in the National Football League.
• Tom Verica, actor.

Courtesy of Wikipedia