Lansdowne, Pennsylvania


Lansdowne is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States located southwest of the City Center of Philadelphia. It was named for the Marquess of Lansdowne. As of the 2010 census the borough had a population of 10,620.
Lansdowne grew quickly in the early part of the twentieth century when a railroad stop was established near the intersection of Lansdowne Avenue and Baltimore Pike. The borough is primarily residential with a commercial center near the original railroad stop. The borough also contained some light industrial buildings which have been in decline in recent decades.
The borough is sometimes erroneously spelled "Landsdowne" or confused with Lansdale, in nearby Montgomery County.

Geography

Lansdowne is located in eastern Delaware County at . It is bordered to the southeast by Yeadon, to the southwest by Clifton Heights, and to the north, east, west, and south by Upper Darby Township. Drexel Hill, a part of Upper Darby Township, borders Lansdowne to the northwest, and the borough of East Lansdowne is just east of the Lansdowne border.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of, all land. Darby Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River, forms the southwest and southern border of the borough.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 10,620 people, 4,589 households, and 2,667 families residing in the borough. The population density was 8,990.2 people per square mile. There were 4,975 housing units at an average density of 4,211.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 47.1% White, 44.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.7% some other race, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.
There were 4,589 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were husband–wife families, 15.2% had a woman householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of people living alone, and 10.9% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 3.04.
In the borough 21.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% were from 18 to 24, 28.2% were from 25 to 44, 30.0% were from 45 to 64, and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.7 years. For every 100 women there were 86.1 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
For the period 2010–14, the estimated median annual income for a household in the borough was $56,020, and the median income for a family was $74,656. Male full-time workers had a median income of $51,534 versus $50,276 for women. The per capita income for the borough was $31,158. About 10.1% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

serves Lansdowne.
Lansdowne Friends School is a Quaker elementary school.
Saint Philomena School of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia operated for over 100 years before closing in 2011 due to a decrease in the number of students. In the 2010-2011 school year it had 141 students. It had 88 would-be students for the 2011-2012 school year that did not arrive. The Delco Times stated that had the school remained open, it would have had to reduce enrichment services. There would have been four students in the second grade, and three other classes each would have had fewer than 10 students.

Features

Lansdowne was once a vacation resort for residents of Philadelphia. People traveled by rail and horse to relax in the borough's Victorian homes. Many of the homes have since been turned into multiple-dwelling apartments which, due to zoning law changes, is no longer an option. Lansdowne is trying to preserve the integrity of its lovely, big homes.
It is home to numerous arts organizations, including the , Celebration Theater, the Lansdowne Folk Club, and the Lansdowne Arts Festival. The Farmers Market runs, rain or shine, on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm, between Memorial Day and Halloween.
The fire department was incorporated December 4, 1894, and provides a career ambulance service alongside a volunteer fire service. The borough's fire service is supplemented by the Yeadon, Clifton Heights, East Lansdowne, and Garrettford-Drexel Hill Fire Companies.
The borough has several historic buildings, including a movie theater and clubhouse, and two areas that are on the National Register of Historic Places. They are the Lansdowne Theater, Twentieth Century Club of Lansdowne, Henry Albertson Subdivision Historic District, and Lansdowne Park Historic District. There has recently been a movement to re-open the theater. The marquee was ceremoniously re-lit on October 5, 2012 after much reconstruction, indicating that the movement is healthy.
A community of Scottish weavers lived and worked on Scottdale Road by the Darby Creek in the 19th century. Some of their houses are still in existence. A Quaker community and a Friends' Meeting House are located on Lansdowne Avenue.
Lansdowne is also home to a 350-year-old sycamore tree, one of the largest in the state of Pennsylvania.

Notable people