Media, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
The borough of Media is the county seat
of Delaware County, Pennsylvania
and is located 12 miles (19.3 km) west of Philadelphia
. Media was incorporated in 1850 at the same time that it was named the county seat. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census. Its school district is the Rose Tree Media School District
with Penncrest High School
and Springton Lake Middle School
. In June 2006, it became the first fair trade
town in America.
The history of the town goes back to William Penn
, but the area remained predominantly rural until the twentieth century, and is suburban today. The Delaware County Institute of Science was founded in Media in 1833, while the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology
, a two-year technical college, Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades
a three-year technical college, and Delaware County Community College
, a two-year liberal arts college, are located nearby. Media promotes itself as "Everybody's Hometown."
was named proprietor of the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 by King Charles II of England. Peter and Wiliam Taylor bought the land where Media is now located, directly from Penn. Providence Township was organized in 1684, and divided into Upper Providence and Nether Providence Townships by 1690 even though they only had 40 taxable properties at the time. The current borough, formed in 1850, sits between the two townships.
In 1683 the Court of Chester County approved the construction of "Providence Great Road" (now Pennsylvania Route 252
). The road, which runs north from Chester
to within a few blocks from today's downtown, is shown on a 1687 map along with the names of local landowners. It forms the eastern border of the borough.
Thomas Minshall, a Quaker, was an early Media resident, settling just outside the small village then known as Providence, along the Providence Great Road. The village then included a tailor shop, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop, barn and other buildings.
Minshall bought 625 acres (2.5 km²) from William Penn and arrived in 1682. The Providence Friends Meeting was established at his house in February, 1688, and a meetinghouse was later built on land he donated for the purpose. The original meetinghouse was built out of logs in 1699 or 1700 and the current building dates to 1814. Minshall’s house still stands and was given to the citizens of the borough in 1975. During the American Revolution
the Marquis de La Fayette bought a saddle at the Minshall house.
The area remained rural through 1850. On March 11, 1850 the State of Pennsylvania by Special Act of Assembly incorporated the Borough of Media, and made the sale of malt and spirituous liquors unlawful within its borders. At the same time the county seat of Delaware County
was moved to Media from Chester. The borough was formed from four farms purchased by the county, totalling only 480 acres (1.9 km²). The borders of the borough have not changed since that time.
Streets were plotted in a rectangular grid around the location of the new courthouse, lots were sold at public auctions, and the construction of houses began. Sources agree that Minshall Painter, a descendant of Thomas Minshall, suggested the name "Media," but do not agree on the reason. The name may come from the city’s central location in Delaware County, or from the biblical area of Medea
.
The John J. Tyler Arboretum
occupies part of Thomas Minshall’s original 625 acres (2.5 km²). This farm was used by the underground railroad
. The land was donated to a public trust in 1944 by an eighth generation descendant. The arboretum was started as a private collection by brothers Jacob and Minshall Painter. In 1825 they began systematically planting over 1,000 varieties of trees and shrubs. Over 20 of their original trees survive including a giant sequoia.
Minshall Painter was also a leader of the Delaware County Institute of Science, which was formed on September 21, 1833 with just four other members: George Miller, John Miller, George Smith, M.D., and John Cassin. The Institute was incorporated in 1836. About 1850, Painter gave the Institute the land where its building currently stands at 11 Veteran's Square, and the building was constructed in 1867.
In the second half of the 19th Century, Media was a summer resort for well-to-do Philadelphians. The borough's large vacation hotels included the Idlewild Hotel (1871) on Lincoln Street at Gayley Terrace, Chestnut Grove House or "The Colonial" (1860) on Orange Street, and Brooke Hall on Lemon Street and Washington Ave. (now Baltimore Ave.). The Chestnut Grove was used for a year by nearby Swarthmore College
due to a fire on their campus.
The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad
was built through Media on October 19, 1854.
Electrified service was opened on December 2, 1928. Up to 50 trains passed through each day. The railroad became part of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
and eventually the Penn Central. SEPTA took over operations in 1983. Woodrow Wilson
spoke at the Media Station in 1912 during his first election campaign
. Trolley transportation lines spread to and through Media in the 1890s and early 1900s.
The Media Theatre opened as a vaudeville house in 1927. The first talkie film, "The Jazz Singer
", was shown there. It remained a popular cinema through the 1970s. In 1994, the theater was refurbished by Walter Strine, Sr. and reopened as a professional live music theater. Shows produced there include "The Full Monty
", "Carousel
", and "Miss Saigon
". Tony Award winners Judy Kaye
and David Miller
have performed there.
In June 2006, Media became the first US town to follow over three-hundred towns in Europe in attaining fair trade certification. To meet the criteria for certification, Media passed a council resolution in support of fair trade
, serve fair-trade coffee and tea in local government meetings and offices, ensure that a range of fair-trade products were available in local restaurants and businesses, raise popular support and provide media coverage for the fair-trade campaign, and convene a fair-trade steering committee to ensure continued commitment.
The Borough of Media, PA is run by a Mayor along with the elected Borough Council. The main responsibility of theirs is to ensure the safety and livelihood of the residents of Media, PA. The Mayor of Media, Bob McMahon, was first elected in 1992; Pete Alyanakian serves as President and Monika Simpson is Media's Vice-President.
Current Borough Council members are as follows: Dr. Eric Stein, Monica G. Simpson, Dawn Roe, Peter Williamson, and James Cunningham.
raided an FBI "resident agency" in Media. They later released thousands of documents to major newspapers around the country. These documents revealed controversial and illegal FBI tactics, like the recruitment of Boy Scouts as informants, and confirmed for the first time the existence of COINTELPRO
, an FBI program to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" dissident groups in the US.
" 19063 covers a much larger area, the geographic term "Media" is often used in a sense that includes not only the borough of Media, but other contiguous areas that are part of other municipalities but that share the ZIP code. These include the entire Upper Providence Township
, and in Nether Providence Township
, the neighborhoods of South Media, Bowling Green, Pine Ridge, most of Middletown Township
including the entire Elwyn, Bortondale, Riddlewood
, Lima
, Glen Riddle, and Lenni neighborhoods. Even some parts of Marple Township have the zip code 19063.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), of which 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is land and 1.33% is water.
of 2000, there were 5,533 people, 2,782 households, and 1,112 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 7,399.0 people per square mile (2,848.4/km²). There were 2,966 housing units at an average density of 3,966.3 per square mile (1,526.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 81.02% White, 14.22% African American, 0.14% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races
, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
There were 2,782 households out of which 14.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.2% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.0% were non-families. 49.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the borough the population was spread out with 13.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $42,703, and the median income for a family was $58,065. Males had a median income of $42,121 versus $31,904 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $28,188. About 6.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
The population in 1900 consisted of 3,075 people, whose numbers grew to 3,562 in 1910, and to 5,351 in 1940.
, a Reconstructionist
synagogue
formed in 1925, is west of town in Middletown Township
and is the oldest Reconstructionist congregation in the Delaware Valley
.
Media is connected to Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, by the 101 trolley and is the only suburban town in the United States
to have a trolley run down the middle of its main street. The trolley terminates just after the Delaware County Courthouse, at a station known as Orange Street
. Media also has a stop
on the Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line
at the corner of Orange Street and Station Road.
U.S. 1
formerly ran through the borough until the "Media bypass" was completed in 1960. The bypass has an unusual "volleyball" or three-level diamond interchange with Interstate 476. The road, formerly known as Route 1, is also known by its even older name, Baltimore Pike
.
Philadelphia International Airport
(PHL), the 11th busiest airport in the world in 2007, is 10.2 miles (16.4 km) driving distance (about 15 minutes) from downtown Media, following Baltimore Pike east, then Interstate 476
south and Interstate 95
northeast.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
and is located 12 miles (19.3 km) west of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Media was incorporated in 1850 at the same time that it was named the county seat. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census. Its school district is the Rose Tree Media School District
Rose Tree Media School District
Rose Tree Media School District is a school district headquartered in Media, Pennsylvania, United States. Rose Tree Media School District is serviced by the . It has approximately 3,600 students it its six schools. The Penncrest principal, Mr...
with Penncrest High School
Penncrest High School
Penncrest High School is a public high school in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the high school for the Rose Tree Media School District and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Penncrest students score in the top 25...
and Springton Lake Middle School
Springton Lake Middle School
Springton Lake Middle School is a middle school in Media, Pennsylvania, with a student population of about 1,000. It is in the Rose Tree Media School District.-Athletics:...
. In June 2006, it became the first fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
town in America.
The history of the town goes back to William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
, but the area remained predominantly rural until the twentieth century, and is suburban today. The Delaware County Institute of Science was founded in Media in 1833, while the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology
Pennsylvania Institute of Technology
The Pennsylvania Institute of Technology is an independent junior college in Media and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The college has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools....
, a two-year technical college, Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades
Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades
The Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades is a men's junior trade college located in Media, Pennsylvania, 14 miles away from both Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware...
a three-year technical college, and Delaware County Community College
Delaware County Community College
Delaware County Community College, also known as DCCC, DC3, "Route 252 U" or Delco, is a 2-year community college in the Philadelphia area. While it is based in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, it has two campuses, one of which is located in Chester County, Pennsylvania...
, a two-year liberal arts college, are located nearby. Media promotes itself as "Everybody's Hometown."
History
Land in area was sold and settled soon after William PennWilliam Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
was named proprietor of the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 by King Charles II of England. Peter and Wiliam Taylor bought the land where Media is now located, directly from Penn. Providence Township was organized in 1684, and divided into Upper Providence and Nether Providence Townships by 1690 even though they only had 40 taxable properties at the time. The current borough, formed in 1850, sits between the two townships.
In 1683 the Court of Chester County approved the construction of "Providence Great Road" (now Pennsylvania Route 252
Pennsylvania Route 252
Pennsylvania Route 252 is a north–south route that connects at its northern terminus Pennsylvania Route 23 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania Route 320 in Nether Providence Township, Pennsylvania at its southern terminus.-History:...
). The road, which runs north from Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
to within a few blocks from today's downtown, is shown on a 1687 map along with the names of local landowners. It forms the eastern border of the borough.
Thomas Minshall, a Quaker, was an early Media resident, settling just outside the small village then known as Providence, along the Providence Great Road. The village then included a tailor shop, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop, barn and other buildings.
Minshall bought 625 acres (2.5 km²) from William Penn and arrived in 1682. The Providence Friends Meeting was established at his house in February, 1688, and a meetinghouse was later built on land he donated for the purpose. The original meetinghouse was built out of logs in 1699 or 1700 and the current building dates to 1814. Minshall’s house still stands and was given to the citizens of the borough in 1975. During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
the Marquis de La Fayette bought a saddle at the Minshall house.
The area remained rural through 1850. On March 11, 1850 the State of Pennsylvania by Special Act of Assembly incorporated the Borough of Media, and made the sale of malt and spirituous liquors unlawful within its borders. At the same time the county seat of Delaware County
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
was moved to Media from Chester. The borough was formed from four farms purchased by the county, totalling only 480 acres (1.9 km²). The borders of the borough have not changed since that time.
Streets were plotted in a rectangular grid around the location of the new courthouse, lots were sold at public auctions, and the construction of houses began. Sources agree that Minshall Painter, a descendant of Thomas Minshall, suggested the name "Media," but do not agree on the reason. The name may come from the city’s central location in Delaware County, or from the biblical area of Medea
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
.
The John J. Tyler Arboretum
John J. Tyler Arboretum
The John J. Tyler Arboretum is a nonprofit arboretum located at 515 Painter Road, Media, Pennsylvania. It is open daily except for major holidays; an admission fee is charged to non-members....
occupies part of Thomas Minshall’s original 625 acres (2.5 km²). This farm was used by the underground railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
. The land was donated to a public trust in 1944 by an eighth generation descendant. The arboretum was started as a private collection by brothers Jacob and Minshall Painter. In 1825 they began systematically planting over 1,000 varieties of trees and shrubs. Over 20 of their original trees survive including a giant sequoia.
Minshall Painter was also a leader of the Delaware County Institute of Science, which was formed on September 21, 1833 with just four other members: George Miller, John Miller, George Smith, M.D., and John Cassin. The Institute was incorporated in 1836. About 1850, Painter gave the Institute the land where its building currently stands at 11 Veteran's Square, and the building was constructed in 1867.
In the second half of the 19th Century, Media was a summer resort for well-to-do Philadelphians. The borough's large vacation hotels included the Idlewild Hotel (1871) on Lincoln Street at Gayley Terrace, Chestnut Grove House or "The Colonial" (1860) on Orange Street, and Brooke Hall on Lemon Street and Washington Ave. (now Baltimore Ave.). The Chestnut Grove was used for a year by nearby Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
due to a fire on their campus.
The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad
West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad
The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad operated in the greater Philadelphia area in the 19th century. It later became the West Chester Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad , and is now called the Media/Elwyn Line on the SEPTA system....
was built through Media on October 19, 1854.
Electrified service was opened on December 2, 1928. Up to 50 trains passed through each day. The railroad became part of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
and eventually the Penn Central. SEPTA took over operations in 1983. Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
spoke at the Media Station in 1912 during his first election campaign
United States presidential election, 1912
The United States presidential election of 1912 was a rare four-way contest. Incumbent President William Howard Taft was renominated by the Republican Party with the support of its conservative wing. After former President Theodore Roosevelt failed to receive the Republican nomination, he called...
. Trolley transportation lines spread to and through Media in the 1890s and early 1900s.
The Media Theatre opened as a vaudeville house in 1927. The first talkie film, "The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer (1927 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. The first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences, its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the "talkies" and the decline of the silent film era. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...
", was shown there. It remained a popular cinema through the 1970s. In 1994, the theater was refurbished by Walter Strine, Sr. and reopened as a professional live music theater. Shows produced there include "The Full Monty
The Full Monty
The Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy...
", "Carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
", and "Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
". Tony Award winners Judy Kaye
Judy Kaye
Judy Kaye is an American singer and actress. She has appeared in stage musicals, plays, and operas. Kaye has been in long runs on Broadway in the musicals The Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime and Mamma Mia!-Biography:...
and David Miller
David Miller (singer)
David Miller, born April 14, 1973, is an American tenor and member of the operatic pop musical quartet Il Divo.-Early life:He was born in San Diego, California but grew up in Littleton, Colorado; he is a 1991 graduate of Heritage High School. He starred in high school productions as the Rooster in...
have performed there.
In June 2006, Media became the first US town to follow over three-hundred towns in Europe in attaining fair trade certification. To meet the criteria for certification, Media passed a council resolution in support of fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
, serve fair-trade coffee and tea in local government meetings and offices, ensure that a range of fair-trade products were available in local restaurants and businesses, raise popular support and provide media coverage for the fair-trade campaign, and convene a fair-trade steering committee to ensure continued commitment.
The Borough of Media, PA is run by a Mayor along with the elected Borough Council. The main responsibility of theirs is to ensure the safety and livelihood of the residents of Media, PA. The Mayor of Media, Bob McMahon, was first elected in 1992; Pete Alyanakian serves as President and Monika Simpson is Media's Vice-President.
Current Borough Council members are as follows: Dr. Eric Stein, Monica G. Simpson, Dawn Roe, Peter Williamson, and James Cunningham.
Media and the FBI
Media may be best known for secret government documents which were illegally seized there by activists in 1971 and distributed nationwide. On March 8 of that year, the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBICitizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI
The Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI was a leftist activist group operational during the early 1970s. Their only known action was breaking into a two-man Media, Pennsylvania FBI office, and stealing over 1000 classified documents. They then mailed these documents anonymously to several...
raided an FBI "resident agency" in Media. They later released thousands of documents to major newspapers around the country. These documents revealed controversial and illegal FBI tactics, like the recruitment of Boy Scouts as informants, and confirmed for the first time the existence of COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO was a series of covert, and often illegal, projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic political organizations.COINTELPRO tactics included discrediting targets through psychological...
, an FBI program to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" dissident groups in the US.
Landmarks
- Minshall House (1702) on Route 252.
- Media Presbyterian Church (1855) at Baltimore Ave. and Church Street, designed by John McArthur, architect of Philadelphia City Hall.
- Delaware County Institute of Science (1867) on Veterans’ Square. Google Street View
- Cooper House (before 1870) on State Street.
- Delaware County Court House (1871) on Front Street. Google Street View
- Media Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (1875) and Media-Providence Friends SchoolMedia-Providence Friends SchoolMedia-Providence Friends School is a Quaker school founded as Media Friends School in Media, Pennsylvania in 1876. A small pre-kindergarten through eighth grade academic community grounded in the Quaker testimonies of Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Equality, Community and Service, MPFS offers a...
(1876), both located at 125 W. 3rd Street. - Risley House (1877) 430 N. Monroe St.
- Hillhurst (1890) on Orange Street, designed by Addison Hutton.
- Provident National Bank (1900) on State Street at Veterans’ Square, designed by Albert Dilks. Google Street View
- Media ArmoryMedia ArmoryThe Media Armory, located in Media, Pennsylvania, is a historical armory built in 1908 for company H of the 6th Infantry Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard. The building was originally used for training and the storage of arms and ammunition, but has been converted for use into a Trader...
(1908) on State Street, designed by William S. Price and M H. McClanahan. It now houses the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Museum and Trader Joe’s. - Media Theatre (1927) on State Street, designed by Louis Magziner as a Beaux-arts movie palace with Art Deco design elements. It now is home to the Media Theatre for the Performing Arts.
- Jaisohn House, 100 East Lincoln Street Google Street View
Surrounding area
Since the borough of Media is only 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) and the "Media ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
" 19063 covers a much larger area, the geographic term "Media" is often used in a sense that includes not only the borough of Media, but other contiguous areas that are part of other municipalities but that share the ZIP code. These include the entire Upper Providence Township
Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Upper Providence Township is a census-designated place and township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, located around and north of the borough of Media, between Ridley Creek and Crum Creek. The population was 10,509 at the 2000 census. Ridley Creek State Park is inside the...
, and in Nether Providence Township
Nether Providence Township, Pennsylvania
Nether Providence Township is a first class township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Many residents refer to the township by the name of its largest community, Wallingford, because the Wallingford postal code is used for most of the township....
, the neighborhoods of South Media, Bowling Green, Pine Ridge, most of Middletown Township
Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Middletown Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 16,064 at the 2000 census. The Pennsylvania State University has an undergraduate satellite campus located in the north-central portion of the township, while Neumann College, a private...
including the entire Elwyn, Bortondale, Riddlewood
Riddlewood, Pennsylvania
Riddlewood is a residential housing development in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia. The name comes from famous racehorse owner Samuel D. Riddle, who owned the property before it was developed in the 1950s...
, Lima
Lima, Pennsylvania
Lima is a census-designated place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,225 at the 2000 census. It is pronounced "LYE-ma."-Geography:Lima is located at ....
, Glen Riddle, and Lenni neighborhoods. Even some parts of Marple Township have the zip code 19063.
Geography
Media is located at 39°55′8"N 75°23′17"W (39.918761, -75.388127).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), of which 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) is land and 1.33% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,533 people, 2,782 households, and 1,112 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 7,399.0 people per square mile (2,848.4/km²). There were 2,966 housing units at an average density of 3,966.3 per square mile (1,526.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 81.02% White, 14.22% African American, 0.14% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.88% of the population.
There were 2,782 households out of which 14.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.0% were non-families. 49.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the borough the population was spread out with 13.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $42,703, and the median income for a family was $58,065. Males had a median income of $42,121 versus $31,904 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $28,188. About 6.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
The population in 1900 consisted of 3,075 people, whose numbers grew to 3,562 in 1910, and to 5,351 in 1940.
Religion
Media is home to many churches, including Cambell A.M.E, Christ Church (Episcopalian), First Baptist, First United Methodist, Media Presbyterian, Nativity B.V.M. (Roman Catholic), St. George (Greek Orthodox), the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County and two Quaker meetinghouses, Media Friends Meeting and Providence Friends Meeting. Congregation Beth IsraelCongregation Beth Israel (Media, Pennsylvania)
Congregation Beth Israel is a Reconstructionist synagogue located at 542 South New Middletown Road in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, near Media...
, a Reconstructionist
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
formed in 1925, is west of town in Middletown Township
Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Middletown Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 16,064 at the 2000 census. The Pennsylvania State University has an undergraduate satellite campus located in the north-central portion of the township, while Neumann College, a private...
and is the oldest Reconstructionist congregation in the Delaware Valley
Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a term used to refer to the valley where the Delaware River flows, along with the surrounding communities. This includes the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia. Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township...
.
Transportation
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to have a trolley run down the middle of its main street. The trolley terminates just after the Delaware County Courthouse, at a station known as Orange Street
Media-Orange Street (SEPTA station)
The Orange Street terminus of the Route 101 Trolley is located in downtown Media, Pennsylvania at Orange and State Streets in the middle of State Street since the line operates as a street car in the Media portion of the line. It is served by trolleys originating at 69th Street Terminal in Upper...
. Media also has a stop
Media (SEPTA station)
Media is a railroad station in the borough of Media, Pennsylvania, along the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line, the former Pennsylvania Railroad West Chester Line. It is located at 301 Media Station Road in the heart of Media, Pennsylvania...
on the Media/Elwyn Regional Rail Line
Media/Elwyn Line
The Media/Elwyn Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia west to Elwyn in Delaware County.Originally known as the Media/West Chester Branch, service was truncated on September 19, 1986 from West Chester to its current terminus at Elwyn. Service expansion beyond Elwyn...
at the corner of Orange Street and Station Road.
U.S. 1
U.S. Route 1 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway, extending from the Florida Keys in the south to the Canadian border in the north. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, US 1 runs for from the Maryland state line near Oxford to the New Jersey state line near Trenton.-Maryland to Interstate...
formerly ran through the borough until the "Media bypass" was completed in 1960. The bypass has an unusual "volleyball" or three-level diamond interchange with Interstate 476. The road, formerly known as Route 1, is also known by its even older name, Baltimore Pike
Baltimore Pike
thumb|[[SEPTA]]'s [[SEPTA Route 34|Route 34]] streetcar line runs through the 4500 block of Baltimore Avenue in [[West Philadelphia]]The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail in the United States, connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
.
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
(PHL), the 11th busiest airport in the world in 2007, is 10.2 miles (16.4 km) driving distance (about 15 minutes) from downtown Media, following Baltimore Pike east, then Interstate 476
Interstate 476
Interstate 476 is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania designated between Interstate 95 near Chester and Interstate 81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north–south Interstate corridor through eastern Pennsylvania....
south and Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania
Interstate 95 is an Interstate highway running from Miami, Florida north to Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the route is known by many as the Delaware Expressway, but is officially named The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. and locally known as "95"...
northeast.
Notable residents
- Jonathan BixbyJonathan Bixby (costume designer)Jonathan Charles Bixby was a costume designer and a founding member of Drama Dept., a New York-based theater company.-Background:...
, costume designer. - John Martin BroomallJohn Martin BroomallJohn Martin Broomall was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Early life:John M. Broomall was born in Upper Chichester Township, Pennsylvania...
, congressman. - Edward DarlingtonEdward DarlingtonEdward Darlington was an Anti-Masonic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Edward Darlington was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He moved in early youth with his parents to Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He taught school from 1817 to 1820...
, congressman. - Paul DiMeoPaul DiMeoPaul DiMeo in Media, Pennsylvania is an American television personality, philanthropist, building designer, and carpenter who is a regular cast member of the reality television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He is originally from Media, Pennsylvania and a family of five children...
, actor, Extreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home EditionExtreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
. - Philip Jaison, a Korean nationalist, lived in Media from 1925 to 1951.
- Harry KalasHarry KalasHarry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, broadcaster for the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - Lew Krausse, Sr., pitcher for the Philadelphia AthleticsHistory of the Oakland AthleticsThe history of the Athletics Major League Baseball franchise spans the period from 1901 to the present day, having begun in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1955 and then to its current home in Oakland, California, in 1968.-The Johnson era:...
. - Lew Krausse, Jr., pitcher for the Kansas City/Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, and other teams. - Phil MartelliPhil MartelliPhil Martelli is an American college basketball coach and current coach of the Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team. He maintains an impressive resume, having led Saint Joseph's to five NCAA Tournaments and four NITs. He has averaged 20 wins per season in his thirteen years with the...
, Head Basketball Coach, Saint Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
. - Ida Saxton McKinleyIda Saxton McKinleyIda Saxton McKinley , wife of William McKinley, was First Lady of the United States from 1897 to 1901.-Early life and marriage:...
, First Lady. - Dave MillerDave Miller (producer)Dave Miller was a record producer and the founder of many budget album record companies.-Biography:...
record producer for Bill HaleyBill HaleyBill Haley was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and their hit song "Rock Around the Clock".-Early life and career:...
's "Rocket 88Rocket 88"Rocket 88" is a rhythm and blues song that was first recorded at Sam Phillips' recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on 3 March or 5 March 1951...
". - Michael A. O'Donnell, Ph.D., author, researcher, international lecturer, and Episcopal priest.
- Samuel D. RiddleSamuel D. RiddleSamuel Doyle Riddle . He was born in Glen Riddle, Pennsylvania, a small town southwest of Philadelphia given the family name in honor of his grandfather....
, textile mill owner and race horse owner. - John Buchanan RobinsonJohn Buchanan RobinsonJohn Buchanan Robinson was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
, editor and congressman. - Dean SabatinoDean SabatinoDean Sabatino is an American musician, best known as "Dean Clean", the drummer of the satirical punk rock group The Dead Milkmen. Sabatino lives with his family in Media, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.-Career:...
, drummer for The Dead Milkmen.
External links
- Media PA Area Street Map
- Delaware County Community CollegeDelaware County Community CollegeDelaware County Community College, also known as DCCC, DC3, "Route 252 U" or Delco, is a 2-year community college in the Philadelphia area. While it is based in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, it has two campuses, one of which is located in Chester County, Pennsylvania...
- Delaware County Institute of Science
- The Media Theatre
- Philip Jaisohn Memorial House
- Pennsylvania Veterans Museum
- Borough of Media
- Delaware County Youth Initiative
- Delaware County History
- Healthy Communities Initiative-Rose Tree Media
- Historical Photographs
- Media Arts Council
- Media Borough at DelawareCountyPA.com
- Media's Fair Trade Town Committee
- Nether Providence History
- Media, PA News
- All Things Media, PA
- Visit Media PA