The Main Line is a collection of towns in the western suburbs of Philadelphia named after the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (currently Amtrak's Keystone Corridor and SEPTA's R5 line).
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History
The area comprising the Main Line was once home to the Lenni Lenape Indians. The Main Line was settled by Europeans in the 1600s, when William Penn sold a tract of land (the Welsh Tract) to a group of Welsh Quakers for ten cents an acre. The Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (also known as the "Paoli Local") was constructed during the nineteenth century. At the time, the Railroad owned much of the land surrounding the tracks and encouraged the development of this picturesque environment. The construction of sprawling estates attracted Philadelphia elite, many of whom had one house in the city and another larger "country home" on the Main Line. The railroad placed stops approximately two minutes apart starting with Overbrook. The surrounding communities became known for the railroad station names which started at Suburban Station in downtown Philadelphia and went on to 30th St. Station, and then the stops were named: Overbrook, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, finally ending at Paoli. The actual railroad line then continued on with the major stops being Lancaster, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. The railroad, since taken over by Amtrak, is still in service. It also serves the R5 line of the SEPTA Regional Rail.
The Main Line today
Today the Main Line is another name for the western suburbs of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue (U.S. Route 30) and the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line, extending from the city limits to approximately Paoli, Pennsylvania comprising an area of approximately 200 square miles. The upper/upper middle class enclave outside of Philadelphia is often believed to be the setting for the classic Hepburn/Grant/Stewart motion picture The Philadelphia Story. The principal municipalities comprising the Main Line are (from east to west) Lower Merion Township, Narberth Borough, Radnor Township, Tredyffrin Township, Easttown Township, and Village of Paoli. With diverse topography, steep cliffs along the Schuylkill River, rolling hills, and open meadows, the Main Line has benefited from the early planning of William Penn. The Main Line is known for its multimillion-dollar stone Colonial homes, exclusivity, and upscale shopping. The Main Line is also home to some of the best public and private schools in the state, and many small private colleges.
Main Line in Books, Movies, Music and Television
- Official Preppy Handbook, by Lisa Birnbach
- The Philadelphia Story
- Gloria (Laura Branigan song) – the Main Line is mentioned in this pop song.
- Bobos in Paradise, by David Brooks
- Trading Places
- Philadelphia – Andrew Beckett visits his family during Thanksgiving in a suburb in the area.
- My Super Sweet 16
- Wide Awake
- Kitty Foyle
- The It Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar
- Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard
- Thirtysomething
- In Her Shoes – Toni Collette's character attends a Main Line wedding and jokes about what she should wear.
- The Sixth Sense – The wake scene was set in Ardmore
- To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar – Patrick Swayze's character is from either Bala Cynwyd or Wynnewood, PA.... The gang makes a detour to see his family home, just in time to see his snobby-looking mother going into the house.
- The Art of War (film)
- The Man of My Dreams, by Curtis Sittenfeld
- Stella Dallas – Stella's ex-husband and family are wealthy Philadelphia suburbanites.
- A Stranger is Watching The main character's murdered wife Nina grew up in a wealthy Philadephia Main Line Family. In the book, it mentions that Nina went to Bryn Mawr College.
Communities on the Main Line
The Main Line proper is a line of communities extending northwest from the City of Philadelphia. From Philadelphia, the stations on what is now referred to as the R5 train line are: Overbrook,[1] Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr, which inspired the mnemonic "Old Maids Never Wed And Have Babies". The other rail line communities extending past Bryn Mawr are Rosemont, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, Strafford, Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, Paoli, and Malvern. In recent years, the R5 train service has extended to the west of Malvern. Other communities, most notably Bala Cynwyd and Gladwyne are included in what is commonly accepted as the Main Line, as they both are typical Main Line communities and are adjacent to Main Line towns. Neither, however, is located on the rail line for which the area is named and therefore they may be considered culturally rather than geographically on the Main Line. A list of communities on the Main Line follows:
School districts
Colleges and universities
- Bryn Mawr College
- Cabrini College
- Eastern University
- Harcum College
- Haverford College
- Rosemont College
- Saint Joseph's University
- Valley Forge Military Academy and College
- Villanova University
