Ardmore is located in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The community of Ardmore is a suburb in the west side of Philadelphia, primarily within Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County; a smaller portion of the community is the area of Ardmore Park in adjacent Haverford Township in Delaware County. The population was 12,616 at the 2000 census. Originally named Athensville in 1853, the community was renamed Ardmore in 1873 by the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Main Line Eminent Domain Controversy Since 2004, Ardmore's business district has been the subject of a hotly contested eminent domain battle. A grassroots organization, the Save Ardmore Coalition, along with local businesses and other civic groups, opposed an eminent domain/redevelopment program that would likely have involved the demolition of certain historic buildings, and favored preserving those buildings for other commercial use. In March 2006 the Lower Merion Township Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution disavowing the use of eminent domain for the benefit of private redevelopment projects. The Ardmore battle was also instrumental in prompting the Pennsylvania General Assembly to enact legislation in 2006 *restricting the use of eminent domain for private projects.
Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km˛). Ardmore is adjacent to Wynnewood and Haverford. Residents from South Ardmore and Wynnewood cooperate as the ArdWood Civic Association. The North Ardmore Civic Association represents residents of North Ardmore and Wynnewood north of Montgomery Avenue.Ardmore's train station is served by SEPTA and Amtrak passenger trains.Residents and visitors enjoy several parks including South Ardmore Park, which is partly in Ardmore and partly in Wynnewood. Suburban Square, the second oldest shopping mall in the U.S., is located adjacent to the Ardmore train station.
Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 12,616 people, 5,529 households, and 3,129 families residing in Ardmore. The population density was 6,588.5 people per square mile (2,550.3/km˛). There were 5,711 housing units at an average density of 2,982.5/sq mi (1,154.5/km˛). The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.51% White, 11.47% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.58% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.05% of the population.There were 5,529 households out of which 23.9% included children under the age of 18, 43.0% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.98.In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,966, and the median income for a family was $75,828. Males had a median income of $46,920 versus $40,802 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $36,111. About 2.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education Pupils living in the Lower Merion Township portion attend schools in the Lower Merion School District, while pupils living in the Haverford Township portion attend schools in the School District of Haverford Township.
Among the many notable graduates of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore are General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold (1903), Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces in WWII; General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. (1942), the 59th United States Secretary of State; James H. Billington (1946), the Librarian of Congress, and; Kobe B. Bryant (1996), a professional NBA basketball player.
Office Phone 610-520-0400
