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Malvern, Pennsylvania
Borough
Battle of Paoli monument site
Location of Malvern in Chester County, Pennsylvania (left) and of Chester County in Pennsylvania (right)
MalvernLocation in PennsylvaniaShow map of PennsylvaniaMalvernLocation in the United StatesShow map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°02′04″N 75°30′52″W / 40.03444°N 75.51444°W / 40.03444; -75.51444
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Chester
Incorporated	1889
Government
• Mayor	Zeyn B. Uzman (D)
Area
• Total	1.27 sq mi (3.28 km)
• Land	1.26 sq mi (3.26 km)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km)
Elevation	551 ft (168 m)
Population
• Total	3,419
• Density	2,713.49/sq mi (1,047.33/km)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	19355
Area codes	610 and 484
FIPS code	42-46792
Website	www.malvern.org

Malvern is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is 19.4 miles (31.2 km) west of Philadelphia. The population was 3,419 at the 2020 census.

History

The area was originally settled in the 17th century by Welsh immigrants who purchased land from William Penn.

On the evening of September 20, 1777, near Malvern, General Charles Grey and nearly 5,000 British soldiers launched a surprise attack on a Patriot encampment, which became known as the Battle of Paoli. Having intercepted General Washington's orders to General Wayne regarding British rearguard actions, Grey directed his troops to assault the small regiment of Americans commanded by Anthony Wayne in an area near his residence. Not wanting to lose the element of surprise, Grey ordered his troops to remove the flint from their muskets and to use only bayonets or swords to launch a surprise sneak attack on the Americans under the cover of darkness.

With the help of a Loyalist spy who provided a secret password, "here we are and there they go" and led them to the camp, General "No-flint" Grey and the British overran several American pickets and launched their successful attack on the Continental Army camp. 201 American soldiers were killed or injured, while 71 were captured. The British suffered only 4 killed and 7 injured in comparison. Wayne's reputation was tarnished by the high casualties suffered in the battle, and he demanded a formal court-martial to clear his name. On November 1, a board of 13 officers declared that Wayne had acted with honor. The site of the battle is part of Malvern.

A monument to the Paoli Massacre, the preserved battlefield, and a parade grounds are located in Malvern. Other sites of interest in neighboring townships include the Wharton Esherick Studio, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993.

The church, trains, and a few businesses were the nucleus of this village, which was known for a long period as West Chester Intersection due to its position at the junction of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad and the West Chester Railroad.

In 1873, the community’s name was changed to Malvern when the Philadelphia and Columbia's successor, the Pennsylvania Railroad, straightened its tracks through the village. In 1879, the Malvern Friends Meeting was built at the northwest corner of Woodland Avenue and Roberts Lane, followed by the arrival of the Presbyterians and the Methodists prior to 1900.

In 1880, the village's status as a railroad junction came to an end when the West Chester Railroad's northern terminal was moved west to Frazer, Pennsylvania. Malvern Borough has a mix of residential styles and neighborhoods, retail and industrial businesses, dedicated open land, and numerous civic, cultural, and religious organizations.

On August 13, 1889, Malvern was incorporated, and created by separating it from the northern portion of Willistown Township.

On April 22, 2008, the borough converted to a home rule form of government.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km), all land.

The borough is bordered by Paoli Pike on the south, Sugartown Road on the west, Willistown Township on the east, and East Whiteland Township on the north.

The Malvern ZIP code covers Malvern and all or parts of East Whiteland, Charlestown, Willistown, East Goshen, East Pikeland, and Tredyffrin Townships. Malvern Borough is between Paoli on the east, and Immaculata University and Exton on the west.

Demographics

At the time of the 2010 census, the borough was 87.8% non-Hispanic White, 2.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 4.2% Asian, and 1.9% were two or more races. 3.7% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,059 people, 1,361 households, and 793 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,444.6 inhabitants per square mile (943.9/km). There were 1,419 housing units at an average density of 1,134.0 per square mile (437.8/km). The racial makeup of the borough was 91.11% White, 3.82% African American, 0.20% Native American, 3.24% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.

There were 1,361 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 37.0% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $62,308, and the median income for a family was $79,145. Males had a median income of $45,281 versus $39,129 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,477. About 0.9% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Malvern Business and Professional Association promotes Malvern commerce and the borough's unique character. Siemens Healthcare, Ricoh Americas Corporation (formerly IKON Office Solutions), The Vanguard Group, Liberty Property Trust, The Center for Professional Innovation & Education Corporation, Cerner, Vishay Intertechnology, CertainTeed, Endo International and AmericanMuscle are among the companies based in Malvern.

Fisher Feed and Amerigas were two former employers located on East King Street in the Planning Area #10 of the Malvern Borough Comprehensive Plan. This plan amends a zoning ordinance to provide for redeveloping the land once used by the two former employers. The Malvern Patch, a local newspaper, stated that Kimberton Whole Foods will be opening its fifth location in the East King Street area. The projected occupancy date for the East King Street area is late summer 2013 according to the developer. This development is unrelated to the mixed-use development in an area called "Uptown Worthington" which is actually part of East Whiteland.

The corporate headquarters of The Vanguard Group and Vishay Intertechnology are located in Malvern.

Arts and culture

Points of interest include:

• Battle of Paoli, fought in Malvern, now on the National Register of Historic Places
• Annual Memorial Day Parade, first held in 1869, tying Malvern's Parade as the nation's longest continuously held Memorial Day parade
• Victorian Christmas, the first Friday evening and Saturday of December

Parks and recreation

Samuel & M. Elizabeth Burke Park, or simply "Burke Park", includes a pavilion, picnic benches, sitting benches, and a playground. It is located at 15 South Warren Avenue.

Theodore S.A. Rubino Memorial Park is located at the corner of East Broad Street and Old Lincoln Highway. It has a small pavilion with benches as well as a playground.

The Horace J. Quann Memorial Park, is located on the corner of First Ave. and Warren Ave. It includes a baseball/softball field, basketball courts, and access to trails near Massacre Run and Paoli Battlefield.

John and Marion Herzak Park is a public basketball court on the corner of Bridge Street and Old Lincoln Highway.

The Paoli Memorial Grounds Assoc. park is another open space area used for many events and youth sports leagues, including the Chester Valley Little League and Troop 7 boy scouts. There are two full size baseball fields, one small baseball field, a playground, and tennis courts.

Another feature of the memorial grounds is several plaques and stone obelisks, representing American sacrifices in war.

Bordering both the Horace J. Quann Memorial Park and the Paoli Memorial Grounds Assoc. open space, The Paoli Battlefield Site features historic sites and a wooded area with trails. The Massacre Run is also included in the woods.

Finally, Randolph Woods is a hiking area on the East side of the borough with Duffryn Trail cutting through and connecting the borough to Willistown Township's Duffryn Mawr, as well as mant other trails. There is a trail paralleling Ruth Run through the Malvern Retreat House Forest to Rustmont Village.

Education

Public schools

Great Valley School District serves as the public education for the borough.

Private schools

The borough has two private schools. Malvern Preparatory School, an independent Catholic School for boys grades 6–12. It was founded by the Order of St. Augustine at Villanova University in 1842 and moved to its present location in 1920. The Willistown Country Day School (Montessori) is for K–6th grade. The borough is also home to a Catholic elementary school for grades K–8, colloquially called St. Patrick's. The St. Patrick School spent the early part of 2012 embattled with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia over a proposed merger with the St. Monica School of nearby Berwyn, winning their case in March of that year.

Villa Maria Academy is a private, all girls Catholic college preparatory high school (grades 9 to 12) accredited by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Villa Maria Academy is located less than a mile to the east of the border of Malvern Borough, in Willistown Township.

Episcopal Academy, Devon Preparatory School, and The Phelps School are also located near Malvern.

Two institutions for higher education include Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies and Immaculata University, both within the Malvern ZIP code.

Media

The Borough of Malvern is served by two newspapers: the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily Local News. The Inquirer is a paper of record for the greater Philadelphia region, as such its time is spent covering the events of the city and the greater Delaware Valley.

Infrastructure

Transit

Malvern is served by train via the Malvern station connecting it to Center City Philadelphia via SEPTA Regional Rail's Paoli/Thorndale Line. OurBus provides intercity bus service from Malvern to Park Avenue in the Manhattan section in New York City as part of a route running to New York City. The bus stop in Malvern is located at a park and ride lot on Matthews Road. The route started on December 21, 2017.

The borough is also served by SEPTA's 92 Bus, which travels along King Street.

Roads

As of 2012, there were 10.50 miles (16.90 km) of public roads in Malvern, all of which were maintained by the borough. Main thoroughfares through the borough include King Street and Warren Avenue.

Notable people

• Mikal Bridges, professional basketball player, Brooklyn Nets
• Phil Gosselin, former professional baseball player
• Harry Hiestand, former offensive line coach for Notre Dame and Chicago Bears assistant coach
• Adam McKay, director, producer, entertainer, and head writer, Saturday Night Live
• Eric S. Raymond, computer programmer, author, and advocate for the open source movement
• Frank Spellman (1922–2017), Olympic gold medalist weightlifter

In popular culture

The preface to Bushido: The Soul of Japan, by Nitobe Inazō, is signed "Malvern, Pa., Twelfth Month, 1899."

See also

• Philadelphia
• Pennsylvania

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
2. ^ "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
3. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
4. "History of Tredyffrin Township". Tredyffrin Township website. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
5. ^ McGuire, Thomas J. Battle of Paoli. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2000, ISBN 0-8117-0198-0. pp.59
6. ^ Boatner, Mark Mayo, Cassell's Biographical Dictionary of the American War of Independence 1763–1783, Cassell, London, 1966, ISBN 0-304-29296-6. pp.123
7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
8. Moore, Paul (Spring 2002). "The West Chester Railroad Company". The High Line. 18 (1). Philadelphia Chapter, Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society: 6.
9. ^ A Century in Malvern, Malvern Historical Commission, 1989
10. Moore, p. 23.
11. "Malvern Borough Home Rule Charter". Archived from the original on August 4, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
12. "Census 2020".
13. "Census 2010: Pennsylvania - USATODAY.com". USA TODAY News. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
15. "Malvern Business and Professional Association". Retrieved September 12, 2012.
16. Hertzler, Lauren. "Cerner expected to buy Siemens' Malvern buildings, gain health IT workers", Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia, 07 August 2014. Retrieved on 11 February 2015.
17. "Borough of Malvern: East King Street Redevelopment". Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
18. "Kimberton Whole Foods Coming To East King".
19. "What Businesses Are Coming to King Street?". June 28, 2012.
20. "Uptown Worthington: A List of What's Coming". September 13, 2012.
21. "Malvern Memorial Day Parade history". Retrieved September 12, 2012.
22. "Malvern Parks & Recreation". Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
23. "Herzak Park Dedication in Malvern is Monday". August 29, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
24. "Information about Great Valley School District". Retrieved October 10, 2010.
25. "Willistown Country Day School Montessory". Retrieved September 12, 2012.
26. "St. Patrick School". Retrieved September 12, 2012.
27. "St. Monica School". Retrieved September 12, 2012.
28. "St. Patrick Wins Appeal". Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
29. "Villa Maria Academy High School website". Retrieved February 22, 2016.
30. "Malvern · Pennsylvania 19355".
31. "Book an Intercity (Prime) Ticket". OurBus. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
32. Rettew Jr., Bill (December 16, 2017). "Company plans bus service from West Chester to New York City". Daily Local News. West Chester, PA. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
33. "Malvern Borough map" (PDF). PennDOT. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
34. Phttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/12096/12096-h/12096-h.htm

External links

• Borough of Malvern

v t e Municipalities and communities of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
County seat: West Chester
City	Coatesville
Boroughs	Atglen Avondale Downingtown Elverson Honey Brook Kennett Square Malvern Modena Oxford Parkesburg Phoenixville South Coatesville Spring City West Chester West Grove
Townships	Birmingham Caln Charlestown East Bradford East Brandywine East Caln East Coventry East Fallowfield East Goshen East Marlborough East Nantmeal East Nottingham East Pikeland East Vincent East Whiteland Easttown Elk Franklin Highland Honey Brook Kennett London Britain London Grove Londonderry Lower Oxford New Garden New London Newlin North Coventry Penn Pennsbury Pocopson Sadsbury Schuylkill South Coventry Thornbury Tredyffrin Upper Oxford Upper Uwchlan Uwchlan Valley Wallace Warwick West Bradford West Brandywine West Caln West Fallowfield West Goshen West Marlborough West Nantmeal West Nottingham West Pikeland West Sadsbury West Vincent West Whiteland Morstein Westtown Willistown
CDPs	Berwyn Caln Cambridge‡ Chadds Ford‡ Chesterbrook Cheyney University‡ Cochranville Devon Dilworthtown‡ Eagle Eagleview Exton Frazer Glenmoore Hamorton Hayti Kenilworth Kimberton Lincoln University Lionville Marshallton Nottingham Paoli Pomeroy Pughtown Sadsburyville South Pottstown Thorndale Toughkenamon Unionville Westwood
Other communities	Birchrunville Black Horse Brandamore Bucktown Byers Station Cedarville Chatham Chester Springs Chesterville Compass Coventryville Cromby Darlington Corners Daylesford Devault Doe Run Dorlan Embreeville Ercildoun Faggs Manor Glenloch Goshenville Hallman Harmonyville Hayesville Hephzibah Hickory Hill Hiestand Hinsonville Homeville Hopewell† Howellville Humphreyville Icedale Ironsides Isabella Jennersville Kaolin Kelton Kemblesville Knauertown Landenberg Lenape Lewisville London Grove Longwood Gardens Lower Hopewell Ludwigs Corner Lyndell Mendenhall Milford Mills Mortonville Nantmeal Village Parker Ford Pocopson Russellville St. Peters Siousca Springdell Steelville Strafford‡ Strickersville Sugartown Suplee Valley Forge Wagontown Warwick Wayne‡ West Goshen Whitford Willowdale Yellow Springs
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties †Former borough
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• Populated places established in 1873
• Boroughs in Chester County, Pennsylvania
• 1889 establishments in Pennsylvania