Horsham, Hatboro and Warminster Information

Horsham, Pennsylvania, ~ Population 14,842*
CIRCA ~ 1717

*2010 Census

POINTS OF INTEREST


PARKS AND RECREATION

The Horsham Township Parks and Recreation has more than 815 acres of parkland, the most of any municipality in Montgomery County including a trail system which is being expanded to provide walking access to most areas of the township.  The Department of Parks and Recreation is dedicated to serving as a partner in providing essential open space, parks, and recreation services that enhance the quality of life and deliver individual, community, environmental and economic benefits to its customers. 


Everybody's Playground at Lukens Park
455 Samantha Lane
Horsham, PA  19044


A handicaped accessible playground for children of all abilities developed by the Rotary Club of Horsham, had its groundbreaking in June of 2003.  The playground has equipment designed to be used by children of all abilities including a swing equipped for children in wheelchairs.  The park has recently been with the addition of a basketball court that is wheelchair accessible from the parking lot and has nets that can be lowered for wheelchair athletes.





Carl Kohler Park/Werner Fricker Field
1013 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA  19044

Home to the Horsham Soccer Association and main location for the annual Colleen Reilly Girls Invitation Soccer Tournament.  The 71 acre park also incudes 2 playgrounds, fishing pond, gazebo, street hockey rink, and a recently expanded walking trail which will soon connect to the cross-township Power Line Trail.





Deep Meadow Park
1020 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA  19044


Deep Meadown Park offers something for the lover of the outdoors.  Home of  Horsham Little League and part of the Horsham Township Park system.  This complex includes: 11 Diamonds, concession stand, playground, batting cages, picnic pavillions, picnic tables, grills,restrooms and a one-mile walking trail.  The park is also handicapped accessible.







Samuel Carpenter Park
1000 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA 19044

Home to the Horsham Girls Lacrosse Club, this park is for the lover of athletics.  The park includes: basketball, beach volleyball and tennis courts. Baseball diamonds and soccer, lacrosse and football fields. Enjoy a 3/4-mile walking trail with scenic views.  There is also handicapped parking.







LANDMARKS AND HISTORICAL SITES


Graeme Park
A 42-acre historic park operated by the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission with assistance from the Friends of Graeme Park, featuring Keith House, the only surviving residence of a Coloniel Pennsylvania Govenor.  The mansion had remained virtually intact since the late 18th century.  A visit to Graeme Park is nature trails, a picnic lunch, and a visit with the politicians, physicians, patriots, loyalists, poets and writers who frequented the Keith House.  This would include Horsham's most famous ghost, Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson.
859 County Line Road
Horsham, PA  19044




Pennrose Strawbridge House

The unique survival of the Keith House to the present day is large in part due to the careful stewardship of the Penrose family in the 19th century and the Strawbridge family in the 20th century.  Both families were very much aware of the historic signifigance of the House.  The Penrose family considered it "a sacred relic of antiquity worthy of being preserved and handed down to posterity" (according to a publishing in 1920).  A few Penrose family members wrote articles that were published about this site.

The Penrose family purchased 204 acres, including the Keith House, from Dr. William Smith (Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson's nephew, by marriage) in April, 1801.  From 1801 to 1920 four generations of the Penrose family, farmed the land, builth their own farmhouses, maintained the Keith House and conducted tours for the occasional visitors.

The Penrose's sold 191 acres to Mr. Welsh Strawbridge on March 10, 1920.  He was an investment broker for the firm J&W Strawbridge and was also a prominent member of Philadelphia Society.  In 1922 Mr. Welsh Strawbridge married Margaret Marshall and they lived in the Penrose farmhouse and continued the practice of maintaing the Keith House and Sharing its history with interested vistors.

In order to insure the preservation of this unique historic artifact; the Strawbridge's donated the Keith House and the surrounding acreage to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in 1958.
859 County Line Road
Horsham, PA  19044




Horsham Friends Meeting House

The first Friends Meeting took place in Horsham 1716.  It wasn't until 1803 that the Horsham Friends would construct a Meeting House.  This Meeting House is located at the corner of 611 and Meetinghouse Road.  The tract of land that it stands on today was once part of a 50 acre parcel, originally part of Penn's Woods and deeded to Horsham Friends by Hannah Carpenter in 1718.  The parcel included the adjacent farm, the graveyard across the street and the schoolhouse.  To learn more, please click Horsham Friends Meeting.
Route 611 at Meetinghouse Road
Horsham, PA  19044
                                                                            




Harold F. Pitcarin Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum

The Harold F. Pitcarin Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum consists of a small collection of military aircraft and aviation related memorabilia.  This museum houses one of two surviving ME-262 jets, a plane developed and used by the German Air Force during World War II.  It was the first military jet to be built - information about the plane's developement can be found at the museum.  It's free to tour, located 1/2 mile south of the Willow Grove Naval Base's main gate.  To learn more about Harold F. Pitcairn, please click on the link.
1155 Easton Road
Horsham, PA  19044








THE HISTORY OF HORSHAM, PENNSYLVANIA

The present day boundaries for Horsham Township were originally surveyed and mapped by William Penn's surveyor general, Thomas Holmes in the 1680's.  Many of the main travel routes that run through Horsham to this day can be found on these plot maps, including Horsham Road and County Line Road.  Following the survey of the land that became known as Horsham, Penn sold off the township in large parcels to four investors between 1682 and 1686.

One investor's son, Thomas Palmer, settled their parcel following the acquisition.  The other three investors, and their heirs, then went on to sell their parcels off to 36 settlers, who purchased their parcels from 1709 to 1750.  Samuel Carpenter sold a 50 acre parcel to the Horsham Friends Meeting.  Several structures were constructed on the parcel near Meetinghouse and Easton Roads.  In 1739, the Quaker school house and farmhouse were constructed.  In 1803, the Meeting House was built across the street.  All of these structures stand to this day and are all in use.  Samuel Carpenter is believed to be the person who named the townhip.  Carpenter's birthplace was Horsham, in Sussex England.

In 1718, Sir William Keith, the govenor of Colonial Pennsylvania, acquired a 1,684 acre parcel.  In 1772, he built his estate there.  Graeme Park, Keith's estate is now owned and managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.  Keith would later be instrumental to the construction of extensions of the modern-day Easton Road, which provided access to his estate.  Norristown Road would later be built to allow easy access to the Gwynedd Friends Meeting from the Horsham Friends Meeting.

During the American Revolution, local men were enrolled in militia.  Encamped at Crooked Billet in the spring of 1778, they would be involved in a skirmish that was later commemorated with a monument that stands at the site of Crooked Billet Elementary School, in Hatboro.

A farming community, Horsham cattle herders found the need for local grain to feed their herds.  Serveral mills were constructed in order to supply this demand.  The Kenderdine Mill. still standing near Davis Grove and Keith Valley Roads, was built in 1734.  Palmer Mill was built in 1740 near the modern-day intersection of Dresher and Horsham Roads.  The mill still stands today.  Later, in 1832, a water powered mill was built along Limekiln pike.

Horsham was once a town of villages: Hoshamville, the area between the intersection of Easton and Horsham Roads to the south, the Horsham Friends Meeting to the north was one area.  Also in Horshamville were a hotel, general store, wool mill, and post office.  Davis Grove was once located on the tract of land that was once the Willow Grove Naval Air Station.  Prospectville was at the intersection of Horsham and Norristown Roads.

Up until the mid-20th century, Horsham remained a farming community.  During World War II, the Pitcairn Field was transformed into a large military base.  Today, following the construction of housing developements, shopping centers. and larger roads, Horsham is a thriving suburban community with over 14,000 residents.


COMMUNITY EVENTS AND INFORMATION

Horsham Day

Held in Deep Meadow Park, Horsham Day is an annual event organized by the Greater Horsham Chamber of Commerce and the department of Park and Recreations.  The day is filled with activites for all ages.  For the athletic competitors enjoy a 5K walk/run in the morning and throughout the day, volleyball, softball and hockey tournaments.  Or on the lighter side, there is  a youth fishing contest, with an award to the first fish caught. 
Throughout the day enjoy delicious food, games, music, bingo, puppet shows, dunk tank, pony rides, children's rides miniature golf and  war reenactments.  To end the day, wind down the day by enjoying nightime fireworks.

For more community events, please click on Horsham Happenings.


HATBORO-HORSHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 
            HOME OF THE HATTERS!

Hatboro-Horsham School District consists of six elementary schools, a middle school and high school.  There are 5119 students from KG-12 and ranks 31st out of 543 districts. 
"The school district of Hatboro-Horsham will prepare,and challenge all students to excel academically and to develope social skills and creativity by providing exemplary and innovative programs through a supportive collaboration of educators, students, parents, and community".

To learn more about how Hatboro-Horsham strives to carry out this mission, please click on Hatboro-Horsham School District

Hatboro-Horsham Administration Building
229 Meetinghouse Road
Horsham, PA  19044
(Phone: 215) 672-1023

Hatboro-Horsham High School
899 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA  19044
Phone: (215) 420-5500

Keith Valley Middle School
227 Meetinghouse Road
Horsham, PA  19044
Phone: (215) 420-5050
Phone: (215) 956-2910

Blair Mill Elementary School
109 Bender Road
Hatboro, PA  19040
Phone: (215) 672-8665
Voice: (215) 420-5200

Crooked Billet Elementary School
70 Meadowbrook Avenue
Hatboro, PA  19040
Phone: (215) 675-0427
Voice: (215) 420-5300

Hallowell Elementary School
200 Maple Avenue
Horsham, PA  19044
Phone: (215) 672-0510
Voice: (215) 420-5900

Pennypack Elementary School
130 Spring Avenue
Hatboro, PA  19040
Phone: (215) 956-2922
Voice: (215) 420-5400

Simmons Elementary School
411 Babylon Road
Horsham, PA  19044
Phone: (215) 956-2929
Voice: (215) 420-5700

Click Here To View Elementary Curriculum

Click Here To View Keith Valley Middle School Curriculum





Horsham Township Departments and Contacts

Listed below are a few township departments and contact information.  For a complete directory, please click on Horsham Township.

Horsham Township Municipal Building
1025 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA  19044

Phone:(215) 643-3131
Fax:(215) 643-0448

Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am - 4:30pm

Police
Horsham Township Police Department
1025 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA  19044

Phone:(215) 643-8284
Fax:(215) 643-0390

Hours: 24 Hours

Library
Horsham Township Library
435 Babylon Road
Horsham, PA  19044

Phone:(215) 443-2609
Fax:(215) 443-2697

http://horshamlibrary.org

Hours: Mon, 12:30pm-9:00pm
Hours: Tues-Thurs, 10:00am-9:00pm
Hours: Fri, 10:00am-6:00pm
Hours:Sat, 10:00am-5:00pm

Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
1925 Horsham Road
Horsham, PA  19044

Phone:(215) 643-3131
Fax:(215) 643-0448

Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm

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