Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania - History

History

The oldest commercial district and the original center of Bala Cynwyd straddles the bridge over the old Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, originally belonging to the Columbia Railroad and now part of the SEPTA Cynwyd Line, along Montgomery Avenue at Bala Avenue. This district, long on the National Register of Historic Places, was settled shortly after William Penn's landing in Pennsylvania in 1682 and contains the village's oldest commercial buildings, some dating to the earliest years of the 19th century. Bala Avenue itself is an extension of this original town center and comprises a specialized commercial district of its own more than a century old; it has long been known for its children's clothing stores, women's dress and consignment shops, the Bala Theater and a number of small restaurants. The remainder of Bala Cynwyd's original commercial district extends south along Montgomery Avenue as part of the Bala Cynwyd-Merion Commercial District and is coextensive with the commercial center of Merion, with its popular delicatessens and restaurants.

In 1952, WCAU-TV, channel 10 built its headquarters at the corner of City Avenue and Monument Road. Since then, Bala Cynwyd has increasingly become identified with the home of the Philadelphia region's major media outlets. WCAU was owned by CBS from 1958 until September 1995, when it was traded to its current owner, NBC. In addition to channel 10, three successors to WCAU, rival WPVI-TV, owned by ABC is found directly across City Avenue. Bala Cynwyd's AM and FM stations include CBS Radio's WOGL-FM, WIP-AM and WPHT-AM, located on the seventh floor of Two Bala Plaza and Greater Media's WBEN-FM, WMGK-FM, WMMR-FM, WPEN-FM and WPEN-AM, which are housed on the third and fourth floor of One Bala Plaza. Clear Channel Radio's WDAS-FM, WDAS, WUSL, WRFF, WISX, and WIOQ FM stations are located on Presidential Boulevard, as is independently owned WBEB. Beasley Broadcasting's WXTU, WRDW-FM and WWDB are on the third floor of 555 Presidential Boulevard at the foot of City Avenue. It is the corporate home of Entercom and the Susquehanna International Group.

The Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center, completed in 1957, lies a half mile to the south of the village center, bordering Philadelphia on City Avenue. Its major outlets are Lord & Taylor, Acme Markets, Olive Garden, and LA Fitness; Saks Fifth Avenue is located a block to the East.

The village is home to churches of many religions. The oldest of these is Saint John's Episcopal Church on Levering Mill Road, founded in 1863. Saint Matthias Catholic Church is also found one block south of Montgomery on Bryn Mawr Avenue. Bala Cynwyd has also drawn a number of Modern Orthodox and Conservative Jews who live within walking distance of Lower Merion Synagogue and Congregation Adath Israel on Old Lancaster Road where Bala Cynwyd meets Merion. Churches of other denominations are only blocks away in nearby Narberth, Wynnewood, Merion, and Wynnefield/Overbrook.

The Neighborhood Club of Bala Cynwyd, established in 1906, works to preserve the residential character of the neighborhood and promote civic welfare and community spirit. It sponsors an annual Independence Day celebration on July 4 which begins in front of the Union Fire Association on Montgomery Avenue and ends at the Bala Cynwyd Playground. The parade features neighborhood children riding decorated bicycles, marchers in costumes, clowns, floats, fire trucks, police, and public officials.

The Lower Merion Historical Society recently relocated its headquarters from Ashbridge House in Rosemont to the ancient Cynwyd Academy building, adjacent to Bala Cynwyd Middle School on Bryn Mawr Avenue in Cynwyd.

Among the claimants for First Boy Scout Troop in the United States is Troop 1 in Bala Cynwyd.

From 1946 to 1960, the National Football League had its headquarters located in Bala Cynwyd.

The Lower Merion Academy-Cynwyd Elementary School-Bala Cynwyd Junior High School Complex and West Laurel Hill Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.