Wynnewood, Pennsylvania
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Wynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Wynnewood is one of the many neighborhoods on the Pennsylvania Main Line, and encompasses suburban residential neighborhoods as well as institutions such as Lankenau Hospital, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary,[1] Palmer Theological Seminary, and Friends' Central School. Library Video Company, a major educational video distributor, is also based there.
Demographics
Wynnewood is neither an incorporated area nor a census-designated place, all data is for its ZIP code 19096. As of the census of 2000, there were 13,299 people and 3,490 households residing in the community. The population density was 3,882 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the community was 92.9% White, 3.2% Asian, 2.5% African American, 0.40% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The median income for a household in the community was $86,861, and the median income for a family was $111,683. The per capita income for the community was $51,543. About 0.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Residents of Wynnewood cooperate with those of adjacent Ardmore in many ways, one of which is the ArdWood Civic Association. South Ardmore Park is partly in Wynnewood, and partly in Ardmore. This park is the site of a free or low-cost summer camp, sporting activities, walking paths, and a verdant setting.
Wynnewood itself is mostly residential, with its shopping in various clusters. The largest shopping center in Wynnewood is the Wynnewood Shopping Center(housing a Borders, Old Navy, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Genuardi's, along with several eateries and smaller stores). Other shopping venues in the suburb include Wynnewood Square and The Whole Foods Shopping Center (named for a market there), both on East Lancaster Avenue. As Wynnewood is primarily a residential community, its residents visit other districts of the Main Line, such as Ardmore or Narberth for shopping.
Opposite the Wynnewood Shopping Center is the Wynnewood Train Station. These railroad tracks run through the Main Line, the collective suburbs of Philadelphia where the railroad system has been established. Towns on the Main Line include Wynnewood, Narberth (Northeast of Wynnewood), and Ardmore (Northwest of Wynnewood, Southwest of Narberth).
Located in the community is Shortridge Memorial Park, a small park in a creek valley with stone bridges under which Indian Creek flows. The park is also the situs where recent ecological and environmental efforts are being expended in a revitalization and restoration project focused around Indian Creek. Wynnewood residents are also active in the Wynnewood Civic Association and the Shortridge Association of Wynnewood.
Notable natives and residents
- Billionaire Walter H. Annenberg, media mogul, philanthropist, arts patron, and United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James's (United Kingdom) died at his home in Wynnewood in 2002; his wife Leonore Annenberg continued to maintain a residence in Wynnewood until her death in 2009.
- Dr. Fordham G. Anton, the first person to identify the Herpes Simplex II virus.
- John Arthur, goose down expert.
- Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers lived in Wynnewood while attending Lower Merion High School, located in nearby Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
- University of North Carolina men's basketball player and McDonald's All-American Wayne Ellington was born in Wynnewood.
- Musician Patti Labelle resides in Wynnewood, PA.
- Henry Scattergood lived in Wynnewood until his death in 1953.
- Musician Joan Jett was born here on September 22, 1958.
- Alex Scott, founder of Alex's Lemonade Stand, a non-profit raising money for pediatric cancer research.
- Jeffrey Lurie owner of the Philadelphia Eagles professional football team.
References
- ^ Colleges in the Middle Atlantic States 2009 (24 ed.). Peterson's. ISBN 076892555X.