North Wales, Pennsylvania

As its name suggests, North Wales was settled by Welsh immigrants who named it after North Wales in Wales. Part of a 1702 land grant by William Penn, the area was then a rich farming country named 'Gwynedd for the homeland of the earliest settlers. It began as a pastoral village in agricultural Gwynedd Township.

Before 1850, a number of farms, and a 1776 church, shared by the Lutheran and Episcopal congregations, dotted the present borough's landscape. What is now Main Street was originally an old Indian trail, and was laid out as the Great Road in 1728. By 1828, it had become today's Sumneytown Pike, and was a toll road until 1914. It had always been an important route to Philadelphia, and continues to serve as a connection to Routes 202 and 309 to the east and the Northeastern Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the west.

Its rural character was abruptly disrupted by the building of the North Pennsylvania Railroad starting in 1852. Service from Bethlehem to Philadelphia through North Wales began in 1857.

The town quickly grew around the railroad station, with hotels and restaurants lining Walnut Street and Main Street within walking distance. North Wales is the oldest of the North Penn boroughs, incorporated in 1869, by taking land from today's Upper Gwynedd Township, then the northern portion of Gwynedd Township. Some of the large homes at the start of the 20th century were opened to summer guests from the city.

"Idlewilde", still present on Main Street, hosted Pedro II of Brazil, the last monarch of Brazil, during his visit to Philadelphia to open the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1875 with President Ulysses S. Grant.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of North Wales borough's housing was built. Most houses along South Main Street between Montgomery and Prospects Streets remain much as they were when built and are lovingly maintained. The borough also features a variety of single family homes, as well as twins, and rowhouses.

Between 1900 and 1926, Lehigh Valley Transit Company operated its Chestnut Hill Branch trolley line, which connected North Wales to surrounding towns through service to either Philadelphia or Allentown.

The trolley ran down Main Street through the borough, but detoured onto Pennsylvania Avenue for two blocks to enable it to cross the North Penn Railroad on a bridge.

The bridge was required because the railroad, citing safety concerns, refused to allow the trolleys to cross at the Main Street grade crossing. Lehigh Valley Transit Company's combined passenger and freight station was located on the northeast side of Pennsylvania Avenue between Shearer Street and Montgomery Avenue. After Main Street trolley service ended in 1926, Lehigh Valley Transit high-speed trolleys continued to serve the Wales Junction station, located on Sumneytown Pike three-quarters of a mile west of town. High-speed trolley serviced ended in September 1951.

In 2000, the North Wales Historic Preservation District was established by Borough Council and the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission to protect the architecture that is a visual reminder of the borough's past. It is the first Historic District in the North Penn boroughs.

North Wales Elementary School formerly housed the North Wales Memorial Free Library from 1927 to 2009. Due to the growing number of students at school, as well as the library's need for more space, the library purchased and relocated to a much larger (10,000 ft², over 900 m²) building at 233 South Swartley Street. They began operating with limited hours at the new location on January 4, 2010, and had their grand opening in April 2010 with full hours, including Saturday. The library has also changed its name to "North Wales Area Library" upon its move. It is part of the Montgomery County Library System.

Walnut Street in North Wales

As of 2022 there were 12.36 miles (19.89 km) of public roads in North Wales, of which 1.03 miles (1.66 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 11.33 miles (18.23 km) were maintained by the borough.[13]

Main Street runs northwest-southeast through North Wales, becoming Sumneytown Pike outside the borough, while Walnut Street runs southwest-northeast through North Wales, becoming North Wales Road outside the borough. No state highways pass through North Wales. U.S. Route 202 passes to the east of North Wales and Pennsylvania Route 63 passes to the northeast of North Wales. Pennsylvania Route 309 passes through Montgomeryville, which is east of the borough, and Pennsylvania Route 363 bypasses North Wales to the north along the Upper Gwynedd-Towamencin township line. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (Interstate 476) is located west of North Wales, with connections to the borough via Sumneytown Pike to Exit 31 in the north, as well as North Wales Road to Germantown Pike at Exit 20 to the south.[14]

A SEPTA Regional Rail train on the Lansdale/Doylestown Line stops at the North Wales station

Public transportation in North Wales is provided by SEPTA. Many North Wales residents commute to Center City Philadelphia by SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line train, which stops at the North Wales station. The 1870s-vintage brick railroad station, thoroughly restored in 2010, is open weekday mornings. SEPTA Suburban Bus Route 96 serves North Wales, providing service to the Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown and Lansdale.[15]

Electricity and natural gas in North Wales is provided by PECO Energy Company, a subsidiary of Exelon.[16][17][18] The North Wales Water Authority provides water and sewer service to North Wales and surrounding townships.[19][20] Cable, telephone, and internet service in North Wales s provided by Xfinity and Verizon.[20] Trash and recycling collection in North Wales is provided by private haulers including Advanced Disposal, Republic Services, Waste Management, and Whitetail Disposal.[21]