Folcroft Borough municipal offices are located at 1555 Elmwood Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
Phone: 610‑522‑1305.
Neighborhoods
Beginnings [1]
The origin of what is now Folcroft can be traced to the mid‑1600's and early Swedish settlements. Originally productive farmlands, its development as a residential suburb of Philadelphia resulted from the construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad through the area in 1874. A passenger station was subsequently constructed, and the stop was given the name Folcroft, meaning "leafy fields."
Originally located in Darby Township, Folcroft was incorporated as a Borough in December of 1922.
Chester Pike, the oldest road in the Borough, was a toll road until the early 1920's. Another original road still existing is Calcon Hook Road, which leads to the meadow land along Darby Creek. Prior to 1900, Darby Creek was kept within its channel by adjacent property owners. What is now marsh land at the southern end of the Borough was, at that time, highly productive farm land. Much of this marsh land is now included in the Tinicum National Environmental Center and accounts for the southern one-third of the Borough.
The Shallcross Homestead (1788) on Ashland Avenue south of Elmwood Avenue and the Swayne House on Elmwood Avenue (late 1700's) are two of the oldest structures in the Borough.
The present day Lorup Farm was, at the turn of the Century, engaged in turtle and frog raising, with its primary market for their products being New York. This was discontinued after the passage of the Interstate Commerce laws prohibiting shipment out of the state.
In November of 1903, the Folcroft Fire Company was founded as the Darby Township No. 1. After the Borough incorporated, the name was changed to Folcroft Fire Department No. 1. The original firehouse was on Baltimore and Avenue A. In 1925, the company moved to a firehouse on Primos and Shallcross Avenues. In 1978, the company again moved to their present location on Delmar Avenue. The original school house, on Hook Road, is still standing. However, it has been converted to a private residence.
Nearby Towns: Aldan Boro • Chester Twp • Clifton Heights Boro • Collingdale Boro • Colwyn Boro • Darby Boro • Darby Twp • East Lansdowne Boro • Eddystone Boro • Glenolden Boro • Greenwich Twp • Haverford Twp • Lansdowne Boro • Lower Merion Twp • Marple Twp • Millbourne Boro • Morton Boro • National Park Boro • Nether Providence Twp • Norwood Boro • Parkside Boro • Paulsboro Boro • Prospect Park Boro • Radnor Twp • Ridley Park Boro • Ridley Twp • Royersford Boro • Rutledge Boro • Sharon Hill Boro • Springfield Twp • Swarthmore Boro • Tinicum Twp • Upland Boro • Upper Darby Twp • Upper Providence Twp • West Deptford Twp • Yeadon Boro •