Trappe Borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (PA) 19426

Trappe Borough

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

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Trappe Borough municipal offices are located at 525 West Main Street, Trappe PA 19426.
Phone: 610‑489‑7181.

Neighborhoods

A Brief History [1]

Trappe was a village in Upper Providence Township (in fact the oldest in the Township). In 1896, it was incorporated as a borough. The Great Manatawny Road, later the Perkiomen-Reading Pike and now Main Street, passed through the village and made it a natural stopping place for travelers enroute from Philadelphia to Reading. The Village dates from 1717 when John Jacob Schrack settled there. The name Trappe came from Schrack's tavern, which was spelled "Trap" or "Trapp."

Trappe was the center of the Lutheran Church in America during the mid-1700s and home to the "patriarch" of the North American Lutheran Church, Henry Melchior Muhlenberg. Several of the church buildings and Muhlenberg's private residences are still present today and are of great historical importance. Two other Muhlenbergs are important to national history. General Peter Muhlenberg served in Washington's forces, and Frederick Muhlenberg was the nation's first Speaker of the House. Frederick's house still exists today.

The borough grew slowly as its only access was the Philadelphia-Reading Pike until the trolleys came to town in the early 1900s. By 1905, trolley service had been extended from Norristown through Trappe and Collegeville to Pottstown. Service beyond Trappe ended in the late 1920s followed by the last service between Collegeville and Trappe ending in 1933. Growth continued as a result of the automobile and the opening of Route 422 in 1984-1985.

  1. Montgomery County Planning Commission, 2005 Central Perkiomen Valley Regional Comprehensive Plan, www.montcopa.org

Nearby Towns: Collegeville Boro • East Pikeland Twp • East Vincent Twp • Limerick Twp • Lower Frederick Twp • Lower Providence Twp • Perkiomen Twp • Phoenixville Boro • Schuylkill Twp • Schwenksville Boro • Skippack Twp • Spring City Boro • Upper Providence Twp • West Norriton Twp •


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