History

The History of Lower Salford Township

The area now known as Lower Salford, Upper Salford, Salford and Marlborough Township was originally one municipality known as Salford Township. As this area was too large to govern, and with most of the early settlers located in the lower section of the township, a resident named Jacob Reiff, acting on behalf of his neighbors, submitted a petition to the Philadelphia County officials to create what is now Lower Salford Township.

Our first residents were of Germanic descent, having immigrated primarily from Germany, Switzerland and Holland. As most of these settlers came from an agricultural background, farming was their means of livelihood. Additionally, due to their northern European ancestry, German (or one of the many dialects) was the language of nearly all of the families settling in our area.

Lower Salford grew along with its towns and villages - Harleysville, Mainland, Lederach and Vernfield - which usually sprung up with an inn or tavern and a general store at their center. Also located in the towns and villages were the necessary craftsmen, such as tinsmiths, harnessmakers, weavers and carriage-makers. Along streams, grist mills were built to burn the farmers' grains into fine flour and meal. Water-powered mills cut trees into lumber.

One of the most dramatic events to affect the residents of Lower Salford Township occurred in the 1850's when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania revised the public school system and required all teaching to be done in English. Until this time, local residents and churches built their own one-room schoolhouses and hired Pennsylvania Dutch speaking teachers. The transition to an English speaking culture was slow and many residents of our community continued to speak Pennsylvania Dutch as their primary language well into the 20th century.

After WWII, Lower Salford saw the beginning of the transformation from a farming region to a growing suburban community. The old general store gave way to a grocery store, then progresses to become a supermarket. The local insurance company grew, banks expanded their financial services to assist the individual and local businesses and traffic lights began to appear at major intersections.

Lower Salford Historical Society & Heckler Plains Folklife Society

More information on Lower Salford's history is available from the Lower Salford Historical Society/Heckler Plains Folklife Society and/or the Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania www.mhep.org. To reach out to the Lower Salford Historical Society or the Heckler Plains Folklife Society, please contact either Joan DiMaria: 215-822-7422 or Ken Hales: 610-287-6010.

Township Flag & Logo

In 1991, John H. Drenning, president of the Heckler Plains Folklife Society, designed the Lower Salford Township flag, along with the help of many interested individuals and local artist Paula Slemmer, in celebration of the Township's 250th Anniversary. The three curved stripes, representing the brown earth, green plants and trees, and the golden crops, along with proper rainfall and warm sunshine, created a bountiful harvest, securing the survival of the early settlers. The blue endless sky covers the rest of the flag. The logo depicts an early Pennsylvania Dutch farmer sharpening the blade of his scythe as he takes a rest from cutting wheat. His wife is behind him, carrying two oaken buckets of water to refresh the workers in the field. The logo was in keeping with the objective of the 250th Anniversary celebration to honor and commemorate the common people of the township's past, present and future. Above the logo is the Pennsylvania Dutch word "Gemeinschaft," meaning a "sense of community" or, more literally, a feeling within a congregation. Standing to the right and left are cedar trees, indigenous to this area. Cedar was preferred by the early woodworkers in the construction of chests and closets. Also, in the Bible, cedar is used as a symbol of splendor, glory and strength. The four stars represent the villages within our township: Harleysville, Lederach, Mainland and Vernfield.

American Glory Quilt

Adorning a wall in the main meeting room of the municipal building is a large appliqué quilt donated anonymously by a local farmer. The pattern, American Glory, was chosen in honor of the early settlers in our area, Pennsylvania Dutch farmers.

In an effort to preserve this rich heritage, the Board of Supervisors appointed an Agricultural Security Area Advisory Committee. The committee meets on an 'as needed' basis to consider applications for inclusion in the Agricultural Security District. Along with the Township Planning Commission, the ASAAC submits its recommendations concerning such applications to the Board of Supervisors. This program was created in 1992 in accordance with the Pennsylvania Agricultural Security Area Law (Act 43 of 1981, as amended). It includes provisions to allow farmers to continue working in growing suburban areas protecting them from such complaints as seasonal farming smells and the noise from farm equipment operating in the early morning hours.