Beth Henrikson & Kristi Henrikson-Mohn

Collegeville Area Guide

The Borough of Collegeville is located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is 1.6 square miles in size and has a population of approximately 5,000. Collegeville is a close community where you’ll find residents who take great pride in their neighborhoods, streets and parks.

There is housing suitable for every family in the Borough of Collegeville. The oldest homes, including many Victorian style homes, are located around Main Street. Newer developments, most of which were built from the late 1960s on, spread out from these two points. The newest and largest homes can be found in the neighborhoods around Clahor Avenue where the Borough meets Upper Providence Township.

The neighborhoods in Collegeville are connected by a well developed network of sidewalks, three parks, and the Perkiomen Trail. The Borough also has its own Police force and the Collegeville Fire Company, which is a volunteer fire and rescue service.

History

In 1684, William Penn purchased all the land lying on the Pahkehoma from the Indian Chief Sachem Maughaughsin. The land was subsequently sold to Thomas Rudyard of London. Edward Lane then purchased 2,500 acres from Rudyard, which includes the present day towns of Collegeville, Trappe, Evansberg, and Schwenksville. Lane later left all his land lying west of the Perkiomen, including the present day Collegeville, to his son Samuel.

In 1717, John Jacob Schrack became the area’s first settler when he built a log building just west of the current Collegeville border.

By 1869 the first train arrived to the town and the station was named Collegeville. In 1896 a decree was issued petitioning the court to incorporate Collegeville. The decree was certified on June 9th.

Parks and Recreation

The Collegeville community is dedicated to providing and maintaining a safe and enjoyable outlet for recreation for all residents and visitors. Recreation in the Borough of Collegeville can be found in any of the three parks or along the Perkiomen Trail.

Community Park
The Collegeville Community Park is located along Park Avenue between Third and Fourth Avenues and covers approximately three acres. The park consists of a community playground with two play systems, a separate swing set for toddlers, a full size paved basketball court, a roller hockey court, and a baseball field. The basketball and roller hockey courts are lighted in season. The Community Park is the location of the Summer Concert Series and the home of the Collegeville White Sox baseball team.

Hunsberger Woods
Hunsberger Woods is a 27-acre open space and passive recreation area. The Borough of Collegeville has made improvements to the site including the addition of park benches, parking and planting trees. The park has two small ponds, a stream running through it, and is ringed with trails. It is an excellent place for nature walking or running, and is used by Ursinus College and the Perkiomen Valley School District for cross-country events.

Waterworks Park
Waterworks Park is a 17-acre site located in the Borough of Trappe. It is owned and maintained jointly by the Boroughs of Collegeville and Trappe. The park was purchased with a grant from the Montgomery County Open Space Program and is being developed through a grant received from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The site includes a baseball and a soccer field, a play system, trails, and a pavilion in a wooded stream area. Waterworks Park is also the location of the annual Keystone Grange Fair.

Perkiomen Trail
The Perkiomen Trail is a 19-mile multi-use public trail for walkers, joggers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers, and equestrians. The Trail was developed and is maintained by the Montgomery County Department of Parks and will link the county's parks strung along the Perkiomen Creek.
The Trail passes through the Borough from the south side near Rt. 29 and Park Avenue to the north side near Rt. 29 and Ninth Avenue. In between it passes behind the Shopping Centers of the Borough's merchant district; crosses Main Street at Third Avenue; and straddles the wooded ridge behind the Ursinus College campus.

For more information on parks in the area click here

Attractions

Collegeville is home to exciting attractions that will entertain you and your entire family all year long. Please view the list below for attractions in the Collegeville area.

Phillip and Muriel Bermnan Museum
The permanent collection at this museum includes an extensive display of 19th and 20th century American, Japanese and South East Asian art. Additional revolving exhibits include archaeological displays and contemporary exhibitions of local artists. A 40-piece sculpture garden is also located here.

For more information on Collegeville, PA visit the official website by clicking here