Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Radnor Township is a township with home rule status in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 31,531. Radnor Township lies along the Main Line, a collection of affluent Philadelphia suburbs.

Villanova University, Cabrini College, the Valley Forge Military Academy and College and Eastern University are all located within Radnor Township.

History

Radnor Township was founded 1682 as a land grant from William Penn. The township was part of the Welsh Tract and was named for Radnorshire in Wales. In 1717, the Welsh Friends erected a Quaker meetinghouse (Radnor Friends Meetinghouse) near what is now the intersection of Conestoga Road and Sproul Road at the geographic center of the township. The new town, "Radnorville", later known as the community of "Ithan" after nearby Ithan Creek, grew around the meetinghouse. The Welsh influence waned in the late 18th century as many left the area due to high taxation. Stone monuments were erected in various locations throughout the township in the late 20th century to commemorate the township's Welsh heritage.