Schwenksville, Pennsylvania

Borough of Schwenksville
Main Street in Schwenksville in November 2012
Main Street in Schwenksville in November 2012
Location of Schwenksville in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Location of Schwenksville in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Schwenksville is located in Pennsylvania
Schwenksville
Schwenksville
Location of Schwenksville in Pennsylvania
Schwenksville is located in the United States
Schwenksville
Schwenksville
Schwenksville (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°15′23″N 75°27′54″W / 40.25639°N 75.46500°W / 40.25639; -75.46500
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyMontgomery
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager
 • MayorDebra Svenkeson
 • Borough ManagerDan DeMeno
Area
 • Total
0.40 sq mi (1.04 km2)
 • Land0.40 sq mi (1.04 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
213 ft (65 m)
Population
 • Total
1,296
 • Density3,240.00/sq mi (1,250.23/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
19473
Area code(s)610 and 484
FIPS code42-68328

Schwenksville is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,431 at the 2020 census. It is notable for being located near the site of the Philadelphia Folk Festival. The borough was founded in 1684, when the Lenni-Lenape Indians ceded to William Penn the land along the Perkiomen Creek; it was incorporated in 1903. The borough was named for George Schwenk, whose son, Jacob Schwenk, served in George Washington's army.

The town was the inspiration for the protagonist in Catherine Gilbert Murdock's 2006 novel Dairy Queen.[3]

The Hall & Oates song "Perkiomen" was written about the Perkiomen Creek, which constitutes Schwenksville's eastern border. "Perkiomen" is Lenape for "muddy waters" and "where the cranberries grow."

Schwenksville is also the gateway to the Perkiomen Trail, a nineteen-mile section of the former Reading Railroad's Perkiomen Valley corridor. It now serves as a multi-use rail trail and was completed in 2003.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  2. ^ "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
  3. ^ 'Catherine Gilbert Murdock - Dairy Queen - Frequently Asked Questions'. Accessed February 11, 2007.