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History · Drexel Hill

Drexel Hill’s post office opened in 1912, and 27% of its homes were built before 1940

2 places in town are on the National Register. Below: maps from 1894 on and the census since 1990.

1912first post office
2on the National Register
27%homes built before 1940
11famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: User:Smallbones on English Wikipedia. · Public domain
Quick answers

How Drexel Hill began

When was Drexel Hill founded?

1912

The Drexel Hill post office opened in 1912, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 29,744 in 19902020 census: 29,181114 years
Founding year: the first Drexel Hill post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).

What stands out about Drexel Hill’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Drexel Hill are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18946 editions of the USGS map, 1894 to 1994. Watch Drexel Hill change.Old housesHalf of Drexel Hill’s homes were built before 1949.Famous sons and daughtersMarcus McElhenney, Shane Ryan and 9 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Drexel Hill’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Drexel Hill’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Drexel Hill on the map, 1894 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Drexel Hill. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Drexel Hill on the 1894 USGS mapDrexel Hill on the 1942 USGS mapDrexel Hill on the 1956 USGS mapDrexel Hill on the 1967 USGS mapDrexel Hill on the 1973 USGS mapDrexel Hill on the 1994 USGS map1894Chester sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Drexel Hill.

The story so far

Drexel Hill, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Drexel Hill yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Drexel Hill is a neighborhood and census-designated place (CDP) located in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 29,181 at the 2020 census, an increase over 28,043 in 2010, and accounting for over one-third of Upper Darby Township's population.

Its first post office opened in 1912. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 28,043 to 29,181 (+4%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Drexel Hill, 1894 to 1999

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1894On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 20th century
  4. 1977Born hereAnthony Becht is born here
  5. 1981Born hereMarcus McElhenney is born here
  6. 1994Born hereShane Ryan is born here
  7. 1999Born hereMatthew Real is born here
By decade

Drexel Hill, decade by decade

Today12 recent
SchoolLane2017SchoolLaneMarshallRoad2017MarshallRoadHueyAve2017HueyAveDrexeline2017DrexelineDrexelbrook2017DrexelbrookDrexelManor2017DrexelManorCreek Road trolley station2017Creek Road trolley stationAndersonAvenue2017AndersonAvenueGarretford2016GarretfordDrexelPark2016DrexelParkAronimink2016AroniminkThornfield Delco2011Thornfield Delco
On the National Register

2 historic places in Drexel Hill

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
4
each building in a district counts

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Drexel Hill, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00020002020Peak: 29,744

Between 28,043 and 29,744 people in every census since 1990.

4 censuses, 1990–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Drexel Hill’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

11 famous people were born in Drexel Hill

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
M
Marcus McElhenneyAmerican rower · b. 1981
S
Shane RyanIrish swimmer · b. 1994
Matthew RealAmerican soccer player · b. 1999
Anthony BechtAmerican Football Player, tight ends coach for … · b. 1977
Kathleen M. O'MalleyAmerican judge · b. 1956
L
Leila BramAmerican mathematician · b. 1927
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Upper Darby Township3 historic placesASpringfield TownshipIts storyBClifton HeightsIts storyC+Haverford Township8 historic placesALansdowne4 historic placesA

Questions about Drexel Hill’s history

What year was Drexel Hill founded?

The Drexel Hill post office opened in 1912, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (12), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.