A Quick History of Lima, PA

The following article on the history of the community has been brought to you by the personal injury attorneys in Lima, PA, at Schuster Law.

Lima

The unincorporated community of Lima is situated in the northern region of Middletown Township in Delaware County in Pennsylvania. The 960-acre community is a census-designated place, or CDP, and is 16 miles from Philadelphia. Some of the neighboring communities include Granite Run, Elwyn, Thornton, Lenni, and Glen Riddle. A few of the main roadways within the neighborhood are Pennell Road, Barren Road, Old Forge Road, West Baltimore Pike, and Middletown Road.

History

The historic Quaker meeting house, the Middletown Friends Meetinghouse, is located on Middletown Road. It is one of the oldest and was built sometime between 1699 and 1702. Additions were made in the 1790s. Additionally, the meetinghouse was structured to appear more church-like. The historic building is still an active place of worship.

Another historic landmark within the community is the 650-acre John J. Tyler Arboretum, located on Painter Road. William Penn signed a lease and release on the area in 1681, along with another English Quaker, Thomas Minshall. Until 1944, the property had passed through eight generations of the Tyler family. In 1825, the arboretum was started by Jacob and Minshall Painter. They systematically planted as many as 1,000 shrubs and trees. The property became a nonprofit arboretum in 1944 by Laura Tyler in honor of her husband, John J. Tyler. Within the property, the following can be found:

• over 20 different types of the original Painter trees
• a collection of flowering cherry, magnolia, crabapple, holly, and lilac trees
• the Native Woodland Walk
• Meadow Maze, a recent four-ring labyrinth
• Wister Rhododendron Collection, consisting of more than 500 rhododendrons
• 450 acres of natural land

Neighborhood

Along the southern border that West Baltimore Pike forms is The Promenade at Granite Run shopping plaza. The shopping plaza offers its guest the following retail shops:

• Boscov's
• Five Below
• Vetco Total Care
• T.J. Maxx
• Michaels

Dining options throughout the community include:

• Margaret Kuo's Kitchen
• Casa Mia
• Chaps Pit Beef
• Lima Pizzeria

Demographics

Per the census taken in 2000, the community was home to 3,225 people, 978 households, and 400 families. Additionally, the were 1,003 housing units in the neighborhood. The race and ethnic breakdown of the townspeople were the following:

• 94.23% white
• 4.53% African American
• 0.31% Hispanic or Latino
• 0.03% Native American
• 0.99% Asian
• 0.00% Pacific Islander
• 0.00% other races
• 0.22% two or more races

The median income per household was $45,948, while the average income per family was $65,875.  Men averaged an annual income of $49,750 versus $40,804 for women. Some of the resident's most commonly held occupations included the following:

• 12.1% Administrative
• 12.0% Management
• 11.4% Sales and Related
• 8.1% Business
• 6.5% Facilities
• 5.7% Personal Care

Keep reading: Getting to Know Primos, PA

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Schuster Law
334 W Front St,
Media, PA 19063, USA
(610) 892-9200