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Swarthmore History
The Borough of Swarthmore was founded in 1893, but the history of it starts earlier with its development as a college town and commuter suburb. Swarthmore had access to good roads and public transportation that encouraged the development of its residential and business community in the late 19th and 20th centuries. In the 21st century, Swarthmore became the home of one of the best liberal arts colleges in America. Swarthmore used to be a section of Springfield Township until the end of the 19th century. Just like most of these local towns, it was settled by Quakers, who were originally granted the land by William Penn. In the earlier 19th century, it was rolling farmland, most known for the birthplace of America's first internationally famous artist Benjamin West. So, the area was informally known as Westdale or West Dale, in honor of him. The area began to change in 1864, when Swarthmore College was founded. In the years before the Civil War, members of the Hicksite branch of the Society of Friends were looking for a place for an institution of higher learning for their children. They eventually decided on Westdale, which had the convenience of the train while still outside the city. In 1866, the cornerstone was laid for the main building (which is today Parrish Hall), and classes started in 1869. In 1876, the name of the train station was changed to Swarthmore.