Moreland Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

For other townships in Pennsylvania with similar names, see Moreland Township, Pennsylvania.

Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania highlighting Moreland Township prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854

Moreland Township, is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The borough ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.

History

Moreland Township was established on 9,815 acres (40 km²) of land on the main branches of the Poquessing and Pennypack Creeks, in most northern portion of the county. The township was to the north of Dublin Township, and was west ward of Byberry Township. It extended over into what became Montgomery County in 1784, and was divided into two townships, one in each county and each called Moreland, the township in Montgomery County having since split into Upper Moreland Township and Lower Moreland Township in 1917. The rise of Moreland Township in Philadelphia County was 5 miles, its greatest length; 2 miles in width; area, 3,720 acres (15 km²). The principal village was Smithfield or Pleasantville, afterwards called Somerton, which was partly in Moreland and partly in Byberry.

Resources

• Chronology of the Political Subdivisions of the County of Philadelphia, 1683-1854
• Information courtesy of ushistory.org
• Incorporated District, Boroughs, and Townships in the County of Philadelphia, 1854 By Rudolph J. Walther - excerpted from the book at the ushistory.org website