Clifton Heights

History

The demographics of the greater Delaware Valley were significantly impacted by European colonization. By 1754, Native American populations in this region had been significantly displaced, however various uprisings of Native Americans were common throughout the region. According to historian Freas B. Snyder, settlers set up a large tin kettle at a high point on what is now Oak Avenue, between Baltimore Avenue and Springfield Road. When hostile Indians were moving through the area, an alert would be sounded by banging on the tin kettle. This high point was called "Tin Kettle Hill" and would become a landmark used in three-point calculation surveying, along with a point in Central Philadelphia and a point on the Delaware River to the south. The high point, Tin Kettle Hill, is believed to be the origin of "Heights" in the borough's name. In 1839, Thomas Kent settled in the area and established the J. and T. Kent Company, which manufactured carpet yarn. The company's workers built houses throughout Clifton Heights, surrounding the Kent Mills factory. The original factory building and many of the millworker houses still exist today. In the early 1950s, Clifton Precision, a defense contractor, built a factory in Clifton Heights, designed by architect Nathan Cronheim. Completed in 1955, the company designed and manufactured motors and other electronic components out of the location. The company was later acquired by Litton Industries and operated until the late 1990s, when the property was sold and converted into offices and warehouse space. The population of the borough was 1,820 in 1890, 3,155 in 1910, and reached a maximum of 10,268 in 1960. Clifton Heights is the home of Rosati Water Ice, the nation's first Italian ice company, and the Slinky toy.

Geography

Clifton Heights is located in eastern Delaware County at (39.929062, -75.295760). It is bordered to the northeast by the borough of Lansdowne, to the southeast by the borough of Aldan, and to the west, north, and southeast by Upper Darby Township. Darby Creek runs along the borough's north and northeast border. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all land.

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  109,909
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  109,142
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  86,284
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  80,157
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  78,803
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  78,306
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  67,479
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  66,517

Largest nearby schools

• Chester Community CS
  Elementary · Chester · 4,276 students · 18.3:1 ratio
• Upper Darby SHS
  High · Drexel Hill · 4,191 students · 18.9:1 ratio
• Haverford SHS
  High · Havertown · 2,005 students · 17.9:1 ratio
• Ridley HS
  High · Folsom · 1,869 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Haverford MS
  Middle · Havertown · 1,626 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Beverly Hills MS
  Middle · Upper Darby · 1,523 students · 15.9:1 ratio
• Springfield HS
  High · Springfield · 1,375 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Academy Park HS
  High · Sharon Hill · 1,355 students · 18.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2024-05-24
  6 km E of Califon, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-04-27
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-04-10
  5 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 3.7 — 2024-04-05
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-04-05
  6 km ESE of Califon, New Jersey
• M 4.8 — 2024-04-05
  2024 Tewksbury, New Jersey Earthquake