Lawndale

The name Lawndale can be traced on paper back to when the Philadelphia, Newtown & New York Railroad built its line through the area. One of the first stations listed north of Olney was Lawndale. It was opened in the 1890s and later closed, only to be reopened in the early teens of the new century to accommodate the growing community. The railroad was taken over by the Philadelphia & Reading by then and a small room was leased from a gentleman who lived at the bottom of Robbins Street, whose home faced the railroad. This temporary arrangement lasted for well over 30 years, until the owner died and the railroad was forced to build a small shelter. The Lawndale Station has seen many reincarnations over the years and is still in daily use by SEPTA with the stopping of 45 scheduled passenger trains a day and over 350 round trip fares a day. The physical location of the Lawndale Station property is actually in Montgomery County/Cheltenham Township, while nearby Cheltenham Station (which primarily serves the North end of Lawndale in addition to some residents from Cheltenham, PA. and seeing an additional 400 round trip fares a day) is actually located in Philadelphia County.