East Marlborough Township was established by the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1729. East and West Marlborough Townships were carved out of the larger Marlborough Township, which was considered too unwieldy. Pennsylvania rural Townships were originally established by the Commonwealth legislature to provide a network of roads to assist farmers in getting their crops to market.
Today, maintenance of Township roads is the primary responsibility of Townships of the Second Class. Later, Zoning Regulations were added to the responsibilities of local municipalities. East Marlborough is sixteen square miles in area and includes the world famous horticultural displays at Longwood Gardens, as well as New Bolton Center, the veterinary school of the University of Pennsylvania, where pioneering animal research is done We are the caretakers of several surviving Penn Oak Trees which were young trees when William Penn walked this land. In addition, there are several surviving stations of the Underground Railroad which assisted escaping slaves on their journey to freedom in the north. Local groups are working to restore one of the Underground Railroad, located on US Route One. Historic Unionville Village is listed on the National Register of Historic buildings and towns. Sleepy Marlborough Village, with its original buildings, including a Quaker Meeting House, is located at the intersection of Marlborough Road and Marlborough Spring Road. We invite you to visit the area in person.
To learn more about our history visit the Historical website.