Hollywood, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Hollywood is an unincorporated community in the southern portion of Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is well known for its collection of Southern California-style homes.

Hollywood, Pennsylvania
Unincorporated community
Hollywood Tavern at the corner of Huntingdon Pike and Gibson Avenue
Hollywood Tavern at the corner of Huntingdon Pike and Gibson Avenue
Hollywood is located in Pennsylvania
Hollywood
Hollywood
Hollywood is located in the United States
Hollywood
Hollywood
Coordinates: 40°05′23″N 75°05′37″W
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyMontgomery
TownshipAbington
Elevation
246 ft (75 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
19046
Area code(s)215, 267 and 445
GNIS feature ID1203828[1]

History

The 174-home neighborhood got its start when a builder from California, Gustav Weber, filed plans to build a small subdivision in 1928. The homes were built in pastel colors with flat roofs, similar to Spanish-style homes in the Los Angeles area. Streets were named Los Angeles, San Diego, Pasadena and San Gabriel.[2]

One of Weber's problems, however, was that the neighborhood landscaping and hardscaping features were not built to cope with the Northeastern winters. Plants native to Southern California and Moravian tile sidewalks were included in his plans. The plants died in the cold. The tile cracked and was replaced by concrete. As a result, modifications were made to the area after it was built.

The neighborhood was never finished according to Weber's plans. Possible reasons ranged from the 1929 stock market crash to an unfaithful wife.[2] A local developer finished the development in the 1940s.[3]

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has listed the area as eligible for national registry. As a result, residents may apply for federal grants to maintain the historical character of the neighborhood.[4]

References
  1. "Hollywood". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. Gammage, Jeff (March 7, 2007). "Abington's Sliver of Tinseltown". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  3. Landscape Change in Hollywood, Pennsylvania, Wayne Brew Archived 2006-09-16 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Philadelphia Weekly, Letter to the Editor Archived March 18, 2005, at archive.today
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hollywood, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.