Holland, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Holland is an unincorporated community
in Northampton Township
, Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. It is located next to Newtown
, Richboro
, and Churchville
. One of its communities is Village Shires, which has approximately 4,000 residents.
Holland is located in the Council Rock School District
, and is home to several of the district's schools: Council Rock High School South
, Holland Middle School (formerly Holland Junior High, and prior to that Council Rock Intermediate School (CRIS)- Holland), Holland Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, and Rolling Hills Elementary. Holland is also home to several private Catholic schools: Villa Joseph Marie High School
, an all-girls school, and St Bede Catholic School, affiliated with the church of the same name.
Notable current and former residents include the following:
, were closed due to failing diesel train equipment
that the then-cash-strapped SEPTA could not afford to rehabilitate. As a result, ridership was low and the service cancelled on a "temporary" basis. As such, Holland Station still appears in SEPTA's publicly posted tariffs.
Although rail service was initially replaced with a Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus
, patronage remained light. The traveling public never saw a bus service as a suitable replacement for a rail service, and the Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus service ended in 1999.
The Holland shelter was demolished in the summer of 2000, shortly after bus service was terminated.
In September 2009, the Southampton-based
Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC) began discussions with township officials along the railway, as well as SEPTA officials, about the realistic possibility of resuming even minimal passenger service to relieve traffic congestion in the region. Plans call for completing the electrification to Newtown, as originally planned in the late 1970s.
PA-TEC's efforts have received overwhelming bipartisan support by both Bucks and Montgomery County officials, as well as at the state level, despite SEPTA's overall reservations. However, SEPTA has also confirmed they are willing to reestablish regular commuter service if strong political support exists in both counties.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Northampton Township
Northampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Northampton Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States, about 12 miles northeast of Philadelphia. The population was 39,726 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located next to Newtown
Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Newtown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2010 census. It is located just west of the Trenton, New Jersey metropolitan area, and is part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is entirely surrounded by Newtown Township, from which...
, Richboro
Richboro, Pennsylvania
Richboro is a census-designated place in Northampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,563 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Richboro is located at ....
, and Churchville
Churchville, Pennsylvania
Churchville is a census-designated place in Northampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,128 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Churchville is located at ....
. One of its communities is Village Shires, which has approximately 4,000 residents.
History
Despite its proximity to Philadelphia, Holland was rural for much of its history. A building boom in the 1970s resulted in a significant increase in housing capacity, mainly in the form of large tract-housing developments (e.g. Hillcrestshire, located off of Buck Road). Since then, the town has seen additional growth, becoming a prototypical commuter bedroom community for suburban families. The area's proximity to both Philadelphia and the Trenton/Princeton, New Jersey area make Holland a desirable location, despite its lack of public transit.Holland is located in the Council Rock School District
Council Rock School District
The Council Rock School District also known as CRSD is located in lower Bucks County, in southeastern Pennsylvania. Its administrative offices are located in the Borough of Newtown. It spends over US$ 9,000 per secondary student per year...
, and is home to several of the district's schools: Council Rock High School South
Council Rock High School South
Council Rock High School South is a high school located in Holland, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is operated by the Council Rock School District....
, Holland Middle School (formerly Holland Junior High, and prior to that Council Rock Intermediate School (CRIS)- Holland), Holland Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary, and Rolling Hills Elementary. Holland is also home to several private Catholic schools: Villa Joseph Marie High School
Villa Joseph Marie High School
Villa Joseph Marie High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Holland, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-Background:...
, an all-girls school, and St Bede Catholic School, affiliated with the church of the same name.
Notable current and former residents include the following:
- James C. GreenwoodJames C. GreenwoodJames Charles "Jim" Greenwood is an American politician in the Republican Party. He represented Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District for six terms in the United States House of Representatives....
, former U.S. Representative - Matt WalshMatt Walsh (basketball)Matt Walsh is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for UCAM Murcia in Spain. He is listed at 1.99m , and he plays at the small forward and shooting guard positions.- Early years :...
, former Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
star and a former player with the NBA's Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... - Shannon James, PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Playmate of the Month (May 2007) - Anthony GreenAnthony GreenAnthony Green may refer to:*Anthony Green , current lead vocalist of Circa Survive and ex-vocalist for Saosin*Anthony Green *Anthony Green *Anthony Green *Antony Green, election commentator...
, current lead singer of the band Circa SurviveCirca SurviveCirca Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward.... - Michael Levin, the only American-born IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i soldier to be killed in the Second Lebanon War. - Nick Martino, backup St. Joe's Hawk.
History
Holland's growth as a commuter haven took place in the mid-1980s, just after the town lost its passenger trains. Regularly scheduled train service lasted until January 14, 1983 via SEPTA's Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line. The station, and all of those north of Fox ChaseFox Chase (SEPTA station)
Fox Chase is the current terminus of SEPTA's Fox Chase Line. It is located just west of the intersection of Rhawn Street and Rockwell Avenue in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania...
, were closed due to failing diesel train equipment
Budd Rail Diesel Car
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
that the then-cash-strapped SEPTA could not afford to rehabilitate. As a result, ridership was low and the service cancelled on a "temporary" basis. As such, Holland Station still appears in SEPTA's publicly posted tariffs.
Although rail service was initially replaced with a Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
, patronage remained light. The traveling public never saw a bus service as a suitable replacement for a rail service, and the Fox Chase-Newtown shuttle bus service ended in 1999.
The Holland shelter was demolished in the summer of 2000, shortly after bus service was terminated.
Resumption of train service
In the ensuing years since 1983, there has been heavy interest by both residents and politicians in resuming passenger service to Holland.In September 2009, the Southampton-based
Southampton, Pennsylvania
Southampton, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated in the South-Eastern tip of Bucks County.Southampton is located 18 miles North, from the center of Philadelphia....
Pennsylvania Transit Expansion Coalition (PA-TEC) began discussions with township officials along the railway, as well as SEPTA officials, about the realistic possibility of resuming even minimal passenger service to relieve traffic congestion in the region. Plans call for completing the electrification to Newtown, as originally planned in the late 1970s.
PA-TEC's efforts have received overwhelming bipartisan support by both Bucks and Montgomery County officials, as well as at the state level, despite SEPTA's overall reservations. However, SEPTA has also confirmed they are willing to reestablish regular commuter service if strong political support exists in both counties.