Community Profile

Summary

Although Rose Valley was included in land grants by William Penn in 1681 to three Vernon brothers, the era that makes Rose Valley unique among the Philadelphia suburbs is the Arts and Crafts movement, one aspect of a many-sided reaction against the Industrial Revolution and the diminished role of the craftsman. The principal leader was William Morris whose ideas appealed to William Lightfoot Price, a successful Philadelphia architect. In 1901, Will Price bought eighty acres in the name of the Rose Valley Association. With the financial backing of a group of wealthy liberal Philadelphians interested in social reform, Price set about creating the Arts and Crafts movement's vision of "the art that is life" by manufacturing handcrafted items. The commercial aspect of the experiment was not a success, but the social and artistic sides were. Rose Valley attracted people who saw an opportunity to use their creative talents in their living environment. Today, the memories of the Arts and Crafts movement abound in the Borough. Many descendants of the original artists and artisans still live here, and the distinctive architectural style of William Price can be seen in many of the homes. On July 19, 2010, the U. S. Department of the Interior placed a large portion of the Borough on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Rose Valley is a small borough (0.73 sq mi), home to approximately 1,000 residents, and with a very high percentage of land devoted to parklands and open space. The main parks are the Saul Wildlife Sanctuary and the Chadwick Wildlife Preserve, each along the Ridley Creek as it winds its way into the Delaware Bay.