Millbourne Borough () is a self-governing municipal borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population is 1,212. Millbourne borders Philadelphia along Cobbs Creek. The name "Millbourne" comes from the word Mill and "bourne" meaning creek.

Millbourne was settled by Samuel Sellers in 1682. Samuel's descendants later owned a gristmill in Millbourne called Millbourne Mills. In the early 1900s, developers Samuel Shoemaker and John L. Fry developed housing in Millbourne, leading to its separation from Upper Darby and its official incorporation as a borough in 1909. Millbourne Mills shut down in 1926 and was replaced by a Sears, Roebuck & Co. store, which operated until 1988 when it relocated to Upper Darby, causing financial strain on Millbourne. Millbourne was designated a financially distressed municipality in 1998 and was removed from the list in 2014.

Throughout its history, Millbourne has experienced waves of diverse ethnic populations, starting with Greek Americans, followed by East Asian Americans, and currently hosting a significant South Asian American community. Millbourne holds the distinction of having the most concentrated South Asian population in the entire United States. It is also the most densely populated municipality in Pennsylvania.

Millbourne is served by its own SEPTA station known as Millbourne Station. Additionally, the town had its own police department and fire department, both established in 1909. However, the Millbourne Fire Company, which operated the fire department, ceased operations in 2019. In 2022, the former Sears site underwent redevelopment, resulting in the establishment of a logistics facility for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

History

First settlement Before the arrival of European settlers, the Lenape people were already in the Delaware Valley. After William Penn's signing of the Treaty of Shackamaxon, Samuel Sellers, the pioneering settler of the Sellers family, came from Derbyshire, England in 1682, with his brother George Sellers. Both brothers purchased two tracts of land totaling and from William Penn. The official survey for the land was not completed until 1690. Over time, Samuel, his sons, and grandsons expanded their land holdings through additional purchases in the surrounding area. George Sellers later died due to an unexplained death involving a tomahawk.

Samuel Sellers, the original settler, was a skilled weaver who played a pivotal role in the early industrial development of the region. He is credited with establishing the first twisting-mill in America. Building upon his father's legacy, Samuel's son, also named Samuel, and his grandson, John, continued the family tradition of weaving.

Millbourne Mills

The presence of a dam in Millbourne was first documented in an important deed issued by John Sellers on August 27, 1752. John Sellers recognized the potential of harnessing the waterpower of Cobbs Creek, leading to the development of six sites along the waterway. These sites became essential for subsequent generations and contributed to the growth of Millbourne Mills, first called Sellers Mills.

During this time, Millbourne was part of Darby Township. But in 1786, Millbourne was separated with other municipalities to form Upper Darby Township.

Following John Sellers' passing in 1804, his estate was inherited by his sons, with George receiving the majority of Millbourne. John Sellers II inherited the grist and sawmills, which were already established before 1749. Millbourne Mills were initially operated by James Steel under the ownership of John Sellers Sr., and later by Thomas Steel, who took over in 1805.

In 1814, Thomas Steel acquired the Darby Mills and relocated, while John Sellers II. expanded the existing mill, resulting in the construction of the original section. John Sellers also owned a tannery on the Wayside farm in 1782. Additionally, an oil mill operated near the dam supplying water to Millbourne Mills until 1848.

The original gristmill underwent changes over time until its discontinuation. The new mill, built in 1814, was managed by John Sellers II. and featured advanced machinery. It achieved significant grain production, including wheat, rye, corn, buckwheat, and oats.

The mill underwent expansions and upgrades, including a four-story addition in 1868. It utilized a turbine wheel and later incorporated auxiliary steam power. John Sellers II died in 1878, and his sons continued operating Millbourne Mills with Thomas Steel. Millbourne Mills produced 250 barrels of Millbourne branded flour daily, with substantial wheat purchases and flour production in subsequent years.

20th century In 1906, a patch of Millbourne was sold by John Sellers II's son, John, to make way for 69th Street Transportation Center, which connected Upper Darby to Philadelphia.

During the early spring of 1907 and throughout 1908, a considerable amount of construction took place on the hill west of Millbourne Mills, situated on West Chester Pike. Builders Samuel Shoemaker and John L. Fry, seeing a commercial opportunity, undertook the development of a suburban community featuring semi-detached homes. Upon completion, the properties boasted landscaped lawns, while the streets and sidewalks lined with trees. The location offered transportation options. The properties sold, with many units being purchased prior to their completion. Consequently, the homes attracted respectable businessmen and their families, leading to the establishment of a growing community.

In 1909, Judge Issac Johnson of Delaware County issued an opinion that allowed for the incorporation of Millbourne as a borough within Upper Darby Township. The exceptions raised during the proceedings were subsequently dismissed. Attorneys representing the petitioners, who included a significant portion of the community, prepared a decree in accordance with the judge's opinion. Millbourne became the fourth borough to be formed in the township, joining Clifton Heights, Lansdowne, and Aldan at the time. The Millbourne Fire Company and the Millbourne Police Department opened shortly after.

The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT, now SEPTA) opened a rapid transit station in Millbourne on March 4, 1907.

In 1910, Millbourne Mills was sold to the Shane Brothers and continued to produce flour until 1921. Millbourne Mills ceased operations in 1926 and was demolished to make way for a Sears Roebuck & Co. store.

Millbourne students would attend schools in the Millbourne School District but in 1971, Millbourne merged with other municipalities to form the Upper Darby School District.

Financially distressed municipality The Sears Roebuck & Co. store operated from 1926 until 1988. The owner of the property Morris Willner, president of Willner Realty and Development Co., announced in April 1988 that Sears would move from Millbourne to a former Gimbel's Department Store in 69th Street in Upper Darby. After the move, Millbourne continued to collect parking fees from the former Sears parking lot. But in May 1990, Willner announced that Millbourne was no longer permitted to collect fees. There was plans to develop a discount supply store, but the company went bankrupt before plans could be arranged. The former Sears site was demolished in the 2000s.

During the early 1980s, Millbourne had the highest crime rate in all of Delaware County. In 1989, The Millbourne Fire Company was temporarily closed due to budget problems. After years of negotiations, The Millbourne Fire Company reopened in 1992.

After the relocation of Sears, Millbourne went into financial hardship. By the 1990s, due to mismanagement of borough funds, Millbourne was on the brink of bankruptcy. To receive enough funds to stay afloat, Millbourne had to be designated as a financially distressed municipality by the state of Pennsylvania, be absorbed back into Upper Darby, or contract municipal services within Millbourne out to Upper Darby Township.

Millbourne was designated a financially distressed municipality on January 7, 1993, by the state of Pennsylvania. Factors that led to a distress determination included revenue loss created from the closure of Sears and an evaluation by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Fairmount Capital Advisors Inc., hired by the state of Pennsylvania, presented a five-year plan to recover Millbourne. The plan included:

reducing the numbers of officials in Millbourne council; hiring a borough manager; establishing a business office and a civil service commission; acquiring market-rate, tax-exempt bond financing to finance bank debt, and raise capital for infrastructure repair; and improving financial management with new computer systems.

Susana Smith of Bloomfield, New Jersey was hired as the borough manager. Taxes for homeowners in Millbourne rose between 1993 and 2014. A 40% increase in real-estate taxes in the 1995 preliminary budget was adopted by Millbourne due to the distress determination.

21st Century In the 2000s, Millbourne was still designated as a financially distressed municipality. Since the 1970s, Millbourne has seen a notable rise in its South Asian population. Following the events of the September 11th attacks, Sikh New York cab drivers, relocated to Millbourne in order to seek safety from instances of hate crimes. Millbourne gradually became a secure haven for the expanding Sikh community due to its appealing amenities and the presence of a gurdwara. Millbourne became known as a "Little India."

In 2009, under the leadership of mayor Thomas Kramer, Millbourne enacted land value tax. Millbourne began imposing taxes on the land itself and not on the structures built there. This allowed Millbourne to raise the necessary funds to stay afloat. The former Sears lot became the largest source of revenue for Millbourne. On October 21, 2014, Millbourne was removed from the financially distressed municipality list. Millbourne had not overspent its budget in 5 years and even went as far as to use goats to remove weeds. The South Asian population in Millbourne continued to rise. In 2019, The Millbourne Fire Company closed indefinitely. In 2022, the former Sears site was developed and a Service and Logistics facility for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia opened.

Geography

Topography Millbourne is located at (39.963735, -75.252615).

Millbourne has a total area of , making it the smallest municipality in Delaware County by area. Millbourne is bounded on the north and east by Cobbs Creek, and on the south by Market Street. Across Cobbs Creek to the north lies an extension of Fairmount Park and the Cobbs Creek Golf Course. Millbourne is situated within the Darby Creek Watershed.

Parks and recreation

Cobbs Creek

A common place of interest, Cobbs Creek is located near Millbourne. The creek is commonly used for swimming and fishing. The creek is also connected to the Cobbs Creek trail which is used for hiking and biking. The Cobbs Creek Bikeway runs from a corner at the eastern end of Millbourne, 63rd and Market Streets, to approximately 86th and Cobbs Creek Parkway. It is used by walkers and bicyclists as well as occasional all-terrain vehicles.

Wister Drive Park A small playground for children is located at the end of Wister Drive. Improvements for the park began in 2012, which included new playground equipment, paid for by a $14,000 ($ in 2022) Community Development Block Grant.

Boroughscape

Planning