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History

Upper Frederick Township is located in the western section of Montgomery County. The township area is a quiet countryside within 2 hours of the nation’s capital. It is 30 miles to Philadelphia and 15 miles to Norristown, the County Seat.

Founding a Township

The area continued without an official name or government until 1731. At that time 15 resident men drafted the land on paper and attached it to a petition asking the Philadelphia County Court for the creation of a township. The petition was granted and the township was named Frederick Township. It remained a part of Philadelphia County until Montgomery County was formed in 1784.

Town Development

Frederick, by the mid-18th century was a village of 60 inhabitants. It contained a post office, general store, creamery, blacksmith’s shop, tannery, and 13 houses. Frederick was one of a number of towns to grow up along the Great Road, now known as Route 73. Obelisk, originally named Roseville, was also located on the Great Road. In 1884, the town was comprised of a church, general store, tinsmith’s shop, school house, one clothing factory, and 12 houses. The total population was about 65 persons.

Lying to the north along the Perkiomen Creek, the village of Perkiomenville, in 1884, contained about 60 inhabitants. Located there was a post office, general store, tavern, Odd-Fellow’s Lodge Hall, creamery, wheelwright shop, and 8 houses.

Upper & Lower Frederick

In 1919 Frederick Township was divided into two separate townships, Upper and Lower Frederick. In 1976 when the history of Upper Frederick Township was originally published, the area of Upper Frederick Township covered 10.25 square miles with a population of 1,418 persons according to a published Montgomery County Directory. Upper Frederick at that time also had an assessor, tax collector, district justice, building code inspector, an enforcement officer, a solicitor, planning commission and a 3 member Board of Supervisors.

Modern Upper Frederick

The population of Upper Frederick as of 2010 was 3,523. Many viable farms still operate in the township, but we have begun to see some modest residential development over the past few years. Upper Frederick Township’s Board of Supervisors is dedicated to preserving and protecting the beautiful rural character of the township. To date approximately 100 acres has been preserved as township park land.