Beyond the Intersection: The 300-Year History Standing Right on Upper Mainland Road

If you’ve ever found yourself sitting at the light on Route 63 or cruising down Upper Mainland Road, Store Road, or Bunton Road, you’re in good company. Thousands of locals travel these backroads and main strips every single day. But what most people don’t realize is that every time you drive through Mainland, you are driving directly across three centuries of American history.

Long before it was a bustling corridor in Lower Salford Township just 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia—Mainland was a key colonial crossroads defined by early settlement, agricultural grit, and deep-rooted community traditions.

The 1700s: From Wilderness to Crossroads

The story of Mainland and the surrounding Harleysville area began in the early 1700s, around 1717 to 1720, when German, Swiss, and Pennsylvania Dutch settlers began moving into the Montgomery County countryside.

Lower Salford Township was officially established in 1741. During this era, roads like Upper Mainland Road weren't paved thoroughfares, but rather dirt trade routes used by farmers, blacksmiths, and travelers hauling crops and livestock down toward Philadelphia's bustling markets. Small villages sprang up around these intersections to give travelers a place to rest, eat, and water their horses.

Preserving the Past: Landmarks You Still See Today

Mainland’s deep history isn't just in textbooks—it’s built into the landscape around us:

  • The Historic Mainland Inn: Situated right near the heart of the village on Route 63, this landmark dates back to the 1700s. It served as a traditional tavern and inn for colonial travelers navigating the turnpike.

  • The Meetinghouses & Schoolhouses: The area was heavily shaped by early Anabaptist and Mennonite settlers. Nearby historical sites like the Klein Meetinghouse (built on land dating to 1720) and the Heckler Plains Farmstead showcase the timber-and-stone architecture that shaped this community.

  • Christopher Dock’s Legacy: Lower Salford was also home to Christopher Dock, one of early America's pioneer educators who taught local children in the 1730s and wrote the nation's first treatise on school teaching.

  • Mainland Golf Course: Adding to the area's modern identity, Mainland Golf Course sits right off Upper Mainland Road on Rittenhouse Road. Serving the community and local golfers since 1962, it has become a beloved local fixture alongside the Mainland Grille.

Why It Matters Today

It’s easy to think of local history as something that only happened in major cities or famous battlefields. But small communities like Mainland are the literal bedrock of Pennsylvania’s story.

The next time you’re driving down Upper Mainland Road, waiting at the Main Street light, or heading out for a round of golf, take a second to look at the stone farmhouses, the old tree lines, and the historic crossroads. You aren't just commuting you're traveling a path that locals have been using for over 300 years

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