The Bala Cynwyd history can be traced back in 1682 when Welsh colonists settled in Lower Merion. Lower Merion is situated at the Main Line, which is on southeastern Pennsylvania and within the western edge of Philadelphia.
During the early years, Bala Cynwyd was the perfect postcard picture for a country prairie. The place had surrounding farms, old-fashioned mills, and the people were in love with life. Come winter, the place turned into a wonderland where children were free to play with the snow while their parents remind them to be careful with the sleigh rides.
As lovely as all these sound, it was not long before Bala Cynwyd had its share of urbanization. It’s a good thing that it was the Welsh colonists who settled in the place. After all, it was their robust way of living that resulted into the development of Lower Merion and, in turn, Bala Cynwyd.
A general store was established along with other small shops. Then there was the inauguration of the Cynwyd Train Station in 1912 which made traveling to the capital of Philadelphia easier. After the train station was built, small towns became more pronounced.
To set the record straight, Bala Cynwyd originally was two different hamlets—Bala and Cynwyd. Bala was named after an ancestral land in Wales and Cynwyd was chosen by one of the descendants of the village’s first settlers. It was only during the late 1900s when the village was officially known as Bala Cynwyd.
Today, Bala Cynwyd is the ideal mix of country beauty and suburban living.