Souderton/Telford has been designated a Classic Town of Greater Philadelphia. This program was created by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC).

The offical ceremony was on Thursday, October 1, 2009. Now you are able to find Souderton Telford on the official website! Check out the photos posted on Flickr by the staff at DVRPC.

The goal of the Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia website is promote selected Classic Towns and create a centralized location where potential relocators, businesses, and visitors can access information about these distinctive communities in our region.

The media coverage is great: NBC Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Doylestown Intelligencer, the North Penn Reporter, WKYW radio, Philly.com and of course, Souderton Independent.

They also created a brochure and other material for our use. The brochure is available for download.

This site is not meant to compete with existing websites, but rather to provide an entryway into, support of, and endorsement for our community. By collectively representing and marketing designated “Classic Towns,” the program can attract more people to our region and, together, work to revitalize our historic communities.

The criteria for being designated a “Classic Town” is having successfully preserved the town’s history, neighborliness, and Main Street charm, as well as sharing a quality of life and livability uncommon in this age of suburban sprawl.

The Souderton Historic District has been approved by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission and it was referred to the National Park Service for final approval for listing on the National Register for Historic Places.

Souderton Hisoric District was designated by the National Park Service on June 6, 2011.

You can read through the paperwork and the maps at the bottom of this article. It is broken into smaller portions but they are still hefty PDF files. 

Read more: Souderton Historic District

The volunteers of the Souderton Telford Main Streets' History Committee spent several intensive months working on the Images of America series book called Souderton.

The feedback from their efforts has been very satisfying. People love to talk about the enjoyment they had as they traveled through time and the community that they love. They also talk about renewed memories as they shared the book with friends and family.

Pick up your copy and support the downtown revitalization efforts of Souderton Telford Main Streets at the following locations. The price of $24 includes the cover cost and sales tax with a small amount of change so the non-retail locations don't have to keep loose change on hand.

• Univest branch offices in downtown Souderton and Telford, inside Landis Supermarket, the branches in Hilltown Township and Franconia
• Harleysville Savings Bank on County Line Road
• First Savings Bank, Hilltown Township branch
• Generations, Second Street, Souderton
• Souderton Borough office, Summit Street, Souderton
• Ruth and Company Salon, Front Street, Souderton
• Souderton Rehab, Green Street, Souderton
• Indian Valley Chamber of Commerce, Penn Avenue, Telford
• Souderton Telford Main Streets office at 18 Green Street, Souderton

Read more: Souderton Photo History Book Available

Food for thought

I don't know who started this but it has been making the rounds with my colleugues in the Main Street field. It is a forcast for retailers on trends for 2012. Doing business the way it has always been done is not an option for businesses who want to stay open, let alone thrive, in 2012. Read through it and see what you think. Are there ideas that you can adapt to your store or business?

2012, A Year of Change -- Top Ten Changes

1.  Weekday Convenience and Weekend Experience
These will be the major drivers in 2012 in retailing. The consumer will expect you to provide convenience during the week which may mean you will need to offer different services and possibly longer hours. During the weekend customers want your store to WOW them and therefore more theatrical events will need to be organized on weekends to catch the consumer's attention.

Read more: 2012, A Year of Change -- Top Ten Changes