A town in
Hatfield Township in
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania near
Lansdale (North on US 309 and on the R5
SEPTA commuter line). Population about 2K.
Location of "The Colmar Inn - built in 1861"
and New Yorker "Manufacturer of Cast Iron and Steel Boilers".
Newcomers pronounce it COAL-mar but I am told that long time residents pronounce it CALMer.
Currently part of the 13th Congressional District, but that may change: Pennsylvania is losing 2
Representatives to Congress due to population shifts found in the 2000 Census. The 13th district is represented
by Joseph Hoeffel, who is a Democrat, but the redistricting plan is being drafted by Republicans in the
Pennsylvania legislature. The 13th district is heavily Republican.
I suppose this town is named after Colmar in Alsace.
http://www.visit-alsace.com/colmar/ tells us:
Colmar is often compared to a historical museum. The presence of the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar is largely responsible for this comparison. This museum is home to several imperishable masterpieces from the Rhine renaissance. Colmar's past was defined by communial freedom, a proud bourgeoisie and busy corporate activity. Colmar is not simply beautiful to the eye but also to the mind as home to some important schools of thought.
...
Colmar takes its name from the Colombarium tower which was located in the center of the Carolingien domain. Although Charlemagne and Louis le Débonnaire considered the area to be a resort they made it very powerful.
There is a possible connection between the two Colmars: followers of
Jakob Amman (the Amish) moved from Switzerland to Alsace, thence
to Pennsylvania after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1715.
Source: "Savoring France with Thomas West", http://www.fiaf.org/travel/alsace4.shtml.