Exhibit  (5)
Page 74




                    MORGAN,  LEWIS  &  BOCKIUSCOUNSELORS  AT  LAW
                              2000  ONE  LOGAN  SQUARE
                      Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania  19103-6993
                            Telephone  (215)  963-5000
                               Fax  (215)  963-5299


March  29,  1995


Harleysville  Group  Inc.
355  Maple  Avenue
Harleysville,  PA  19438

Re:  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-3  for
500,000  Shares  of  Common  Stock

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:

     As  counsel  for  Harleysville  Group  Inc.,  a  Delaware  corporation (the
"Company"),  we  are  furnishing  this  opinion  in  connection  with  the
above-captioned  Registration  Statement  relating  to  the issuance and sale of
500,000  shares  of Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the
net  Shares)pursuant  to  the  Company's  Agency  Stock  Purchase  Plan. We have
participated  in  the  preparation  of  the Registration Statement and have also
examined  the  Company's  Certificate of Incorporation, as amended and restated,
and  By-laws  and  resolutions  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Company.

     Our  opinion  set  forth below is limited to the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware. In our opinion, the Shares have been duly authorized and,
when  issued,  will  be  legally  issued,  fully  paid  and  non-assessable.

     We  hereby  consent  to  the  use  of  this  opinion  as  Exhibit  5 to the
Registration  Statement. In giving this opinion, we do not thereby admit that we
are  acting  within  the  category  of  persons whose consent is: required under
Section  7  of  the  Securities  Act  of 1933 or the rules or regulations of the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  promulgated  thereunder.

                                         Very  truly  yours,



                                         /s/  Morgan,  Lewis  &  Bockius