Mantua, Philadelphia

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Mantua Avenue
Neighborhood of Philadelphia
Mantua blue sign.jpg
Town sign at N 34th St. and Mantua Ave.
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Mantua Avenue
Coordinates: 39°57′50″N75°11′38″W / 39.964°N 75.194°W / 39.964; -75.194
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
State Pennsylvania
County Philadelphia
City Philadelphia
ZIP Code
19104
Area codes 215, 267, and 445

Mantua is a neighborhood in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located north of Spring Garden Street, east of 40th Street, south of Mantua Avenue, and west of 31st Street. The neighborhood's northern and western reaches are predominantly working-class and African American, [1] although its southern border with Powelton Village has seen recent gentrification and an influx of Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania student renters.

Contents

History

Part of this neighborhood was purchased from the Lenape Indian tribe in 1677 by William Warner. In 1692, a young Welsh carpenter, William Powel, opened a ferry over the Schuylkill River at the foot of the present Spring Garden Bridge. Lancaster Pike and Haverford Road were the first routes providing access from the west. [2]

19th century

Mantua was named in 1809 by Judge Richard Peters, who designed a grid of lots with 36th St. and Haverford Ave. as the center. It was named after the city of Mantua in Italy. [3]

Powelton Village, the neighborhood just south of Mantua, was named for the family of William Powell, whose son purchased additional land. By the mid-1880s, Powelton Village was a fashionable area, becoming part of Philadelphia after the Consolidation Act of 1854. [4]

20th century

In 1995, the Mantua library branch was renamed in honor of Charles L. Durham. Born in Mantua, Durham served on City Council from 1967 to 1974, and was appointed to the Common Pleas Court. He was a strong advocate for the community, and was deeply involved in the struggle for civil rights and was part of the first Black caucus on Council. The library was renovated four years later, in 1999, as part of the Free Library of Philadelphia "Changing Lives" campaign, which refurbished branches and ensured each branch had adequate Internet access. [5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Mapping America: Every City, Every Block". The New York Times. December 13, 2010. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Charles L. Durham Library". Free Library of Philadelphia. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  3. ↑ Winberg, Michaela (July 6, 2018). "How 43 Philly neighborhoods got their names". Billy Penn at WHYY. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Charles L. Durham Library". Free Library of Philadelphia. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Charles L. Durham Library". Free Library of Philadelphia. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
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