Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

Last updated

Northern Liberties District
St. John's Church, Northern Liberties.jpg
USA Pennsylvania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Northern Liberties District
Location of Kensington District in Pennsylvania
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Northern Liberties District
Northern Liberties District (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°57′47″N75°08′42″W / 39.96306°N 75.14500°W / 39.96306; -75.14500
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
County Philadelphia
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
Area codes 215, 267
Northern Liberties Historic District
702 N 5th Philly.JPG
Houses on North 5th Street
Street map of Philadelphia and surrounding area.png
Red pog.svg
USA Pennsylvania location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationRoughly bounded by Brown, Boone & Galloway, Green & Wallace, and Fifth & Sixth Sts.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates 39°57′47″N75°08′42″W / 39.96306°N 75.14500°W / 39.96306; -75.14500
Area20.5 acres (8.3 ha)
Built1791
Architectural styleGreek Revival, Italianate, Federal
NRHP reference No. 85003471 [1]
Added to NRHPOctober 31, 1985

Northern Liberties is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is north of Center City along the Delaware River. Prior to its incorporation into Philadelphia in 1854, it was among the top 10 largest cities in the U.S. in every census from 1790 to 1850. It was a major manufacturing area that attracted many European immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the early 21st century, it has attracted many young professionals and new commercial and residential development.

Contents

Boundaries

Northern Liberties is located north of Center City (specifically, Old City) and is bordered by Girard Avenue to the north; Callowhill Street to the south; North 6th Street to the west; and the Delaware River to the east (from Callowhill Street to Laurel Street; from Laurel Street to Girard Avenue the eastern boundary is North Front Street).

The historical boundaries were slightly different, with Vine Street as the southern border and the Cohocksink Creek serving as the northern border. The creek now flows as a storm sewer under the following streets (starting at the Delaware River and running from southeast to northwest): Canal, Laurel, Bodine, Cambridge, and Orkney Streets.

History

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1790 9,913
1800 10,7188.1%
1810 19,87485.4%
1820 19,678−1.0%
1830 28,87246.7%
1840 34,47419.4%
1850 47,22337.0%

Originally a portion of the Northern Liberties Township, the district first gained limited autonomy from the township by an Act of Assembly on March 9, 1771. The Act provided for the appointment of persons to regulate streets, direction of buildings, etc. By March 30, 1791 a second Act enabled the inhabitants of that portion of the Northern Liberties between Vine Street and Pegg's Run (Cohoquinoque Creek) and the middle of Fourth Street and the Delaware River to elect three commissioners to lay taxes for the purpose of lighting, watching and establishing pumps within those bounds.

During the yellow fever epidemics of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Northern Liberties district was hard hit, with many fatalities. [2]

On March 28, 1803, the Legislature passed an act to incorporate that part of the township of the Northern Liberties lying between the west side of Sixth Street and the Delaware River and between Vine Street and Cohocksink Creek, thus creating the District of Northern Liberties. Under the Act of Consolidation, 1854, the district ceased to exist, and became a part of Philadelphia.

Early in its history, the location just outside Philadelphia allowed the area to thrive in manufacturing, as mills, breweries, leather tanneries, paints and chemical works, tool making factories, and iron and stove foundries once lined the neighborhood. It also holds the status as a famous red-light district in the United States. Prior to annexation, the township was created as a less densely populated alternative to nearby Philadelphia. Because of this, it was later known colloquially as "Philadelphia's first suburb." However, the Southwark neighborhood claims this distinction as well.

Artisan immigrants from Germany settled in the Northern Liberties in great numbers in the 19th century. In the first decades of the 20th century, the area saw an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe. Numbers of Slovak and Romanians left the challenges they faced in the waning years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Slovaks established St. Agnes Slovak Roman Catholic Church at the intersection of Fourth and Brown Street. The Romanians who settled in the area established Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church at the intersection of American and Brown Streets, where they and their descendants continue to worship.

From 1860 to 1987, the Christian Schmidt Brewing Company was located in Northern Liberties.

In 1985, the Northern Liberties Historic District was created, dedicated to preserving the Italianate architecture, Greek revival, and Federal style buildings which characterizes the area. The historic district is bounded by Brown, Boone and Galloway, Green and Wallace, and Fifth and Sixth Streets. The district encompasses 209 contributing buildings. [3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. [4] Also located in Northern Liberties and listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the Daniel Boone School, Burk Brothers and Company, Integrity Title Insurance, Trust and Safe Deposit Company, Thomas Jefferson School, Mifflin School, and St. John's Church.

Today

2nd Street Northern Liberties Philadelphia.jpg
2nd Street

In recent years, Northern Liberties has become a major enclave of young professionals, students, artists, and design professionals. Large improvement and revitalization projects have also been undertaken recently, causing a large jump in property values. The neighborhood's proximity to Center City has made it one of the city's most desirable development districts, both for commercial and residential real estate. Like most Philadelphia neighborhoods, the housing stock is primarily made up of rowhouses, although new development in recent times has brought apartment and condominium complexes.

Northern Liberties contains two privately owned but public parks, both established and owned by non-profits run by the neighbors. Orianna Hill Park is known as an off-leash area for dogs; the other, Liberty Lands, is a 2-acre (8,100 m2) park and playground.

Northern Liberties is served by SEPTA's MarketFrankford El with stops at Spring Garden and Girard. The station at Spring Garden is unique for being in the median of I-95. The elevated line's tracks then break away from the expressway's right-of-way to tower over Front Street through the neighborhood as it heads north away from Center City.

German Society of Pennsylvania German Society.jpg
German Society of Pennsylvania

In 2005, service resumed on SEPTA's long-delayed Girard Avenue trolley at the northern boundary of the neighborhood.

The doughboy statue, erected in memory of ward residents who served in World War I, is a long-honored landmark of Northern Liberties. [5] Northern Liberties, an area of the city geographically categorized as north of Old City and bordered by Girard Avenue to the north; Callowhill Street to the south; North 6th Street to the west; and the Delaware River to the east - locals refer to it as NoLibs. CBS Philly quoted Forbes.com naming NoLibs as making #14 among their annual list of the 20 “Hippest Hipster Neighborhoods” in America. [6]

Economy

The area is home to numerous boutique stores and small bars and restaurants.

Yards Brewing Company is located in Northern Liberties. [7] The SEER Interactive headquarters are also located in the neighborhood. [8]

Education

The Daniel Boone School at Hancock and Wildey Boone School Philly A.JPG
The Daniel Boone School at Hancock and Wildey

Primary and secondary schools

Northern Liberties residents are assigned to schools in the School District of Philadelphia.

Residents south of Poplar Street are zoned to the General Philip Kearny School for grades Kindergarten through 8.

Students zoned to Kearny are also zoned to Benjamin Franklin High School. [9]

Residents north of Poplar Street are zoned to James R. Ludlow School for grades Kindergarten through 8 [10] and Kensington High School for grades 9 through 12. [11]

Other schools in Northern Liberties consist of:

Public libraries

Residents are served by the Ramonita de Rodriguez Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which is located at 600 West Girard Avenue. The branch was known as the Girard Avenue Branch prior to the 1977 rename. [13]

Religious life

Churches and houses of worship

Notable people

Gabe Kapler 001H0892 Gabe Kapler.jpg
Gabe Kapler

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Chase, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fox Chase is a neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishtown, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Fishtown is a neighborhood in the River Wards section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Located northeast of Center City Philadelphia, its borders are somewhat disputed today due to many factors, but are roughly defined by the triangle created by the Delaware River, Front Street, and York Street. Some newer residents expand the area to Lehigh Avenue to the northeast, while some older residents shrink the area to Norris Street. It is served by the Market–Frankford Line rapid transit subway/elevated line of the SEPTA system. Fishtown was a largely working class Irish Catholic neighborhood, but has recently seen a large influx of young urban professionals and gentrification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Viaduct</span> Disused elevated rail line and park

The Reading Viaduct, also called The Rail Park, is a disused elevated rail line in the Callowhill district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States that has been partly transformed into a rail trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overbrook, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Overbrook is an historic neighborhood that is located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated northwest of West Philadelphia, Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brewerytown, Philadelphia</span> Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States

Brewerytown is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. An unofficial region, Brewerytown runs approximately between the Schuylkill River's eastern bank and 25th Street, bounded by Montgomery Avenue to the north and Parrish Street to the south. Brewerytown derived its name from the numerous breweries that were located along the Schuylkill during the late 19th century and early 20th century. It is now primarily a residential neighborhood, with a growing and active commercial sector along Girard Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kensington is a neighborhood in Philadelphia that belongs to Lower Northeast. As with all neighborhoods in the city, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources over time and are disputed among locals. Kensington, as most long-term residents view it, refers generally to the area consisting of Kensington, East Kensington, West Kensington, and Harrowgate. The adjacent Fairhill and Norris Square neighborhoods are more separate but may be included in Kensington; Fishtown and South (Olde) Kensington were historically included. The most conservative boundaries of the neighborhood, shown in the map below, are Front Street and 5th Street to the west, the Amtrak train tracks to the North, Trenton Avenue, the Trenton Avenue train tracks, and Frankford Avenue to the east, and Cecil B. Moore Avenue to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as everything north of either Vine Street or Spring Garden Street, between Northwest Philadelphia and Northeast Philadelphia. It is bordered to the north by Olney Ave along Broad Street, Spring Garden Street to the south, 35th Street to the west and Adams Avenue to the east. The Philadelphia Police Department patrols five districts located within North Philadelphia: the 22nd, 25th, 26th, 35th and 39th districts. There are thirteen ZIP codes for North Philadelphia: 19120, 19121, 19122, 19123, 19125, 19126, 19130, 19132, 19133, 19134, 19137, 19140 and 19141.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old City, Philadelphia</span> United States historic place

Old City is a neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, near the Delaware River waterfront. It is home to Independence National Historical Park, a dense section of historic landmarks including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the First Bank of the United States, the Second Bank of the United States, and Carpenters' Hall. It also includes historic streets such as Elfreth's Alley, dating back to 1703.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA Route 15</span> SEPTA trolley line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Route 15, the Girard Avenue Line, is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) along Girard Avenue through North and West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2007, it is the only surface trolley line in the City Transit Division that is not part of the Subway–Surface Trolley Lines. SEPTA PCC II vehicles are used on the line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callowhill, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Callowhill is one of the unofficial names for a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, located roughly in the vicinity of Callowhill Street, between Vine, Spring Garden, Broad, and 8th streets. The name "Callowhill" was coined by the Callowhill Neighborhood Association, a community organization in the area; although this name often appears on online maps, the City of Philadelphia does not have an official name for this area. Callowhill is named for Callowhill Street, which was named after Hannah Callowhill Penn, William Penn's second wife and de facto proprietor of Pennsylvania after William Penn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grays Ferry, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Grays Ferry, also known as Gray's Ferry, is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, bounded (roughly) by 25th Street on the east, the Schuylkill River on the west, Vare Avenue on the south, and Grays Ferry Avenue on the north. The section of this neighborhood west of 34th Street is also known as Forgotten Bottom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwark, Philadelphia</span> Former District in Pennsylvania, United States

Southwark was originally the Southwark District, a colonial-era municipality in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Today, it is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because of its location south of the early Philadelphia, the name was adopted in allusion to the borough of Southwark in the county of London, England, just south of the city of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Liberties Township, Pennsylvania</span> Former Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Northern Liberties Township was a township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The township was later incorporated into the City of Philadelphia after the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Garden, Philadelphia</span> Historic neighborhood in Pennsylvania, United States

Spring Garden is a neighborhood in central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bordering Center City on the north. Spring Garden is a neighborhood that combines diverse residential neighborhoods and significant cultural attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carroll Park, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Carroll Park is a neighborhood in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its boundaries are Lansdowne Avenue to the north, West Girard Avenue to the south, North 63rd Street to the west, and North 52nd Street to the east. Along major streets of the neighborhood, the Carroll Park Community Council, Inc. has placed banners that say “Carroll Park: Where our neighbors become friends.” The 10 trolley runs along Lansdowne Avenue and the 15 trolley runs along Girard Avenue. There is a park by the name of Carroll Park between North 59th and North 58th Streets and West Thompson Street and West Girard Avenue. Carroll Park’s residents are primarily working-class and lower-income African-Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poplar, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Poplar is a neighborhood in Lower North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located north of Callowhill, between Spring Garden/Fairmount and Northern Liberties, bounded roughly by Girard Avenue to the north, North Broad Street to the west, Spring Garden Street to the south, and 5th Street to the east. The neighborhood is predominantly residential, with commercial frontage on Broad Street and Girard Avenue and some industrial facilities to the west of the railroad tracks along Percy St. and 9th St.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cohoquinoque Creek</span> River

The Cohoquinoque Creek was formerly a stream running west to east through the Callowhill neighborhood in Philadelphia, along the southern part of Northern Liberties and immediately north of original northern boundary of Philadelphia. This small tributary of the Delaware River remains today, as a sewer, under Willow Street, which winds its way through what is sometimes called the East Callowhill Industrial District. Its name, spelled various ways, is said to be derived from a Lenni-Lenape word for "the grove of long pine trees." This was also the name of a nearby Lenape village.

Callowhill Depot is a bus and trolley barn operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), located in West Philadelphia, near the Delaware County border. It was built in 1913 by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT) and was later operated by the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) before being taken over by SEPTA. The depot was constructed as part of the Thomas E. Mitten modernization program. Since its construction, the depot has suffered fire damage and reconstruction in 1949, 1950, and 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girard Avenue</span> Major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Girard Avenue is a major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia. For most of its length it runs east–west, but at Frankford Avenue it makes a 135-degree turn north. Parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 30.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. R. La Roche, Yellow Fever, Considered in its Historical, Pathological, Etiological, and Therapeutical Relations, Philadelphia, 1855, 525.
  3. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System.Note: This includes George E. Thomas (July 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: Northern Liberties Historic District" (PDF). Retrieved June 16, 2012.
  4. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  5. PlanPhilly | Doughboy Park renovation takes shape in Northern Liberties
  6. Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties Makes List Of America’s Top Hipster Neighborhoods « CBS Philly
  7. "Contact". Yards Brewing Company. Retrieved March 14, 2010. 901 N. Delaware Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19123
  8. "Contact Us". SEER Interactive. Retrieved September 28, 2013. 1028 N. 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19123 United States
  9. "High School Directory Fall 2017 Admissions" (Archive). School District of Philadelphia. p. 30/70. Retrieved on November 16, 2016.
  10. "K-8 Public Schools Boundary Map Archived 2008-09-18 at the Wayback Machine ." Center City Schools. Retrieved on November 7, 2008.
  11. "Where the Graduates Go." James R. Ludlow School. Retrieved on November 7, 2008.
  12. Home. Laboratory Charter School. Retrieved on December 31, 2016.
  13. "Ramonita de Rodriguez Branch." Free Library of Philadelphia . Retrieved on November 7, 2008.
  14. Inside the Brilliant, Baffling, and Utterly Fascinating Baseball Mind of Gabe Kapler – Philadelphia Magazine