Powelton Village, Philadelphia

Powelton Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Houses in Powelton Village
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Location	3500-3520 Powelton Ave., 214-218 35th St., and 215-221 36th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	39°57′35″N75°11′25″W / 39.95972°N 75.19028°W / 39.95972; -75.19028
Area	105 acres
Built	1902
Architect	Multiple
NRHP reference No.	85000998 [1]
Added to NRHP	May 9, 1985

Powelton Village is a neighborhood in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of mostly Victorian and twin style homes. It is a national historic district that is part of University City. Powelton Village extends north from Market Street to Spring Garden Street, east to 32nd Street, west to 40th and Spring Garden Streets, and to 44th and Market Streets. ^[2]

History

Powelton Village takes its name from mayor of Philadelphia Samuel Powel. ^[3] In the late 1800s, trolley lines opened the area up to urbanization. Powelton soon became a choice residential spot for Philadelphia industrial tycoons.^{[ citation needed ]}

Powelton's luster began to wane by the 1920s, and by the 1940s the neighborhood was populated by low-income families.^{[ citation needed ]} In the 1960s the Village was home to many members of the counterculture movement, ^{[4] [ better source needed ]} and Powelton today has a strong political activism and anarchist tradition, as well as multiethnic pluralism.

In addition to the Powelton Historic District, the Bell Telephone Exchange Building, The Powelton, Frederick A. Poth Houses, and John Shedwick Development Houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[1]

Arts and culture

Spiral Q Puppet Theater is located on Spring Garden Street between 31st and 32nd Streets.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
2. George E. Thomas and Carol Benenson (1984). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Powelton Historic District. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved January 8, 2026. (Downloading may be slow.)
3. Winberg, Michaela (July 6, 2018). "How 43 Philly neighborhoods got their names". Billy Penn at WHYY. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
4. Powelton Village Civic Association. "Powelton Village History" . Retrieved May 2, 2024.

Further reading

• "Powelton Village Historic District Inventory" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2013.

External links

• Philadelphia portal

Media related to Powelton Village, Philadelphia at Wikimedia Commons

• Powelton Village Civic Association
• Historical Map of Powelton Village
• Archived copy of "InfoResources West Philadelphia (InfoR)" - Neighborhood: Powelton Village. Archived 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2015-03-29