Andalusia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Andalusia is a historic neighborhood in Bensalem Township
, Bucks County
, Pennsylvania
, bordering Philadelphia. The ZIP code
is 19020. The area is the southernmost part of the township and of the county. Its boundaries are: Woodhaven Road (Pennsylvania Route 63) to the northeast, the Delaware River
to the east and south, and Poquessing Creek
to the north and west. Interstate 95
, known locally as "I-95", runs through its southeastern section near the Delaware River
. The neighborhood takes its name from the Andalusia estate
of Philadelphia financier Nicholas Biddle
(1786–1844), now preserved as a National Historic Landmark
.
In 1922, the unincorporated village was named Torresdale Manor, after the neighboring Torresdale
section of Philadelphia, and some developments in the area are still affiliated with that name.
Today, Andalusia is a middle class
suburb
, mainly typical of the area. Its grid-style streets contain small single-family homes that date back to the 1920s. Andalusia is also home to many historic buildings, some dating back to the early Nineteenth Century, owned and inhabited by some of Philadelphia's wealthiest families. Architectural styles include Gothic Revival
, Romanesque
, and Greek Revival. The neighborhood's main thoroughfare, Bristol Pike (US Route 13, formerly Kings Highway), reveals various homes and churches that have been preserved, while the most esteemed buildings, including Biddle's estate, the Pen Ryn mansion, and State in Schuylkill
, are hidden along the banks of the Delaware. Saint Katharine Drexel
is buried at the Katharine Drexel Shrine, which is also in the area on Bristol Pike.
The area contains several shopping areas and abuts the Franklin Mills
mall. The neighborhood students attend the Bensalem Township School District.
The NBC
pilot episode
for Outlaw
, starring Jimmy Smits
filmed here March 22–23, 2010.
Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania
Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States which borders the northeast section of Philadelphia. The township is composed of many communities, including Bensalem, Trevose, Oakford, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, and Andalusia...
, Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, bordering Philadelphia. The ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 19020. The area is the southernmost part of the township and of the county. Its boundaries are: Woodhaven Road (Pennsylvania Route 63) to the northeast, the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
to the east and south, and Poquessing Creek
Poquessing Creek
Poquessing Creek is a creek, a right tributary of the Delaware River, that forms part of the boundary between Bucks County and the northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has been part of the boundary between Bucks and Philadelphia counties since 1682.The creek arises in Trevose and...
to the north and west. Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania
Interstate 95 is an Interstate highway running from Miami, Florida north to Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the route is known by many as the Delaware Expressway, but is officially named The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. and locally known as "95"...
, known locally as "I-95", runs through its southeastern section near the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. The neighborhood takes its name from the Andalusia estate
Andalusia (estate)
Andalusia, also known as the Nicholas Biddle Estate, is a historic mansion and surrounding estate located on the Delaware River just north of Philadelphia in the village named Andalusia for it in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania....
of Philadelphia financier Nicholas Biddle
Nicholas Biddle (banker)
Nicholas Biddle was an American financier who served as the president of the Second Bank of the United States.-Ancestry and early life:...
(1786–1844), now preserved as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
In 1922, the unincorporated village was named Torresdale Manor, after the neighboring Torresdale
Torresdale, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This article is about a place in Pennsylvania; for the United Kingdom locations, see Torrisdale Torresdale, also formerly known as Torrisdale, is a neighborhood in the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
section of Philadelphia, and some developments in the area are still affiliated with that name.
Today, Andalusia is a middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
, mainly typical of the area. Its grid-style streets contain small single-family homes that date back to the 1920s. Andalusia is also home to many historic buildings, some dating back to the early Nineteenth Century, owned and inhabited by some of Philadelphia's wealthiest families. Architectural styles include Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
, and Greek Revival. The neighborhood's main thoroughfare, Bristol Pike (US Route 13, formerly Kings Highway), reveals various homes and churches that have been preserved, while the most esteemed buildings, including Biddle's estate, the Pen Ryn mansion, and State in Schuylkill
Schuylkill Fishing Company
The Schuylkill Fishing Company of Pennsylvania, also known as the State in Schuylkill, was the first angling club in the American Colonies. Still in existence, it claims to be the oldest social club in the English-speaking world...
, are hidden along the banks of the Delaware. Saint Katharine Drexel
Katharine Drexel
Saint Katharine Drexel, S.B.S., was an American Religious Sister, heiress, philanthropist and educator, later canonized as a Roman Catholic saint.-Life and religious work:...
is buried at the Katharine Drexel Shrine, which is also in the area on Bristol Pike.
The area contains several shopping areas and abuts the Franklin Mills
Franklin Mills
Franklin Mills is an enclosed shopping mall located in northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bordering Bensalem in Bucks County and outside Center City...
mall. The neighborhood students attend the Bensalem Township School District.
The NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
pilot episode
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for Outlaw
Outlaw (TV series)
Outlaw is an American television series that was aired on the NBC network. The one-hour courtroom drama stars Jimmy Smits as a Supreme Court Justice who resigns from the bench to start his own law firm, as a way to more directly promote the ends of justice...
, starring Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits is an American actor. Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as Congressman Matt Santos on The West Wing...
filmed here March 22–23, 2010.