Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Frankford is a large and important neighborhood in the lower Northeast

Northeast Philadelphia

Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 Census, the Northeast has a sizable percentage of the city's 1.547 million people — a population of between 300,000 and 450,000,...

section of Philadelphia situated about six miles (10 km) northeast of Center City

Center City, Philadelphia

Center City, or Downtown Philadelphia includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2005, its population of over 88,000 made it the third most populous downtown in the United States, after New York City's and Chicago's...

. Although its borders are vaguely defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original course of Frankford Creek

Frankford Creek

Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until a sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest,...

, now roughly Adams to Aramingo Avenues, Roosevelt Boulevard

Roosevelt Boulevard

The following roads are called Roosevelt Boulevard:*Roosevelt Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida*Roosevelt Boulevard between Marmora and Ocean City, New Jersey*Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

, and Cheltenham Avenue. Adjacent neighborhoods are Bridesburg, Kensington

Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kensington is a neighborhood in the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is between the Lower Northeast section of Philadelphia and North Philadelphia. Not to be confused with the former Kensington District, now commonly referred to as Fishtown, the area modernly referred to as...

, Juniata

Juniata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Juniata is a neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, which is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; however, it is sometimes said to be in North Philadelphia because it lies west of Frankford Creek. Juniata is located south of the Juniata Golf Club in Tacony Creek Park...

, Oxford Circle

Oxford Circle, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Oxford Circle is a neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its namesake is the much used traffic circle...

, Summerdale, and Wissinoming

Wissinoming, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wissinoming is a neighborhood in the Near Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is bordered by Mayfair and Tacony on the north, Bridesburg on the south, I-95 and the Delaware River on the east, and Frankford on the west. Wissinoming uses the ZIP codes 19135 and 19124...

. Historically, Frankford had an unofficial division separating Frankford (proper) from East Frankford encompassing the area east of Frankford Avenue. The division divided the community first along racial lines, with Caucasians on the west of Frankford Avenue and African Americans to the east. As the community has become less homogeneous, the division is more of a vestige of the past.

In 2005, the 19124 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...

, which roughly contains Frankford and Juniata

Juniata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

, had a median home sale price of $81,075, an increase of 22% over 2004.

History

Founded in 1684 by German settlers, the village very likely took its name from the title of the Frankfurt Company, which took up ground there, along what is now known as Frankford Creek

Frankford Creek

, then known as Tacony Creek, in the lower part of Oxford Township

Oxford Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Oxford Township, is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:...

. It was an early suburb of the town of Philadelphia. William Penn

William Penn

William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...

forged a trail through the village that would run from the original town (now Center City) to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, passing through Bucks County near the site of his home, Pennsbury Manor

Pennsbury Manor

Pennsbury Manor, an estate in Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was the American home of William Penn, founder and first Governor of Pennsylvania. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 28, 1969.-History:...

. That trail would come to be known as "Frankford Pike" (later Frankford Avenue) and was the town's main street.

The village was incorporated into a borough on March 2, 1800, at which time its boundaries were Leiper Street on the northwest, Little Tacony (or Tackawanna) Creek on the south and east, and Frankford Creek

Frankford Creek

on the west. By act on April 4, 1831, the boundaries of the borough were extended to include land to the northwest of Leiper Street, the line running along Harrison and Horrocks Streets, to a point on Frankford Creek below Wyoming Avenue. In 1853, the part of Whitehall Borough

Whitehall Borough, Pennsylvania

Whitehall Borough is a defunct borough that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The borough ceased to exist when it was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia on the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:...

lying between Torresdale and Frankford Avenues below what is now Whitehall Common was added, to encompass a total of 1.468 square miles. In 1854, the borough was annexed by the city of Philadelphia through the Act of Consolidation, 1854

Act of Consolidation, 1854

The Act of Consolidation, more formally known as the act of February 2, 1854 , was enacted by General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and approved February 2, 1854 by Governor William Bigler...

.

Frankford was historically a manufacturing center, beginning with a gristmill

Gristmill

The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...

constructed in the 1660s. This same mill became famous during the American Revolutionary War due to the heroics of Lydia Darrah

Lydia Darrah

Lydia Barrington Darragh was an American woman said to have crossed British lines during the British occupation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the American Revolutionary War, delivering information to George Washington and the Continental Army that warned them of a pending British attack...

.

Frankford also has the distinction of having played a role in the formation of the Declaration of Independence

United States Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...

"There is also a tradition that on the afternoon of that day, or possibly a day or two earlier, there was a joyful private celebration of the great event, by Jefferson and others, at the garden-house of a country-seat in Frankford (near Philadelphia), then occupied by Dr. Enoch Edwards
Dr. Enoch Edwards
Enoch Edwards was an American physician and a leading Patriot during the American Revolution. Born in Lower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania, Edwards was a member of the Provincial Congress in Carpenters' Hall on June 18, 1776, which led to the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776...

, a leading patriot of that time."

Frankford was also the site of a gunpowder

Gunpowder

Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...

mill that became famous because of its association with Oswald Eve

Oswald Eve

Oswald Eve was a mariner, ship chandler, gunpowder manufacturer and member of the American Philosophical Society, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the College of Philadelphia and was an associate of Dr...

and Paul Revere

Paul Revere

Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...

.

In the 19th century, the town became a center for textile production. Other manufacturing

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...

industries also flourished. An early description of industry in 1837:

The borough of Frankford, on the Delaware, is the seat of numerous manufacturing establishments, including several cotton-mills, calico print-works and bleacheries, woollen-mills, iron-works, & etc. Here are also an Arsenal of the United States
Frankford Arsenal
The Frankford Arsenal was a United States Army ammunition plant located adjacent to the Bridesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, north of the original course of Frankford Creek.-History:...

, and a Lunatic Asylum
Friends Hospital
Friends Hospital, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is recognized as one of the premier mental hospitals in the United States.Founded by Quakers in 1813 as "The Asylum for Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason," and later known as the "Frankford Asylum for the Insane," it was the first...

belonging to the Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...

.

The Frankford Arsenal

Frankford Arsenal

The Frankford Arsenal was a United States Army ammunition plant located adjacent to the Bridesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, north of the original course of Frankford Creek.-History:...

rivaled the Philadelphia Navy Yard during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. It provided over 22,000 jobs and at its peak, produced 8 million bullets per day

In 1922, the Frankford Elevated Line opened, which connected to the Market Street Elevated to provide rapid-transit access to Center City

Center City, Philadelphia

and West Philadelphia

West Philadelphia

West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though there is no official definition of its boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Line Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and...

. The terminus of today's SEPTA Market-Frankford Line

Market-Frankford Line

The Market–Frankford Line is a rapid transit line in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority .-Route:The Market–Frankford Line begins at 69th Street Transportation Center, in Upper Darby...

line, now known as the Frankford Transportation Center

Frankford Transportation Center

The Frankford Transportation Center is a transportation terminal in Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was once known as the Bridge Street terminal before a complete reconstruction in 2003...

, became a major transit hub, with connections to bus and trolley routes extending into The Northeast

Northeast Philadelphia

. Residents of Frankford live within walking distance of the terminal. SEPTA's elevated train (the "El") runs through the neighborhood above Frankford Avenue.

Although the Frankford Line helped to catapult Frankford Avenue into a major shopping district in the early 20th century, the traditionally working-class neighborhood saw decline in the 1950s as many Philadelphians moved to the suburbs. White flight

White flight

White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...

eventually took its hold on the neighborhood throughout the 1970s and 1980s. By 1990, over 30% of the storefronts on Frankford Avenue were vacant. Since this time, Frankford has seen a push for improvement. In 1993, The Philadelphia Planning Commission adopted the Frankford Plan as a blueprint for revitalizing the neighborhood. Although many vacant storefronts remain, businesses catering to new customers have opened in recent years.

Many business owners hope that gentrification

Gentrification

Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...

of neighborhoods such as Fishtown

Fishtown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fishtown is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Located immediately northeast of Center City, its borders are somewhat disputed today due to many factors, but are roughly defined by the triangle created by the Delaware River, Frankford Avenue, and York Street...

and Kensington

Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

will spread north into Frankford. Others worry that previous attempts at improving Frankford have not been as effective as hoped, with some blocks to the east of the El still suffering from street crime

Street crime

Street crime is a loose term for criminal offences taking place in public places. It has moved to occupy the place once held by mugging. According to London's Metropolitan Police Force, street crime is:...

and open-air drug sale

Illegal drug trade

The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...

s. Between 1985 and 1990, a serial killer known as the "Frankford Slasher" murdered several women in the neighborhood; although several suspects were taken into custody, the actual killer has never been identified.

Churches

The Baptist Worship Center, 4355 Paul St.
St. Bartholomew R.C. Church, 5600 Jackson St.
Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1657 Kinsey St., founded 1804
Central United Methodist Church, 4620 Griscom St.
Christ Independent Baptist Church, 1618 Womrath St.
Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist, 4720 Leiper St.
Crossroads Community Church, 4624 Leiper St.
Faith Assembly of God, 5049 Charles St.
Faith Tabernacle, 1744 Foulkrod St.
Frankford Friends Meeting House
Frankford Friends Meeting House
Frankford Friends Meeting House is a historic Quaker meeting house in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its oldest parts having been built in 1775–1776, it is significant as the oldest surviving meeting house in Philadelphia.Located at the corner of Unity and Waln Streets,...

, 1500 Orthodox St., established 1684
Frankford Memorial United Methodist Church, 1300 Dyre St.
Hermon Presbyterian Church, 4835 Frankford Ave.
Holy Cross Church of Christ, 1822 Orthodox St.
International Druidic Society, 4455 Frankford Ave.
St. James Lutheran Church, Pratt St. and Castor Ave.
St. Joachim Church, Philadelphia
St. Joachim Church, Philadelphia
St. Joachim Roman Catholic Church was the first Roman Catholic church founded in Northeast Philadelphia. Established in 1845 in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, the parish still serves the community today....

, 1527 Church St., established 1845
St. John Apostolic Church, 4404-06 Paul St.
St. Mark's Church, Frankford
St. Mark's Church, Frankford
St. Mark's Church, often referred to as the Frankford Cathedral, is a historic church in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1832 and continues today.-History:St...

, 4442 Frankford Ave., is an Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...

, established 1832
Mar Thoma Church
St. Mary's Malankara Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, 1424 Orthodox St.
Mater Dolorosa R.C. Church, 1676 Ruan St.
New Life Church, 4730 Oxford Ave.
Northeast Baptist Church, 4744 Tackawanna St.
Northeast Bible Presbyterian Church, 1637 Harrison St.
The Presbyterian Church of Frankford, 4302 Frankford Ave., dating to 1605, was begun as a German-speaking reformed church
Rehoboth United Methodist Church, 4229 Paul St.
Second Baptist Church of Frankford, 1801 Meadow St.
Second Spanish Baptist Church, 4917 Frankford Ave. (began as North Frankford Baptist Church - given to Second Spanish Baptist in the early 1990s)
Strait Gate Church of Faith and Deliverance, Inc., 4265 Frankford Ave.
St. Thomas United Methodist Church, 4701 Tackawanna St.
St. Valentine's Polish National Church, 2330 Margaret St.
Word of Faith Christian Center, 4355 Paul St.

Schools

Henry R. Edmunds Elementary School, 1197 Haworth St.
First Philadelphia Charter School for Literacy, 4300 Tacony St.
Frankford Friends School, 1500 Orthodox St.
Frankford High School
Frankford High School
Frankford High School is a public high school in the School District of Philadelphia. It is located at Oxford Avenue and Wakeling Street in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....

, 5000 Oxford Ave.
Frankford Hospital School of Nursing, 4918 Penn St.
Warren G. Harding Middle School, 2000 Wakeling St.
John Marshall School, Sellers and Griscom Sts.
Northwood Academy Charter School, 4621 Castor Ave.
Smedley Elementary School, Bridge and Mulberry Sts.
Allen M. Stearne Elementary School, 1655 Unity St.

Historic sites

Garden-House, owned by Dr. Enoch Edwards
Dr. Enoch Edwards
Enoch Edwards was an American physician and a leading Patriot during the American Revolution. Born in Lower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania, Edwards was a member of the Provincial Congress in Carpenters' Hall on June 18, 1776, which led to the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776...

, where Jefferson and others celebrated the passage of the Declaration. (Present day Womrath Park)
Cedar Hill Cemetery
Cedar Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cedar Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was established by a company incorporated on March 25, 1850.-Notable interments:*Alexander Crawford , Medal of Honor recipient....

, established 1849
Oswald Eve
Oswald Eve
Oswald Eve was a mariner, ship chandler, gunpowder manufacturer and member of the American Philosophical Society, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the College of Philadelphia and was an associate of Dr...

's gunpowder mill, built 1774
Frankford Community Memorial Stadium, opened 1922, site of several games of the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...

professional football team
Friends Hospital
Friends Hospital
Friends Hospital, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is recognized as one of the premier mental hospitals in the United States.Founded by Quakers in 1813 as "The Asylum for Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason," and later known as the "Frankford Asylum for the Insane," it was the first...

, the first private psychiatric hospital in the U.S., founded 1813
Greenwood Cemetery
Greenwood Cemetery, Philadelphia
Greenwood Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:...

, established 1869, site of a late-18th century summer home of Dr. Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
Historical Society of Frankford
Historical Society of Frankford
The Historical Society of Frankford is a historical society and museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1905 in the Frankford neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia. Its mission is to collect, preserve, and tell the history of Frankford and that of Northeast Philadelphia...

, founded 1905
The Comly Rich House
Comly Rich House
The Comly Rich House is a historic house in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, notable as the first home in the United States financed by a savings and loan association, the Oxford Provident Building Society, founded 1831...

(built 1826), 4276 Orchard Street, was the first house in the United States to receive a mortgage (1831)
John Ruan House
John Ruan House
The John Ruan House is a historic mansion in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1796 as the home of Dr. John Ruan The John Ruan House is a historic mansion in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1796 as the home of Dr....

, built 1796
Frankford Avenue, formerly Main Street, and before that the King's Highway

Others

Frankford Hospital
Eastern Regional Medical Center, a facility of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (formerly Parkview Hospital)

Northwood

Within the bounds of Frankford exists an enclave known as Northwood. Northwood is made up almost entirely of pre-World War II twin and single-family dwellings. Northwood is bounded by Harrison Street to the south, Roosevelt Boulevard to the west and Oxford Avenue to the east, its northernmost point being Sanger Street, just below the intersection of Castor Avenue, Roosevelt Blvd (U.S. 1

U.S. Route 1 in Pennsylvania

U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway, extending from the Florida Keys in the south to the Canadian border in the north. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, US 1 runs for from the Maryland state line near Oxford to the New Jersey state line near Trenton.-Maryland to Interstate...

) and Oxford Avenue. However, a more broad definition of Northwood would extend to Adams Avenue on the south, including the location of Northwood Park and the larger mansions on Castor Avenue south of Harrison Street.

Three of Frankford's schools lie within Northwood. Other facilities in Northwood include Frankford High School's War Memorial Stadium, built in honor of those who served in World War I from the area, and Baldwin Field, named for Matthias W. Baldwin

Matthias W. Baldwin

Matthias William Baldwin was an American manufacturer of steam locomotives. He opened his machine shop in 1825...

of the former Baldwin Locomotive Works

Baldwin Locomotive Works

The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...

and his family.

The neighborhood is home to a mostly middle-class population. The neighborhood was also home to former Philadelphia mayor and Representative from the 5th (then 3rd) Congressional District, William J. Green, III

William J. Green, III

William Joseph Green, III is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Green also served as the 94th Mayor of Philadelphia.-Youth:...

, and the late Edward Roy Becker

Edward Roy Becker

For the Distinguished Service Cross recipient, see Edward Becker .Edward Roy Becker was a United States federal judge on the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit....

, former justice on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals for the United States.

Burk Deed Restriction

In 1881, Alfred and Louis Burk founded Louis Burk, Inc., Philadelphia meat packers, and also built the original Atlantic City Steel Pier

Steel Pier

Steel Pier is a amusement pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, located opposite The Boardwalk from Trump Taj Mahal.The pier was owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts until 2011, when it was sold to the Catanoso Family under the "Steel Pier Associates, LLC" name. The Catanosos previously leased the...

in 1898. Several other brothers were engaged in this family-run business. (Another brother Henry Burk

Henry Burk

Henry Burk was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania and Philadelphia businessman.-Private life:...

, was a well-known local politician.)

As real-estate investors and developers in Philadelphia, they bought and sold large parcels of land in Northwood. To protect the integrity of the neighborhood, Louis Burk placed several various deed restrictions upon many of the tracts he sold. One variant form:

BURK DEED RESTRICTION, AS TO THE 900 BLOCK OF HERBERT STREET -

RESTRICTIONS as in Deed Book J.M.H. 317 page 63

UNDER AND SUBJECT nevertheless that no bldg. shall be erected or built or permitted to
be erected or built upon any of the hereby granted tract of land or any part thereof except
for the use as a private dwelling or a private garage in connection with a dwelling nor shall
any bldg. thereon erected be converted or used for any other purpose that there shall be
wooden division fences between subdivision of the hereby granted tracts of land that
divisions may be made by an iron fence not to exceed 4' in height or a suitable hedge not
to exceed that height and that no dwelling shall be erected which shall cost less than
$2500 to construct that no garage shall be built within 75' of the bldg. line of either sd.
(said) Herbert Street or sd. Ramona Avenue nor shall any garage be erected except of
stone, brick or concrete that no lots fronting on sd. Herbert Street shall be erected within
25' of sd. Bldg. line and that on lots fronting on the sd. Ramona Avenue no dwelling shall
be erected within 30' of the bldg. line of sd. Ramona Avenue though enclosed porches
(temporary enclosures by screens and glass sashing excepted) may extend to within 20' of
sd. bldg. line and that as to the tracts first, second and third hereinbefore desc.(described)
resp. (respectively) no dwelling shall be erected on any lot having less than 25' front by 100'
in depth nor shall any garage be erected on any lot having less than 35' front by 100' in
depth that on the lots fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh desc., resp. not more than one
dwelling shall be erected on each.

Northwood Civic Association

The Northwood Civic Association received its charter of incorporation as a Pennsylvania not-for-profit corporation during a meeting held in City Hall, Room 577, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, July 25, 1963, at 3:00 P.M., E.D.S.T., there being present: ISRAEL STIEFEL, ESQ., THE MASTER: BECKER & BECKER BY EDWARD R. BECKER, ESQ., For Petitioners.

J. WALTER KLINE testified:

This corporation was originally started in the spring of 1954, and the main purpose was to try and uphold the quality of the neighborhood -- to keep real estate from being depreciated, to promote and preserve the civic, social and moral welfare of the community known as Northwood in the City of Philadelphia, to maintain and elevate the quality of land usage therein, to maintain and elevate the value of real estate therein, to prevent the infiltration of degrading and inharmonious land use therein, to do all other things necessary to preserve and maintain the amenities and high standards of the community, to engage in any peaceable activities including the institution of legal proceedings necessary for the promotion of the purposes, and this is a corporation which does not contemplate pecuniary gains or profit, incident or otherwise, to its members.

CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS

NORTHWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION

Adopted October 19, 1976. Effective February 15, 1978
(Amended May 19, 1981)

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I. NAME and PURPOSE

Section 1. The name of the Association shall be Northwood Civic Association.

Section 2. The purpose of the Association shall be to promote civic, social, and moral welfare of the community: to preserve and maintain the amenities of the community and to peaceably protest inharmonious land uses which tend to detract from and reduce property values in the community and adjoining areas.

Section 3. For the purposes of the Association, the boundaries of the community shall run along the East side of the Roosevelt Boulevard from the Southern line of Friends Hospital to Castor Avenue and Sanger Street; Sanger Street to Oxford Avenue; West side of Oxford Avenue to proximity of Leiper Street; proximity of Leiper Street to Orthodox Street; South side of Orthodox Street to Castor Avenue, Castor Avenue to Wyoming Avenue; Wyoming Avenue to Ramona Avenue; Ramona Avenue to Fishers Lane, Fishers Lane to the Southern line of Friends Hospital North to East side of Roosevelt Boulevard.

Crime

Frankford was the hunting ground for the "Frankford Slasher", who stalked victims between 1985–1990.

The intersection of Bridge Street and Hawthorne Street was listed number six in a 2007 list of the city's top ten recreational drug corners according to an article by Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly , is an award-winning alternative newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, published every Wednesday.The paper was founded in 1971 as a sister publication to the South Philadelphia Press. In 1995, the paper became Philadelphia Weekly...

reporter Steve Volk.

Demographics

Frankford includes a wide variety of ethnic groups, including a large number of Irish Americans, Polish Americans, Italian Americans, West Indian Americans, African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

s, and Hispanic Americans.

Northwood has a higher white/ethnic European population (many happen to be multi-generational Anglo, Irish and German locals) and "East of the El" has one of the highest Urban Indian

Urban Indian

Urban Indians are Native Americans in the United States who live in urban areas. Urban Indians represent a growing proportion of the Native population in the United States...

concentrations of Native Americans, a small movement to rename the area "Little Oklahoma" has begun in the late 2000s.

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2010, the racial makeup of Frankford is 41.58% White, 34.82% African American, 2.89% Asian, and 7.29% from other races. 22.85% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The population of Frankford grew by 3% between the 1990 and 2000 censuses.

Notable residents

Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...

for a time kept a home here.
William Walker Foulkrod
William Walker Foulkrod
William W. Foulkrod was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.William Walker Foulkrod was born in Frankford, then a borough outside Philadelphia. He was engaged in the wholesale dry-goods business and the manufacture of hosiery...

, US Congressman
Dr. Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....

, Continental Congressman and signer of the American Declaration of Independence, had a summer home here.
Dr. Enoch Edwards
Dr. Enoch Edwards
Enoch Edwards was an American physician and a leading Patriot during the American Revolution. Born in Lower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania, Edwards was a member of the Provincial Congress in Carpenters' Hall on June 18, 1776, which led to the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776...

, first medical student of Dr. Rush, also a correspondent to France for Jefferson and Monroe kept a summer-home here.

Education

Frankford, like all areas of Philadelphia, is served by the School District of Philadelphia

School District of Philadelphia

The School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in the School District of Philadelphia Education Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation.The School...

. In particular Frankford High School

Frankford High School

Frankford High School is a public high school in the School District of Philadelphia. It is located at Oxford Avenue and Wakeling Street in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....

has been the community's public high school since 1910. In addition to public schools, Frankford Friends School, a private Pre-Kindergarten

Pre-Kindergarten

Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...

through 8th grade school, is in Frankford http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/pa/private/3827. The Free Library of Philadelphia

Free Library of Philadelphia

The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:History of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Initiated by the efforts of Dr...

also operates the Frankford Branch in the neighborhood.

Sports

Although Frankford residents are now likely to be loyal to the Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

, the community was the home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets

Frankford Yellow Jackets

The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...

, a defunct National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

team. The Eagles took over the Yellow Jackets' franchise when the Frankford team folded. Frankford is also home to the N.E. Frankford Boys and Girls Club American Legion Post 224 Drill Team, who won the AMA Nationals Championship in 2005 and 2006.

External links

"Under the El", Duane Swierczynski, Philadelphia City Paper
"Window of Opportunity on Frankford Business Strip", Tom Waring, Northeast Times
Northeast Times
The Northeast Times is an American newspaper, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the Northeast Philadelphia community. After being owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer parent company, it was sold to a newly formed company, Broad Street Media.-External links:* *...
"Fond of Frankford", Diane Villano, Northeast Times
Philadelphia's New Frankford El Terminal
"Lydia Darragh", frankfordgazette.com
Historical Society of Frankford
"House and ground where the 1st "4th of July" was celebrated." Enoch Edwards, Womrath property; 4216 Frankford Ave.", ca 1870, P.9062.53b (Brenner) 7⅛" × 9½" Notes: Reduced image in HSP: Bd 862 N447, 6th Series with printed label.
Dripps, M. Map of the Township of Oxford, Boroughs of Frankford and Bridesburg, 1849.
Hopkins, G. M. City Atlas of Philadelphia, 23rd Ward, 1876 (includes Frankford)
http://neastphilly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/burk-deed-restrictions.pdf "Map of The Various Deed Restricted Tracts of Northwood"

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Churches

Schools

Historic sites

Others

Northwood

Burk Deed Restriction

Northwood Civic Association

Crime

Demographics

Notable residents

Education

Sports

See also

External links