Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Boundaries
Northern Liberties is located north of Center City (specifically, Old CityOld City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Old City is a neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, in the area near e Delaware River where William Penn and the Quakers first settled...
) 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
Cohocksink Creek
The Cohocksink Creek was formerly a stream running between what are now the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Northern Liberties and Kensington. It was a tributary of the Delaware River. Its name, spelled various ways, is said to come from a Lenape word for "pine lands." Alternate names included...
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
Originally a portion of the Northern Liberties TownshipNorthern Liberties Township, Pennsylvania
Northern Liberties 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 after the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:...
, the district first gained limited autonomy from the township by an Act of Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
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
Cohoquinoque Creek
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...
) 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.
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
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...
and between Vine Street and Cohocksink Creek, thus creating the District of Northern Liberties. Under the Consolidation law the district ceased to exist in 1854, and become a part of Philadelphia.
Red Light District
Red Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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
Southwark, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Southwark was originally the Southwark District, a colonial era municipality in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Today, it is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
neighborhood claims this distinction as well.
Artisan immigrants from Germany moved into Northern Liberties in great numbers in the 19th century. In the early 1900s, the area saw an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe. Many left the challenges they faced in the Austria-Hungary Empire. Many were Slovak and they established St. Agnes Slovak Roman Catholic Church at Fourth and Brown Streets. Many Romanians settled in the area and they still worship at Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church at American and Bodine Streets.
In 1985, the Northern Liberties Historic District was created, dedicated to preserving the Italianate architecture
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, Greek revival, and Federal style
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
buildings which characterizes the area. The historic district is bounded by Brown, Boone and Galloway, Green and Wallace, and Fifth and Sixth Sts.
Today
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 acres (8,093.7 m²) park and playground.
Northern Liberties is served by SEPTA's Market-Frankford El
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...
with stops at Spring Garden
Spring Garden (MFL station)
Spring Garden Station is an elevated stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the corner of 2nd Street and Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Northern Liberties neighborhood...
and Girard
Girard (MFL station)
Girard Station is an elevated rapid transit stop on the Market-Frankford Line, above the corner of Front Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Fishtown neighborhood. It is an "All-Stop" station and the first station to run above Front Street...
. The station at Spring Garden is unique for being in the median of I-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"...
. 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.
Economy
The area is home to numerous boutique stores and small bars and restaurants.A Superfresh supermarket opened in August, 2011 on 2nd Street between Girard and Germantown Avenues, near a large mixed use development called The Piazza at Schmidts.
Yards Brewing Company
Yards Brewing Company
- History :Yards Brewing Company was founded in 1994 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by friends Tom Kehoe and Jon Bovit who began producing their own homebrews in 1988. It is a production brewery within the city limits and the first wind-powered brewery in Pennsylvania. Currently the brewery is at...
is located in Northern Liberties.
Education
Primary and Secondary Schools
Northern Liberties residents are assigned to schools in the School District of PhiladelphiaSchool 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...
.
Residents south of Poplar Street are zoned to the General Philip Kearny School for grades Kindergarten through 8 and Benjamin Franklin High School
Benjamin Franklin High School (Philadelphia)
Benjamin Franklin High School is a public high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.The school, located north of Center City, is a part of the School District of Philadelphia. Franklin serves several areas, including Fairmount, Spring Garden, the section of Northern Liberties...
for high school.
Residents north of Poplar Street are zoned to James R. Ludlow School for grades Kindergarten through 8 and Kensington High School
Kensington High School
Kensington High School is a former high school located in Buffalo, New York. The building, located at 319 Suffolk Streetin Buffalo, currently serves home to Frederick Law Olmstead Academy.- History :...
for grades 9 through 12.
Other schools in Northern Liberties consist of:
Laboratory Charter School - Walter D. Palmer Leadership Academy - Bodine High School of International Affairs
Public libraries
Residents are served by the Ramonita de Rodriguez Branch of the Free Library of PhiladelphiaFree 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...
, which is located at 600 West Girard Avenue. The branch was known as the Girard Avenue Branch prior to the 1977 rename.
Churches and Houses of Worship
- Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Front and Allen StreetsImmaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church (Northern Liberties), PhiladelphiaThe Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church is located at Front and Allen Streets in Philadelphia, PA 19123 in the Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania section of the city. The parish was founded in 1869, under the leadership of Bishop James Frederick Wood. Twenty-five years...
- Seamens Church Institute, 475 N. 5th Street
- St. Andrew's Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 707 N 5th Street
- St. Peter's Catholic Church,/St. John Neumann Shrine 5th Street and Girard Avenue
- St. Michael's Russian Orthodox, 335 Fairmount Avenue
- Covenant House of God, 721 N 5th Street
- St. Agnes-St. John Slovak Catholic Church, 4th and Brown Streets
- Second Christian Missionary, 1150 N 4th Street
- Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church, 723 N. Bodine Street
External links
- NorthernLiberties.org NorthernLiberties.org - Created in 2001 - Home of the Northern Liberties Message Board, a bulletin board open to all.
- Northern Liberties Neighbors Association (NLNA)
- Northern Liberties Real Estate
- Read Northern Liberties blog and live there
- Friends of Orianna Hill Park
- Chronology of the Political Subdivisions of the County of Philadelphia, 1683-1854
- Information courtesy of ushistory.org
- Incorporated District, Boroughs, and Townships in the County of Philadelphia, 1854 By Rudolph J. Walther - excerpted from the book at the ushistory.org website
- Historic Photographs of Northern Liberties, PhillyHistory.org