Know Your Neighborhood: Christ Church Hospital, 306 - 308 Cherry St

Christ Church Hospital (Christ Church Hospital for Indigent Women) was founded by Dr John Kearsley in 1772 at 111 Arch St. The "Hospital" was not a hospital in the modern sense; it was a place to live for poor and widowed women of the church. In March, 1819 the hospital moved to a new, larger building at 306 - 308 Cherry St. The architect was William Strickland and the new building cost almost $19,000. It was (& is) 60 feet wide and 40 feet deep and had a rear wing that no longer stands. There were 24 rooms to accommodate 40 women.

In the 1850's, a new, much larger, Christ Church Hospital was built at what is now 49th Street and Monument Avenue. The building was designed by architect John M. Gries (1827–62).  Gothic architectural details can be seen in this image, including narrow pointed arched windows, gable roofs, pinnacles, and spires.  In 1961, that hospital became Kearsley Rehab & Nursing Center—named for the hospital's founder.

The Church St building was converted into factory and warehouse space. In the 1910's the attic was turned into a full 4th story and in the 1980's the building was converted to apartments and office space.

It is an important example of late Federal institutional architecture. Although its tall gable roof and segmental arched dormers were replaced with a Second Empire roof in 1865, the rhythm and proportions of the façade as well as the Flemish bond brick reflect its Federal heritage.

ca 1900?

Today

Kearsley Rehab today

Know Your Neighborhood: Old First Reformed Church  

Old First Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ (originally the German Reformed Church) is located at 151 N. 4th St (at Race St).

On September 21, 1727, the Rev. George Michael Weiss and 400 members of the German Reformed Church arrived in Philadelphia and organized in 1727 to became Philadelphia's Old First Reformed Church.  The first church building, a hexagonal structure, was completed in December 1747.

In 1774, the congregation replaced the hexagonal church with a new and larger building to accommodate the growing number of worshippers. During the American Revolution, the British Army that occupied Philadelphia used the church as a hospital and later as a stable.

In the 1830s, deterioration of the church building and growing traffic noise on Race Street caused the congregation to build a third church, which opened in 1837. This building had the same dimensions as the second church, but was rotated 180 degrees and set back farther from the street, in an effort to reduce the impact of street noise.

This third church is a restrained example of the Greek Revival style. It has Flemish bond brick, a symmetrical plan, pedimented front façade, marble watertable, and molded wood cornice, all key elements of the Greek Revival style. 

During the 2nd half of the nineteenth century, the area around the church became increasingly industrial and commercial, displacing many members who had lived nearby.  In 1882 the congregation moved to another location and sold the building to John Lucas & Co for use as a paint warehouse.

In 1966 the congregation (now located in West Phila.) voted to purchase the original 4th & Race St. site and adjacent lots from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. The building, then vacant, had been in use as a paint warehouse for much of the early 20th century. It took four years to restore the church to it's former self.

                                                                    1774 church

May 1900

1966, under restoration

1972

today

Know Your Neighborhood (& city):  For 12 years, Philadelphia held the title of “National Cleanest Town.”

Shocking but true. From 1947 to 1959, that title was bestowed upon Philly by the National Clean Up and Paint Up Bureau.

One look at the city’s streets today lets you know that distinction is no longer applicable. The trash and litter are so prevalent — albeit worse in some neighborhoods than others — that the moniker of “Philthadelphia” is commonly used. A good portion of fault can be traced to one simple fact:  Philadelphia is the only major city in the United States without a street sweeping program.

That wasn’t always the case, however. The idea that a city should mandate sanitation was conceived here and though Philadelphia wasn’t the first to implement organized municipal street cleaning, the city did have it for decades.

What happened?

Philadelphia modeled its first Street Cleaning Bureau after New York, which established the nation's first municipal street cleaning department in 1890. Unlike NYC, however, Philly’s street cleaners were hired by independent contractors, many of whom were also political bosses in Philadelphia’s Republican Party machine.

By 1900, Philadelphia had a population of over a million, and the sheer amount of waste generated demanded new kinds of services.

At that time horses were the main source of transport over ground and tons of horse manure accumulated on streets around the city. Across the country, a women-led movement for better public health led to multiple “sanitation parades” (1st photo) across the U.S. Though it was considered inappropriate for women to be involved in politics in this era, trash was considered an “extension of the household,” — like temperance and the prevention of cruelty to children and animals — so it was an acceptable issue for women to get involved.

The public activism and organizing of women in Philadelphia led to the city holding clean up weeks for more than 50 years and the honor of "national cleanest town" for 12 years straight.
In 1922, the city established the Department of Public Works, which oversaw the Street Cleaning Bureau, employing about 5,000 street cleaners, trash cart drivers and laborers.

Philadelphia's Cleanup Week in 1913 was the largest effort in the nation.  In 1914, 500 vacant lots were cleared and 140,000 cubic feet of rubbish was collected citywide.

In 1938, the city developed the Clean Block Program. Program participants were identified as “Block Captains,” who were responsible for encouraging residents of their designated block to maintain beautification and sanitation efforts (6th photo). The Philadelphia Streets Department was formed in 1952, with outreach efforts to teaching residents the proper ways to put trash out on the curb and reminding people to use public trash cans.

Street sweeping and other city cleanliness initiatives and services began to disappear by the 1970s. By the early 2000s, the Streets Department had gotten rid of a street sweeping unit. Complaints from residents not wanting to move their parked cars to alternate locations during street sweeping days combined with budget cuts ended street cleaning.

Thus we have Philthadelphia (or “Filthydelphia”), though the nickname may date to the 1930s. Only recently has there been talk street cleaning returning via pilot programs that would not require moving cars.

1914

1914 - street squeege

1917 mechanical street sweeper

1918 PTC sprinkler car

Wilshire power sweepers are tested 
out by city workers to clean Broad Street on May 25, 1949.

"cleaning down the block"

Know Your Neighborhood: Elfreth's Alley  

Elfreth’s Alley maintains the claim of being the oldest residential street in the United States. (Others with the same claim include Aviles Street in St. Augustine and Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz, New York).  It dates back to 1702 when two blacksmiths (Arthur Wells and John Gilbert) surrendered portions of their land in order to create an alleyway that led to the river. The word "alley" once carried the flavor of a polite residential section.

The street, named after silversmith Jeremiah Elfreth who is said to have commissioned and developed it, was not a part of the original blueprint for Philadelphia.  Among the alley's early residents were tradesmen and their families, including shipwrights, silver and pewter smiths, glassblowers, and furniture builders.  Many of them stayed here only a year or two, although others lived out their lives on the alley.  In the 1770s, one-third of the households were headed by women.

With no contractor’s blueprints guiding them to a patterned uniformity, the alley grew as each colonist built his home according to his taste, and subject to his needs. The two oldest surviving dwellings on the alley are #'s 120 and 122 on the south side. According to a 1975 National Park Service document, Benjamin Franklin frequently visited House 122 to see William Maugridge, a tenant from 1728 to 1731 and one of the original members of the Junto, a club Franklin founded to discuss social issues and philosophy with his compatriots. Other well-known residents of the Alley included Betsy Ross; Dolly Madison, the wife of the fourth president of the United States, James Madison; and Stephen Girard, one of the wealthiest men in the 1800s.

Cabinetmaker and silversmith Daniel Trotter, pewterer William Will, and silversmith Philip Syng all resided on the sixfoot wide street. Syng was one of the most accomplished smiths in the colonies. In 1752, he fabricated the silver inkstand for the Assembly that was later used during the signing
of the Declaration of Independence. Also, in 1770, Hannah Meyer married Reverend
John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, the “fighting parson” of Revolutionary War fame, at 119
Elfreth’s Alley.
Three-quarters of the way down the alley (heading east) there is a very tiny side walkway to a small courtyard known as Bladen’s Court (last photo). This was created around 1750 by two neighbors who wanted access to their backyards. The men, who were brothers-in-law, ended up on opposite sides during the American Revolution. William Rush sided with the patriots, and Abraham Carlisle with the British. Carlisle ended up being hanged in 1778 for collaborating with the British during their occupation of the City. (The courtyard is named after a biscuit maker named William Bladen who lived there years later).

In the late 19th & early 20th centuries, the area surrounding the street became more industrial. Successive waves of immigrants, lured by the nearby jobs, moved onto the street. In 1900, the neighborhood was overwhelmingly Irish.

Preservation efforts for Elfreth’s Alley began in 1934. That was the year that the Elfreth’s Alley Association was founded. At that time, the City of Philadelphia had rebranded Elfreth’s Alley as the 100 block of Cherry Street and it was set to be destroyed. Not only did the organization save the street, but they were also able to turn the 100 block of Cherry Street back into Elfreth’s Alley.  The current Elfreth’s Alley houses were built between 1728 and 1836.

1910

                                     1940's

                                                                      Today

Bladen's court

Know Your Neighborhood: Before the Wyndham on 4th St.....

The Merchants' Hotel, 40 - 50 N 4th St., was built in 1837 by Philadelphia architect William Strickland for a group of business men who felt the need of providing "up-to-date quarters" in the business district for visiting customers. For a long period it was considered one of the best hotels of its class in the country.  It was said the hotel could house up to 500 guests. The Merchant's Hotel was visited by the Presidents Van Buren, Pierce, and Buchanan (who also used the hotel as his presidential campaign headquarters in 1856).

With the shifting of trade to other parts of the city and the erection of the other more elaborate hotels, the Merchants became a less desirable place to stay. It ceased to be profitable and was converted for manufacturing and mercantile purposes.

During the night of February 9, 1966 the Merchants' Hotel (by this time used as a warehouse and for office space) was totally destroyed by fire.

The Wyndham Hotel currently sits on the site of the old hotel.

mid 19th century drawing

1910

                           in the 1960's

1960's

N side in the 60's

1977 Holiday Inn

today