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