Roxborough
Manayunk
Wissahickon
Historical
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< Back to Memorials List 21st Ward War Memorial (Gorgas Park) Address: 6300 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19128, USA Visitors: The 21st Ward War Memorial is located within Gorgas Park. It is open to the public 24/7, has a paved path suitable for wheelchair access, and is well lit at night. However, inclement weather may make traversing the distance to the center of the park difficult. Dogs are permitted, but must be kept on a leash at all times and picked up after per city law. The images below are not to be reproduced or used without prior written authorization of RMWHS - contact us .

< Previous > Back to Historical Map List < Next > 1862 - Atlas of Phila (Manayunk) Source: URL: Free Library of Philadelphia https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/12336 Full Name: Atlas of the City of Philadelphia, 1862, Section 22 [Manayunk] Visit the source URL to use zoom features, find additional formats, or download a high quality image.

< Previous > Back to Historical Map List < Next > 1816 - Phila County Source: URL: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3824p.la000783 Full Name: Map of Philadelphia County : constructed by virtue of an act of the Legislature of Pennsylvania passed 19th March 1816 Visit the source URL to use zoom features, find additional formats, or download a high quality image.

Ridge Ave Roxborough Historic District Early Roxborough Roxborough was officially recognized as a township by 1706, but it remained sparsely populated throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, as the following chart shows. 34 Describe your image Until significant transportation and industrials advances in the 1820s, Roxborough remained a linear village with pockets of development located on and very near Ridge Road. The only significant developments off Ridge Road were several mills, which, by necessity, were located along the watercourses, the Wissahickon and its tributaries. Very few people lived to the west of Ridge Road, on the steep slopes down to the Schuylkill. Most Roxborough residents made their livings in agriculture, milling, selling stone, timber, and other building materials, or providing services to the wagoners and others who travelled along Ridge Road. As noted earlier, at least three taverns serving travelers stood on Ridge Road by the end of the eighteenth century, the Leverington Hotel of 1731 (Figure 14), the Plough Tavern of 1746, and the Sorrel Horse Tavern of 1785. Describe your image Although Ridge Road is and has been Roxborough’s primary thoroughfare since its establishment in the first years of the European settlement of the area, other roads were laid out and opened in the eighteenth century, especially to access mills on the Wissahickon. Typically, these roads were first laid out informally, and then later formally surveyed and opened by the Court of the Quarter Sessions, after they had been in use for a while. Most of the early secondary roads in Roxborough ran east from Ridge Road to mills along the Wissahickon and then on into Germantown, the nearest population center. No roads were officially opened from Ridge Road west to the Schuylkill until the early nineteenth century. School House Lane, which marked the southeastern boundary of Roxborough and still runs on its original line from Ridge Road to Germantown Road, was constructed about 1702, but not officially opened until September 1765.35 School House Lane and Ridge Road are the only two roads in Roxborough depicted on the Scull & Heap Map of Philadelphia and Parts Adjacent of about 1750 (Figure 8). Township Line Road, now known as Wissahickon Avenue, which marks the boundary between Roxborough and Germantown, was officially opened on the east side of the Wissahickon Creek in December 1763.36 The extension of Township Line Road on the west side of the Creek, in what is now called Andorra, from Wise’s Mill to Ridge Road, was officially opened four years later, in September 1767.37 A road on the line of Roxborough Avenue in Roxborough and Kitchen’s Lane and Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy ran from Ridge Road, across the Wissahickon, and on to Germantown Road as early as 1761.38 Gorgas Mill Road (now Gorgas Lane and W. Mt. Airy Avenue), which ran east off Ridge Road, across the Wissahickon, and up to Township Line Road (now Wissahickon Avenue), was opened in December 1764.39 Rittenhouse Lane, which connected Ridge Road to the Rittenhouse Paper Mill, partially along the current line of Walnut Lane, was officially opened in December 1767.40 Shawmont Road (now Avenue), from Ridge Road to Wise’s Mill, was opened in June 1786.41 Although probably laid out about 1738, Spruce Mill Road, now known as Thomas Mill Road in Chestnut Hill, was officially opened from Ridge Road to Germantown Road in June 1793.42 That same month, Manatawna Road was opened, running east from Ridge Road.43 The roads that crossed the Wissahickon Creek at dams and small bridges were often swept away during flooding.44 Early tax rolls for Roxborough Township provide unique insights into the wealth, occupations, and numbers of the residents. The rolls for the 1769 proprietary tax list 91 taxpayers for Roxborough Township, 40 of which were landowners. The taxpayers include only one woman, Elizabeth Levering. The landowners owned an average of 68.9 acres. William Levering was the largest landholder, with 250 acres. The smallest holding was but one acre. Of the 91 taxpayers listed in 1769, 26 were associated with occupations, including four grain millers, two paper millers, two millers, two butchers, two coopers, two tanners, two weavers, and one of each of the following: flour miller, ferryman, taylor, innholder, cordwainer, smith, ropemaker, sadler, stonecutter, and hatter. Most of the remaining taxpayers were presumably farmers. The 91 taxpayers owned 119 horses and 148 head of cattle, but several persons owned neither horses nor cows. Only eight servants were listed among the 91 households. The 1774 provincial tax rolls list 105 taxpayers in Roxborough Township, 14 more than five years earlier. The 1774 rolls list very few occupations, but they do include a joiner, an occupation not noted in 1769. The 1779 effective supply tax rolls list 106 taxpayers in Roxborough Township.45 Real estate and other advertisements offer insights into eighteenth-century life in Roxborough. For example, the plantation of Jacob Cook was auctioned in June 1763 to pay his creditors. It was located “in Roxborough Township, Philadelphia County, about eight Miles from the City, on the great Road leading to Plymouth, and about one Mile from Schuylkill.” The property included: upwards of 14 Acres of Upland and Meadow, … a Dwelling-house, two Stables, a Smoke-house, Coopers Shop, an exceeding good Stone Vault, and a Well of excellent Water, also a Run of Water, with a never-failing Spring, a young bearing Orchard, with Apple, Peach, Quince, Cherry and Pear Trees, a good Flower and Kitchen Garden paled in, and a young Nursery of Apple and Pear Trees; about one Half the Premises Woodland; it is in good Repair, and well fenced in, pleasantly seated on high Ground, and very suitable for a Gentleman’s Country Seat, or a Store. The same advertisement offered for sale “a Mare, a Cow, two Hogs, a Plow and Harrow, a Cart and Gears, and sundry Implements of Husbandry.”46 Most households in eighteenth-century Roxborough were largely self-sufficient, raising their own food and selling or trading excess production with neighbors or in Germantown and Philadelphia. A similar advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1755 announced the sale of recently deceased Henry Shellenberg’s dwelling house and mill in the Township of Roxborough. In addition to the buildings and property, Shellenberg’s heirs offered for sale household furnishings, “two guns,” horses, cows, sheep, swine, various miller’s tools and supplies, “a young likely Negro man, a likely young Negro woman, [and] two or three Dutch mens times of servitude.”47 Slave and indentured labor worked the mills and fields in Roxborough. Two years earlier, in 1753, Benjamin Levering of Roxborough Township offered a 20-shilling reward and expenses for the return of a “Dutch servant lad, named Michael Haun, a taylor by trade, about nineteen years of age,” who had “run away.”48 Indentured servants were not the only ones fleeing in eighteenth-century Roxborough. In 1783, Jacob Amos gave public notice “that my wife Elizabeth has eloped from me, therefore I forwarn all persons from lending her or letting her have any thing on my account, as I will not pay any debts for her from the date hereof.”49 In 1758, Isaac Cook offered a 40-shilling reward for the return of stolen goods and an additional 40 shillings for apprehending the thief. He explained that, during the night of 30 June 1758, his house “was broke open, and robbed” of numerous items including garments, bed linens, table linens, a pair of gloves, and a large pewter teapot with feet.50 A real estate advertisement published in 1788 offered a large property in Roxbourough, “on the road leading from Philadelphia to Reading, about 9 miles from the city, containing 248 acres and 137 perches.” The advertisement is especially interesting because it provided several suggestions for the development of the property, providing a glimpse into the commercial activities in Roxborough. The advertisement highlighted the parcel’s proximity to Germantown as well as Plymouth Meeting’s “sundry lime-kilns”; suggested that the timber on the property was valuable and, if the timber was harvested, the cleared land would be excellent for farming; noted that the “Wissahickon Creek, running through this tract, affords an excellent mill-seat; its being situate on a road leading into one of the best wheat countries on the continent”; and even promoted the notion of shipping the processed wheat to market down the Schuylkill, which ran along the western edge of the property.51 An advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754 pointed to another industry in Roxborough. It announced that John Stanaland, stone cutter, had removed from his freestone quarry in Roxborough to a shop in Philadelphia, where “all persons may be supplied with various kinds of freestone work … both in regard to cutting and setting; such as steps for doors, window cases, door cases, battlements, pediments, &c.” The advertisement noted that, despite Stanaland’s departure for the city, Edward Harding continued to operate the quarry in Roxborough.52 With a small population, few institutions were established in eighteenth-century Roxborough. On 1 April 1748, William and Hannah Levering donated to the township a parcel of land on the west side of Ridge Avenue, south of the current Monastery Avenue, for the construction of Roxborough’s first school building.53 A one-story stone school building, known as the Roxborough School, was erected on the site that year. An 1895 newspaper article on the history of the school explained: This structure being the only public building in the vicinity, met all of the demands of the place for fifty years, not only for school purposes, but also for public meetings, elections and religious services. In it the Baptist people of Roxborough held services from 1754 until October 24, 1790, the Roxborough Baptist Church having been organized in the school house on August 23, 1789. In 1776 an enthusiastic patriotic meeting was held there to secure volunteers for the American Army. 54 The school building was enlarged with a second story for an additional classroom and a wing for the school master in the 1790s (Figure 15).55 The first church in Roxborough, the Roxborough Baptist Church, was officially organized by 32 residents in August 1789. The group had met informally for religious services at the Roxborough School since 1754. In October 1789, the church was officially received into the Philadelphia Baptist Association. Nathan and Sarah Levering donated a parcel of land for a church building on the east side of Ridge Road, about 500 feet north of the school, and a small church building was erected. The church building burned down on 17 January 1830 and a new church was erected by September of that year (Figure 16).56 The second Roxborough Baptist Church was replaced by a third church building in 1870. The third church building burned in 1876 and was replaced by the fourth, which still stands today, but has been significantly altered. Describe your image The Plan of the City of Philadelphia and Environs by John Hills, a detailed map of Philadelphia County 10 miles out from the city’s center, indicates that Roxborough remained sparsely settled in 1808. Only three roads, unnamed on the map, ran west from Ridge Road toward the Schuylkill River; they were Green Lane, Hipples Lane (now Fountain Street), and Ship Lane (now Port Royal Avenue). No development or roads were shown along the Schuylkill River in what is now Manayunk. The Roxborough School, Baptist Church, Sorrel Horse Inn, a few unnamed mills, a few property owners, and a soap stone quarry along the Schuylkill at the county line were called out on the 1808 map. No neighborhood names were called out on the map. This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Boundary and Description 3 Statement of Significance 4 Native Americans 5 Patent Holders and Early Settlers 6 Ridge Road 7 Early Roxborough 8 Georgian and Colonial Architecture 9 During the Revolutionary War 10 Federal Architecture 11 Development of Manayunk 12 Greek Revival Architecture 13 Early 19th Century 14 Gothic Revival Architecture 15 Italianate Architecture 16 During and After the Civil War 17 Second Empire Architecture 18 Queen Anne Architecture 19 Turn of the Century 20 Conclusion and Bibliography 34 Road Docket, June 1706, vol. 2, p. 31. Population data taken from Jones, The Levering Family, Appendix A, 189; and John Daly and Allen Weinberg, Genealogy of Philadelphia County Subdivisions (Philadelphia: City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, 1966), p. 94. 35 School House Lane, Germantown Road to Ridge Road, September 1765, Road Dockets, vol. 3, p. 337. 36 Township Line Road (Wissahickon Avenue), December 1763, Road Dockets, vol. 3, p. 312. 37 Township Line Road from Ridge Road to Wise’s Mill, September 1767, Road Dockets, vol. 3, p. 378. 38 Kitchen’s Lane (Roxborough Avenue), Ridge Road to Cresheim Road or Germantown Road, December 1761, Road Dockets, vol. 3, p. 278. 39 Gorgas Mill Road (Gorgas Lane and W. Mt. Airy Avenue), Ridge Road to Wissahickon Avenue, December 1764, Road Dockets, vol. 3, p. 333. 40 Rittenhouse Lane (Walnut Lane) from Ridge Road, December 1767, Road Dockets, vol. 3, p. 389. 41 Shawmont Avenue, Ridge Road to Wise’s Mill, June 1786, Road Dockets, vol. 4, p. 175. 42 Spruce Mill Road (Thomas Mill Road), Ridge Road to Germantown Road, Road Dockets, June 1793, vol. 4, p. 303. 43 Manatawna Avenue from Ridge Road, June 1793, Road Dockets, vol. 4, p. 301. 44 Thomas’ Mill Road, Livezey Mill Road, and Rittenhouse Road are located within present day Wissahickon Park. Joseph D. Bicknell, “The Wissahickon in History, Story and Song,” paper read before the City History Society of Philadelphia, October 10, 1906, in Philadelphia History: Consisting of Papers Read before the City History Society of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: City History Society, 1917), 6. 45 William Henry Egle, ed., Proprietary, Supply, and State Tax Lists of the City and County of Philadelphia for the Years 1769, 1774, and 1779 (Harrisburg: State Printer of Pennsylvania, 1897). 46 The Pennsylvania Gazette, 9 June 1763, p. 1. 47 The Pennsylvania Gazette, 17 April 1755, p. 3. 48 The Pennsylvania Gazette, 30 August 1753, p. 3. 49 The Independent Gazetteer, 19 April 1783, p. 4. 50 The Pennsylvania Gazette, 6 July 1758, p. 3. 51 The Pennsylvania Gazette, 29 October 1788, p. 1. 52 The Pennsylvania Gazette, 23 May 1754, p. 2. 53 William and Hannah Levering and Andrew and Elizabeth Wood donated two additional parcels for the school’s use on 30 March 1771. 54 “Levering School and Its History,” Inquirer, 3 February 1895, p. 7. 55 See Franklin Davenport Edmunds, The Public School Buildings of the City of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: 1913), p. 5-7; “The New Levering School,” The Times, 28 July 1895, p. 4; “News and Gossip of the Schools,” Inquirer, 8 March 1896, p. 7. The school was renamed the Levering School in 1847. The school building was badly damaged by a tornado on 12 April 1856 and replaced with a new school building in 1857. That building was in turn replaced in 1895. A large annex to the 1895 school building was constructed in 1929. 56 Rev. David Spencer, The Early Baptists of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: William Sychelmoore, 1877), p. 147-148; “A Century and a Decade of Life for Roxborough Baptist Congregation,” The Times, 24 August 1899, p. 2. The 1830 church building was enlarged in 1846. A new church building was begun in 1868 and completed in 1870. It was lost to a fire in 1873. A new church building was completed in 1878. Top of page

< Previous > Back to Historical Map List < Next > 1982 - Manayunk Canal (Part 2) Source: URL: Free Library of Philadelphia https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/48042 Full Name: Manayunk Canal, 1982, Map 2 Visit the source URL to use zoom features, find additional formats, or download a high quality image.

Ridge Ave Roxborough Historic District Intro and Nomination Form Source: The information provided in this section was extracted from the "Ridge Avenue Roxborough thematic district (2018)" PDF which is available through the Philadelphia Historical Commission. The content here accounts for only about 55 of the 433 pages in the original document. Notice: This content may not be reused or repurposed without the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission -- contact them directly to secure the necessary approval. Download: The complete historic district document entitled "Ridge Avenue Roxborough thematic district (2018)" is available to download for free from the Philadelphia Historical Commission . Please note the complete 433 page document is 36M as it contains the full inventory of the historic district. Nomination of the Historic District Philadelphia Register of Historic Places "Ridge Avenue Roxborough Thematic Historic District" Describe your image This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Boundary and Description 3 Statement of Significance 4 Native Americans 5 Patent Holders and Early Settlers 6 Ridge Road 7 Early Roxborough 8 Georgian and Colonial Architecture 9 During the Revolutionary War 10 Federal Architecture 11 Development of Manayunk 12 Greek Revival Architecture 13 Early 19th Century 14 Gothic Revival Architecture 15 Italianate Architecture 16 During and After the Civil War 17 Second Empire Architecture 18 Queen Anne Architecture 19 Turn of the Century 20 Conclusion and Bibliography Top of page

Main Street Manayunk Historic District Bibliography Albert, Harlow, A History of the Schuylkill Navigation , New York, NY, 1926 McCullough, Robert and Leube, Walter, The Pennsylvania Main Line Canal , Copyright 1973. National Science Foundation, Manayunk An Urban Community , Studies in Social Organization . Final Technical Report, December 1975. The Schuylkill - Manayunk Canal , The Trustees of Rutgers College in New Jersey, 1931. Scharf & Westcott, History of Philadelphia 1682 - 1886 , Philadelphia, 1886. Shank, William H. P. E., The Amazing Pennsylvania Canal , American Canal and Transportation Center, York, Pennsylvania, 1973. Three Hundred Years with the Pennsylvania Travelers , American Canal and Transportation Center, York, Pennsylvania, 1976. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Campbell Collection Scrapbooks . This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Description 3 Significance of Manayunk 4 The Schuylkill Canal 5 Schuylkill Navigation Company 6 Manayunk Canal 7 Economic Development 8 Manayunk Social Development 9 The Industry of Venice Island 10 Main Street Manayunk 11 Bibliography 12 Boundary Details 13 Map Top of page

Ridge Ave Roxborough Historic District Second Empire Architecture The Second Empire style was a dominant style for American houses constructed between 1860 and 1880, although the first examples were built in the 1850s and late examples were not uncommon in the 1880s. The contemporaneous Italianate and Gothic Revival styles were part of a Picturesque movement which looked to the romantic past for inspiration. In contrast, the Second Empire style was considered very modern, for it imitated the latest French building fashions. The distinctive roof design of the style was named for the seventeenth-century French architect François Mansart. Its use was extensively revived in France during the reign of Napolean III (1852-70), France’s Second Empire, from which the style takes its name. Exhibitions in Paris in 1855 and 1867 helped to popularize the style in England, from whence it spread to the United States. The boxy roof line was considered particularly functional because it permitted a full upper story of usable attic space. For this reason, the style became popular for the remodeling of earlier buildings as well as for new construction. The Second Empire style was used for many public buildings in the United States including Philadelphia’s City Hall. It passed from fashion following the panic of 1873 and the subsequent economic depression. The Second Empire style is characterized by its distinctive roof, a steep, dual-pitched, hipped roof with dormers and molded cornices at the base and peak. Below the cornice line, the Second Empire style shares much with the Italianate style including decorative brackets, ornate door and window surrounds, double doors, and one-story porches. 107 Describe your image Numerous detached and semi-detached houses in the Second Empire style were constructed in Roxborough in the years after the Civil War, as the area transitioned from a linear village to a suburb. Houses with the distinctive mansard roofs can be found throughout the lower northwest section of Philadelphia, but are especially prevalent in the Wissahickon and Leverington neighborhoods, which were intensely developed following the war. The Second Empire house at 5504 Ridge Avenue, which dates to about 1880, is an excellent example of the style (Figure 36). The gracious home is set on a large corner lot with a schist retaining wall. The three-story schist house displays many of the character-defining features of the Second Empire style including a concave mansard roof with fish-scale slate cladding and dormers with decorative hoods, bracketed wood cornice, segmental-arch windows, wraparound porch supported by Doric columns, two-story bay window, and tall windows at the porch. The Second Empire twin at 5550-52 Ridge Avenue is also an excellent example of the style and shares many of the same character-defining features as its relative to the east at 5504 Ridge Avenue. Notable are its arched dormers with two-over-two arched windows. The Second Empire twin at 8155-57 Ridge Avenue is likewise an excellent example of the style, even though the southern half has lost its bracketed porch. Notable is the cornice with broad entablature and large brackets. This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Boundary and Description 3 Statement of Significance 4 Native Americans 5 Patent Holders and Early Settlers 6 Ridge Road 7 Early Roxborough 8 Georgian and Colonial Architecture 9 During the Revolutionary War 10 Federal Architecture 11 Development of Manayunk 12 Greek Revival Architecture 13 Early 19th Century 14 Gothic Revival Architecture 15 Italianate Architecture 16 During and After the Civil War 17 Second Empire Architecture 18 Queen Anne Architecture 19 Turn of the Century 20 Conclusion and Bibliography 107 Drawn from Virginia & Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993), p. 239-243. Top of page

Ridge Ave Roxborough Historic District During the Revolutionary War The British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the Continental Army, under George Washington fought one another in the Battle of Germantown, a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the Revolutionary War. Although centered in Germantown on the east side of the Wissahickon Valley, the battle raged across northwest Philadelphia including Roxborough. After defeating the Continental Army at the Battle of Brandywine on 11 September 1777, and the Battle of Paoli on 20 September, Howe outmaneuvered Washington, seizing Philadelphia, the capital of the colonies, on 26 September. Howe left a garrison of some 3,000 troops in Philadelphia, while moving the bulk of his force to Germantown. Learning of the division, Washington determined to engage the British. His plan called for four separate columns to converge on the British position at Germantown. The ambition behind the plan was to surprise and destroy the British force, much in the same way as Washington had surprised and decisively defeated the Hessians at Trenton. In Germantown, Howe had his light infantry spread across his front as pickets. In the main camp, General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, second in command of the Hessian mercenaries in North America, led the British left, while Howe himself personally led the British right. ​ After dusk on 3 October 1777, the American force began the 16-mile march southeastward toward Germantown in complete darkness. The Americans remained undetected by the pickets, and the main British camp was, subsequently, unaware of the American advance. However, the darkness made communications between the American columns extremely difficult, and progress was far slower than expected. At dawn, most of the American forces had fallen too short of their intended positions, losing the element of surprise they otherwise enjoyed. One column, under the command of General John Sullivan, moved down Germantown Road. A column of New Jersey militia under Brigadier General William Smallwood moved down Old York Road to attack the British right. General Nathanael Greene's column moved down Limekiln Road. ​ The Pennsylvania Militia, led by Brigadier General John Armstrong Sr., marched down Ridge Road from the west and engaged von Knyphausen’s Hessian troops, who had dug in on the east side of the Wissahickon in the Falls of Schuylkill. The Pennsylvania Militia advanced down the Ridge Road to the confluence of the Wissahickon Creek and Schuylkill River and set up its artillery at the top of the ridge on the west bank of the Wissahickon. The Pennsylvania Militia fired ineffectively on the Hessians before withdrawing back up the Ridge Road (Figure 19). Armstrong's Pennsylvania Militia played no further part in the battle, which raged in Germantown. ​ Owing to confusion and miscommunication, the Continental Army failed to rout the British and Hessian soldiers at Germantown. Many on both sides were killed, especially during the failed American assault on British soldiers in the Chew House on Germantown Road. At the end of the day, Washington’s troops retreated back to Valley Forge, where the army encamped for the winter of 1777-1778. Of the 11,000 men Washington led into battle, 30 officers and 122 men were killed, and 117 officers and 404 men were wounded. British casualties in the battle were 71 killed, 448 wounded and 14 missing. Howe eventually resigned his command and his replacement, General Henry Clinton, abandoned Philadelphia for New York in June 1778. ​ A few months after the Battle of Germantown, a famous Revolutionary War incident occurred in Roxborough. On 19 December 1777, 40 members of Light Horse Harry Lee’s Virginia Dragoons were patrolling in Roxborough. Lee, the father of Civil War general Robert E. Lee, was not present. At nightfall, they arrived at the house of Andrew Wood and asked for shelter. After they were fed, some bedded down in the house, while others slept in the barn. Members of the British 16th Light Dragoons were also on patrol in Roxborough and discovered the American troops on the Wood property. Wood led the troopers staying in the house out the back door to safety. The troopers in the barn were not so fortunate. The British set fire to the barn and, as some of the troopers tried to exit, they were shot down. Others remained in the barn and were burned to death. A total of 18 Virginia troopers were killed that night. In 1860, the remains of the troopers were transferred to Leverington Cemetery, where a large monument to the victims of the massacre was erected. ​ After the Revolutionary War, every township in the Commonwealth estimated the costs of the damages caused by the British troops. In Roxborough, 19 property owners sustained damage totaling $3,228.99. Not surprisingly, Andrew Wood, whose barn had been burned when the Virginia Dragoons were massacred, sustained the greatest damages, estimated at $674.26.60 Describe your image This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Boundary and Description 3 Statement of Significance 4 Native Americans 5 Patent Holders and Early Settlers 6 Ridge Road 7 Early Roxborough 8 Georgian and Colonial Architecture 9 During the Revolutionary War 10 Federal Architecture 11 Development of Manayunk 12 Greek Revival Architecture 13 Early 19th Century 14 Gothic Revival Architecture 15 Italianate Architecture 16 During and After the Civil War 17 Second Empire Architecture 18 Queen Anne Architecture 19 Turn of the Century 20 Conclusion and Bibliography 60 Joseph Starne Miles and William H. Cooper, eds., A Historical Sketch of Roxborough, Manayunk, and Wissahickon (Philadelphia: George Fein & Co., 1940), p. 50. Top of page

Main Street Manayunk Historic District Map Note: RMWHS has divided the original maps into smaller sections so that viewers can of the original map, RMWHS had divided it into smaller sections to allow viewers to open full screen and permit details to be legible. Describe your image Section A: Flat Rock Dam, Lock Keeper's House, Upper Lock (Click to open full screen) Describe your image Section B: Upper End of Flat Rock Road & the Fountain Street Bridge (Click to open full screen) Describe your image Section C: Leverington Street & Green Lane Bridges, Upper Main Street (Click to open full screen) Describe your image Section D: Cotton & Lock Street Bridges, Lower Main Street (Click to open full screen) Describe your image This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Description 3 Significance of Manayunk 4 The Schuylkill Canal 5 Schuylkill Navigation Company 6 Manayunk Canal 7 Economic Development 8 Manayunk Social Development 9 The Industry of Venice Island 10 Main Street Manayunk 11 Bibliography 12 Boundary Details 13 Map Top of page

< Previous > Back to Historical Map List < Next > 1862 - Atlas of Phila (NW) Source: URL: Free Library of Philadelphia https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/12334 Full Name: Atlas of the City of Philadelphia, 1862, Section 20 [Northwest] Visit the source URL to use zoom features, find additional formats, or download a high quality image.

Main Street Manayunk Historic District Schuylkill Navigation Company The Schuylkill Canal was not a continuous canal, but a series of waterways constructed to bypass unnavigated sections of the river. The Schuylkill navigation system covered a distance of 108 miles; 62 miles by canal and 46 miles by slack water navigation created by dams in the river. The system included 92 locks to overcome a 9,588' difference in elevation. Locks were typically 75' to 80' long and 8' to 17' wide. By 1828, the Schuylkill Canal provided safe passage the length of the river. In the early years, there was no effective competition to the canal and rates were high. As a result of this monopoly, the State Legislature authorized construction of the Reading Railroad. Describe your image On January 13, 1842, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was opened to Pottsville in direct competition to the canal and by 1844, it carried more coal than the canal. To meet the railroad competition, the canal was enlarged, and costs were lowered. Tonnage increased as a result and the period 1850-1860 marked the Golden Age of the Canal. During this period, the canal showed the greatest profit and carried the greatest tonnage, peaking at 1.7 million tons. Rail transportation assumed increasing importance during the Civil War; after the war, railroads continued to grow, and canal transportation declined. On June 23, 1870, the Reading Railroad signed an agreement to lease the canal and from this time on commercial use of the canal virtually ceased. Describe your image This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Description 3 Significance of Manayunk 4 The Schuylkill Canal 5 Schuylkill Navigation Company 6 Manayunk Canal 7 Economic Development 8 Manayunk Social Development 9 The Industry of Venice Island 10 Main Street Manayunk 11 Bibliography 12 Boundary Details 13 Map Top of page

< Back to Memorials List Korean & Vietnam War Memorial (Hattal-Taylor VFW) Address: 376 Lyceum Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19128, USA Visitors: This memorial is located outside the Hattal-Taylor VFW and can clearly be seen from the sidewalk and street. If you wish to gain closer access, contact Hattal-Taylor. The images below are not to be reproduced or used without prior written authorization of RMWHS - contact us .

< Back to Memorials List Shawmont Roll of Honor Memorial (Shawmont & Nixon) Address: Shawmont Ave & Nixon St, Philadelphia, PA 19128, USA Visitors: The Roll of Honor sits roadside and is easily accessible to anyone. Dogs are permitted, but must be kept on a leash at all times and picked up after per city law. The images below are not to be reproduced or used without prior written authorization of RMWHS - contact us .

< Back to Memorials List WWI & WWII Memorial (Hattal-Taylor VFW) Address: 376 Lyceum Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19128, USA Visitors: This memorial is located outside the Hattal-Taylor VFW and can clearly be seen from the sidewalk and street. If you wish to gain closer access, contact Hattal-Taylor. The images below are not to be reproduced or used without prior written authorization of RMWHS - contact us .

< Back to Memorials List Civil War Soldier Memorial (Leverington Cemetery) Address: 6075 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19128, USA Visitors: The Civil War Memorial is located within the Leverington Cemetery. While the cemetery is private property, access to it is available to the public during daylight hours only. Access to this memorial must be done on foot via a gravel path and across the cemetery grounds (grass). This could be a difficult route for anyone unsure of foot, and quite onerous for a wheelchair even in the best of weather conditions. Dogs are permitted in the cemetery but must be leashed and picked up after. Please be mindful of others in the cemetery who are there to mourn or pay their respects. The images below are not to be reproduced or used without prior written authorization of RMWHS - contact us .

< Back to Memorials List Wissahickon War Memorial (Sumac St & Rochelle Ave) Address: Rochelle Ave & Sumac St, Philadelphia, PA 19128, USA Visitors: The Wissahickon War Memorial and grounds are situated on the corner of Rochelle and Sumac and open to the public. There is a gate each street to gain access -- the gate on Sumac Street leads to a ramp up and into the memorial while the gate on Rochelle Ave has a few steps to get up. (See photos below.) The ramp, steps, and all paths are flag stone and care should be taken. Dogs are not permitted except for working service dogs. Please be mindful of others who are there to mourn or pay their respects. The images below are not to be reproduced or used without prior written authorization of RMWHS - contact us .

Main Street Manayunk Historic District Significance of Manayunk Manayunk played a significant role in the development of Philadelphia as a major industrial and commercial center in the 19th century. During this period of industrial development, manufacturing shifted from small cottage industry to large plants which mass produced goods. Large scale manufacturing depended upon waterpower to run machinery, and access to water transportation, for raw materials and finished goods. Describe your image The Manayunk Canal, the only intact portion of the Schuylkill Canal System remaining, represents an important period in the development of transportation systems in the United States. Manayunk developed in direct response to the transportation and waterpower opportunities provided by construction of the canal. The physical development of Manayunk paralleled the growth of other 19th century mill towns, particularly Rochdale, Pennsylvania, and Lowell, Massachusetts, with the location of mills adjacent to the water source, and residential and commercial development in close proximity. However, unlike these communities Manayunk was not a company owned and operated town -- industry was able to diversify more easily in response to changing market conditions -- and the town continued to grow in the late nineteenth and early 20th centuries. Describe your image As well as the canal and lock structures, many architecturally significant buildings remain, representing all phases of Manayunk's development There are several 3-5 story stone mill buildings dating from the 1850s, together with many groups of stucco and stone, mill worker row houses of the same era. The late 19th century commercial development is exemplified by several brick commercial and warehouse buildings. Describe your image This information has been posted by RMWHS with the permission of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Sections: 1 Intro and Nomination Form 2 Description 3 Significance of Manayunk 4 The Schuylkill Canal 5 Schuylkill Navigation Company 6 Manayunk Canal 7 Economic Development 8 Manayunk Social Development 9 The Industry of Venice Island 10 Main Street Manayunk 11 Bibliography 12 Boundary Details 13 Map Top of page

The 1304 Steps of Our Town The original "1304 Steps of Our Town" display had been a favorite of visitors to the RMWHS Archive for decades. It showcased photos of more than a dozen staircases that adorn the steep terrain of our area and knit our neighborhoods together. (Read "Step back in time: 1304 Steps to 1880s " to learn more about the steps.) Sadly, the beloved display was not aging gracefully and it needed an overhaul. So in early 2020, as part of the RMWHS Archive digitization project, the old display was dismantled and a new poster was created. ​ In order to share the new poster with as many members, neighbors, and visitors to the area as possible, RMWHS is offering a downloadable/printable version for personal use. ​ But wait -- there's more! Taking things one step further -- pardon the pun -- the same information was used to create an interactive Google Map. This map can be accessed via smartphone to enable users to take a self-guided tour of the 1304 Steps of Our Town. All step trekkers should be mindful some of these steps are steep, old, and could be slippery in certain weather conditions. Also, there are 1304 of them, so don't over do it. Finally, remember to wear a mask and keep a socially-responsible distance from other trekkers. ​ ​ Happy trails! Download the poster (PDF) Take a Hike! Access the interactive map on Google Maps Take a Hike (The map is subject to the limitations of Google's mapping features.)

In the Spotlight Claude Clark Artist, Poet, Author, and Educator ​ Does the name Claude Clark ring a bell? He's a Roxborough High School graduate that made it big in the art world and whose paintings can be seen in museums from our local Woodmere Art Museum to the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. ​ Born in the South, Claude's family moved to Philadelphia in 1923 to escape poverty and the Ku Klux Klan. They settled in Manayunk to be close to relatives that lived in the area and became members of the Josie D. Heard A.M.E. Church. ​ Claude attended Roxborough High School and was the only black graduate in June 1935. While attending Roxborough High School, Claude spent Saturdays attending art classes in Center City. His talent was recognized by the school principal, who recommended him for a scholarship so that he could further his artistic talent. ​ Click newspaper image below to open a larger version. ​ The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 30, 1944 RMWHS Celebrates Black History Claude Clark November 11, 1915 - April 21, 2001 Claude Clark Portrait - Wikipedia "As a child in the churches, the schools and the community, I dreamed of a destiny. My search became a single purpose for the dignity of Black Americans..." - Claude Clark ​ Treasure Trove of Information www.claudeclarkart.com offers an exceptional collection of information on Claude Clark including downloadable PDFs that are a must-see for those wishing to learn about the artist. It is well worth the visit. Claude went on to attend the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and later pursued studies at The Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania, where he met and became friends with Albert C. Barnes . ​ While there were relatively few celebrated black artists during the artist's early years, he reached out to renowned painter Horace Pippin , who became a friend until Pippin's passing in 1946. ​ “Freedom Morning” by Claude Clark was painted in 1944 by Claude Clark. It was painted in Philadelphia and commissioned by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his life, Claude mentored black artists and black causes. He became an outstanding art professor and educator, working toward advancing art education and recognition of black artists. Today his work is displayed in museums across the country and abroad as well as in the homes and the rich and famous. ​ "A Dreamer" by Claude Clark at the Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill. ​ The Roxborough Manayunk Wissahickon Historical Society holds a large repository of information about Claude Clark's life, including poems, short stories, family photos, and of course examples of his artwork. Many of these items were donated to the RMWHS by close friends of the artist. Clark never forgot his local roots and his works of art reflect that love. ​ "Resting" by Claude Clark at the Smithsonian American Art Museum Gift of the Harmon Foundation ​ This oil painting on canvas was created in 1944 and is in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art collection in Washington DC. ​ You are invited to explore the links provided below to discover more about Claude Clark, his life, his talents, and his accomplishments. ​ LEARN If you would like to learn more about Claude Clark, visit the RMWHS Archive . VIEW If you would like to view Claude Clark's artwork in person, plan a visit to the Woodmere Art Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art . ​ Note: Always check with a museum before a visit to verify the works/artists you wish to see are on display and not out on loan or unavailable due to restoration, remodeling, or a visiting exhibit. EXPLORE Want to see more from the comfort of your home? Explore examples of Claude Clark's artwork online right now! ​ www.claudeclarkart.com ​​Woodmere Art Museum Philadelphia Museum of Art Smithsonian Metropolitan Museum of Art ​ RMWHS's In the Spotlight features local artists, inventors, writers, poets, scholars, activists, leaders, thinkers, and other individuals who have had an impact on history. ​ RMWHS has a long list of people we plan to feature, but we'd love to hear from you -- is there someone you'd like us to feature? If so, let us know . RMWHS thanks our special contributor Donna Howley for helping us honor Claude Clark. ​ ​