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This picture is the Old Doorway into Holy Name School, located on Gaul Street, across from the Church. This doorway was sealed up when the stone portion of the school was built at the corner of Gaul and Berks Streets. This doorway will be the
site of the Shrine to Our Lady of Knock, The Apparition of the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, in Knock Ireland, which occurred in August of 1879. Fifteen people witnessed the Apparition which lit up the area around the south gable of the Knock Parish Church.
As promised, the Shrine was completed late in the summer of 2002, and dedicated on 9-11-2002. The dedication drew approximately 400 people, mostly parishoners, but some politicians, Representatives from the County Board of the AOH, and many Religious. The Shrine was dedicated by Monsignor Conway, an Auxilary Bishop of Philadelphia. The candlelight vigil was a beautiful sight to see.
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Street's of Fishtown...
We all take for granted the streets we drive or walk down everyday, as if they
were always there.Well some of the streets in Our Neighborhood have been here a long time The streets of Fishtown tell a story just like many of the people
who settled in the area way back when. The area where Fishtown is located was
originally part of the District of Kensington. The name Fishtown is more mid 19th
century, and was given to the area along Girard avenue, where most of the
fishermen from the boats along the Delaware, lived and sold their catch. Fishtown
expanded out, and according to who you talk to, the boundaries change from
person to person. That brings me back to the streets of Fishtown. I will try to summarize how Fishtown's streets received their names. There is actually a book of Philadelphia street names from which I will extract some information. The book is called " The Story behind Phildelphia Street Names by Robert I. Alotta. OK, lets get started...
First, Berks Street. Originally named Vienna Street, ran from Wildey Street to
Belgrade St. and was confirmed by "The Road Jury" in 1807.
Vienna Street was extended to Beach St in 1825 and was extended again to
Frankford Ave. in 1831. So Berks Street, which stretched from river to 63rd St,
originated in Fishtown. In 1901 Vienna St. officially became Berks St.
Girard Avenue, of course is named for Stephen Girard, a Man who did more for
Philadelphia, and was misunderstood more then any other Man. Girard founded
Girard College and Girard Bank, and was responsible for providing the funding to
make Delaware Avenue a usable thoroughfare. In 1845, Girard Ave extended
from Ridge Ave to Corinthian, next to Girard College. It was extended from 6th
Street to Frankford Ave and from Frankford to Norris Street around 1858. (The
road from Frankford to Norris was known as Prince St or Ave before being
changed to Girard Avenue in Fishtown).
Kensington Avenue was the main street of the town of Kensington prior to 1854,
when the city of Philadelphia was officially established and the surrounding towns
were consolidated into the new city. Kensington Ave appears in official records
starting in 1851. I know some might say that Kensington Ave is outside of
Fishtown, but read on. The district of Kensington was laid out by Anthony Palmer,
a man who owned most of the area, and was named for the section of London
known as Kensington. Later, part of lower Kensington was unofficially renamed
Fishtown, due to the principal industry of the residents of Kensington. This also
explains how we got Palmer Street, Palmer cemetary and Palmer Park.
For you people who hung out around Newt's, we come to Blair Street. named for
Blair County, which was founded in 1846. Blair County was named for a
Philadelphia resident, John Blair. The original Blair Street, from Norris Street to
Trenton Ave was dedicated by the District of Kensington, which became
consolidated with The City of Philadelphia in 1854. Blair Street, between Oxford
Street and Montgomery Ave was known as Leib Street until just before 1900.
Originally, Blair Street between Montgomery and Norris was known as Warder
and Garden Streets.
Trenton Avenue: No, it's not the road to Trenton New Jersey. It is assumed that
the name comes from Thomas Trent, the founder of the city of Trenton, who may
have owned land along the route which is now Trenton Avenue. Trenton Avenue
runs from Hewson Street in Fishtown to Margaret Street which is located in
Frankford. The oldest section of Trenton Ave. is from Hewson to Norris Street,
and was originally named Maple street, then Neff Street, before being changed to
Trenton Ave in 1895. Trent did live in Philadelphia, and is said to have sold his
"slate roofed house" to Isaac Norris.
That brings us to Norris Street. Named for previously mentioned Isaac Norris, a
wealthy merchant and diplomat who arrived in Philadelphia from London, in 1693.
Isaac Norris had an active civic life, including speaker of the assembly, a member
of the Provincial Council, and as Mayor of Philadelphia. The road that later
became Norris Street, was originally Lancaster Street and ran from the Delaware
River to 2nd Street. The name changed from Lancaster to Norris in 1858, due
mainly to the land surrounding the road once being owned by the Norris Family.
As you can see, some of best known streets in Philadelphia originated right here in
what is now Fishtown. Few maps will show you where Fishtown is located. Old
maps show the area as Kensington, and that included Port Richmond and
Bridesburg. Thats how old this area is.
The area around what is now Fishtown is actually older then Philadelphia itself. In
November 1678, a three hundred acre tract of land, located at an area on the
western side of the Delaware river, at the towne or village known as sachamexin,
now known as Shackamaxon, was granted to a Swede named Laurens Cock. The
entire area of Shackamaxon was said to ba approximately 1800 acres. Later,
William Penn landed in an area near Chester, and moved north to the area around
Penns Landing where he settled Philadelphia. Shackamaxon as we know, was just
north of the city of Philadelphia at that time. Shackamaxon Street was opened in
1816 and extended from the river to Richmond Street. It was later extended to
Frankford Avenue and beyond before the civil war.
Another street important to Fishtowner's is York Street. To this day it is a major
Street in Fishtown, taking traffic from Frankford Ave to the entrance to I-95 at
Aramingo Avenue. That section of York Street is now both residential and
commercial in use. York Street originated before 1855 per city records, and
extended from Richmond Street to 4th Street at that time. The street was named
for York County, which was named for The Duke of York, James Stuart. He later
became King James II. Stuart was a good friend to Wm. Penn's father. Admiral
Penn. York Street runs between what was once the Norris and Sepviva Estates.
Aramingo Avenue, which now extends from Girard Ave in Fishtown, to Harbison
Avenue in Wissinoming, was actually named for a stream located in the Old District
of Northern Liberties. The stream was called "Tumanaraming" by the local natives
and meant " Wolf Walk", due to the extremely large numbers of wolves infesting
the area. The English called the stream "Gunner's Run". Aramingo was an
abbreviated version of the Indian name for the stream. Aramingo Avenue was
originally part of the Borough of Aramingo(1850), which was incorporated into the
City of Philadelphia 4 years later.
Beach Street, running parallel to the Delaware River, extended from the
Cohocksink Creek ( Canal Street), to Berks Street in 1808. Some called Beach
Street Washington Avenue, and some records may reflect that, but other records
show Beach Street at it's present location in 1804. By 1824, Beach Street
extended from the Cohocksink Creek to Gunner's Run Creek in Norther Liberties.
Delaware Avenue was also known as Beach Street in very early records.
Delaware Avenue should actually be called Girard Avenue if you think about it.
The original section of Delaware Avenue extended from Vine to South Street, and
was made possible by funding from the will of Stephen Girard. Due to the poor
conditions of the approach to the waterfront, Girard, a merchant and philanthropist,
left $500,000.00 dollars to make improvements and to maintain the road at the
water front. The roadway is named for the river, which was named for William
West, The Baron De La Warr, who the english thought discovered the river. The
Delaware River was actually discovered by Henry Hudson. Delaware Avenue was
extended at various times in the 19th and 20th century. Sometime after 1873 it
appears,
appears, Batchelor's Hall
And near where Penn made the treaty with the Lenni-Lenape, somewhere near Shackamaxon and Allen Streets, there once stood a building named "Batchelor's Hall". Not named for someone named Batchelor, but called Batchelor's Hall because of the unmarried men that frequented the building. A mens club of sorts. On the grounds of Batchelor's Hall was the First Botanical Gardens used mainly for medicinal purposes. In other words, they grew plants used to make medicines. Bartrams Gardens in southwest Philadelphia was not used for medicinal plantings at that time.
Batchelor's Hall was at one time where the Philadelphia "Junto Club" met, among other places in and around Philadelphia in the early 18th century. The "Junto" was started by Benjamin Franklin and a group of young free thinkers of that era, and was basically a philosophy/poetry group. Ben Franklin came to Philadelphia from Boston in the year 1723, at the tender age of 17 years. Franklin was an apprentice printer in Boston, but was better qualified than most journeymen when he arrived here. Franklin was kind of a rebel towards the british crown and the local governments in Philadelphia and Boston. He would write letters to the local papers questioning the actions of government, while using a fake name, known only to his closest friends. Through his contacts in the printing business, he aquired the friends that would become his "Junto". His writings, as well as the other members writings, poems or thoughts were the topics discussed by the "Junto".
To think that Benjamin Franklin and many of the greatest minds in the 18th century, prior to the American Revolution with Great Britain, spent a great deal of time in what is now Fishtown. And to think that the estate at Shackamaxon and Allen Streets known as Batchelor's Hall also contributed to the medical world with it's medicinal gardens. Much of the early history of this area is unknown to the common person. I think we should make people aware of how much actaully happened right here, literally, in our own backyards.
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