Northern Liberties is a neighborhood in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States. It is north of Center City along the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

. Prior to its incorporation into Philadelphia in 1854, it was among the top 10 largest cities in the U.S. in every census from 1790 to 1840, and 11th in 1850. It was a major manufacturing area that attracted many European immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the early 21st century, it has attracted many young professionals and new commercial and residential development.

Boundaries

Northern Liberties is located north of Center City (specifically, Old City) 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 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 Township, the district first gained limited autonomy from the township by an Act of Assembly 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) 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. During the yellow fever epidemics of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Northern Liberties district was hard hit, with many fatalities. 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

and between Vine Street and Cohocksink Creek, thus creating the District of Northern Liberties. Under the

Act of Consolidation, 1854 The Act of Consolidation, more formally known as the act of February 2, 1854 (P.L. 21, No. 16), is legislation of the Pennsylvania General Assembly that created the consolidated City and County of Philadelphia, expanding the city's territory t ...

, the district ceased to exist, and became a part of Philadelphia. Early in its history, the location just outside Philadelphia allowed the area to thrive in manufacturing, as mills, breweries, leather tanneries, paints and chemical works, tool making factories, and iron and stove foundries once lined the neighborhood. It also holds the status as a famous

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. 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 ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

neighborhood claims this distinction as well. Artisan immigrants from Germany settled in the Northern Liberties in great numbers in the 19th century. In the first decades of the 20th century, the area saw an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe. Numbers of Slovak and Romanians left the challenges they faced in the waning years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Slovaks established St. Agnes Slovak Roman Catholic Church at the intersection of Fourth and Brown Street. The Romanians who settled in the area established Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church at the intersection of American and Brown Streets, where they and their descendants continue to worship. From 1860 to 1987, the Christian Schmidt Brewing Company was located in Northern Liberties. In 1985, the Northern Liberties Historic District was created, dedicated to preserving the

Italianate architecture The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century ...

Greek revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

, and Federal style buildings which characterizes the area. The historic district is bounded by Brown, Boone and Galloway, Green and Wallace, and Fifth and Sixth Streets. The district encompasses 209 contributing buildings. ''Note:'' This includes It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1985. Also located in Northern Liberties and listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the Daniel Boone School,

Burk Brothers and Company Burk Brothers and Company, also known as Diskmakers, was a historic factory complex located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The complex consisted of 12 interconnected brick and reinforced concrete buildings, ...

, Integrity Title Insurance, Trust and Safe Deposit Company, Thomas Jefferson School, Mifflin School, and St. John's Church.

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

rowhouse A terrace, terraced house ( UK), or townhouse ( US) is a type of medium-density housing which first started in 16th century Europe with a row of joined houses sharing side walls. In the United States and Canada these are sometimes known as row ...

s, 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 park and playground. Northern Liberties is served by

SEPTA SEPTA, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly four million people througho ...

's Market–Frankford El with stops at Spring Garden and Girard. The station at Spring Garden is unique for being in the median of

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

. 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. German Society

In 2005, service resumed on

's long-delayed Girard Avenue trolley at the northern boundary of the neighborhood. The doughboy statue, erected in memory of ward residents who served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, is a long-honored landmark of Northern Liberties. Northern Liberties, an area of the city geographically categorized as north of Old City and 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 - locals refer to it as NoLibs. CBS Philly quoted Forbes.com naming NoLibs as making #14 among their annual list of the 20 “Hippest Hipster Neighborhoods” in America.

Economy

The area is home to numerous boutique stores and small bars and restaurants. Yards Brewing Company is located in Northern Liberties. The SEER Interactive headquarters are also located in the neighborhood.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Northern Liberties residents are assigned to schools in the

School District of Philadelphia The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is the school district that includes all school district-operated State schools, public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the largest school district in Pennsylvania and the eighth-lar ...

. Residents south of Poplar Street are zoned to the General Philip Kearny School for grades Kindergarten through 8. Students zoned to Kearny are also zoned to Benjamin Franklin High School.High School Directory Fall 2017 Admissions

Archive
.

. p. 30/70. Retrieved on November 16, 2016. Residents north of Poplar Street are zoned to James R. Ludlow School for grades Kindergarten through 8K-8 Public Schools Boundary Map
." ''Center City Schools''. Retrieved on November 7, 2008. and Kensington High School for grades 9 through 12. Other schools in Northern Liberties consist of: * Laboratory Charter School (one campus) * 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 Philadelphia The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the 16th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the ...

, which is located at 600 West Girard Avenue. The branch was known as the Girard Avenue Branch prior to the 1977 rename.

Religious life

Churches and houses of worship

* Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception * Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Front and Allen Streets
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

, 723 N. Bodine Street

Notable people

* Jake Elliott (born 1995), American football kicker * Gabe Kapler (born 1975), Major League Baseball outfielder and managerInside the Brilliant, Baffling, and Utterly Fascinating Baseball Mind of Gabe Kapler – Philadelphia Magazine
/ref> * James Landy (1813–1875), politician * John T. McIntyre (1871–1951), novelist * William Millward (1822–1871), politician * Albert F. Sabo (1920–2002), lawyer and judge *

Charles Yerkes Charles Tyson Yerkes Jr. ( ; June 25, 1837 – December 29, 1905) was an American financier. He played a part in developing mass-transit systems in Chicago and London. Philadelphia Yerkes was born into a Quaker family in the Northern Libertie ...

(1837–1905), financier

References

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)Friends of Orianna Hill Park
() * ttp://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/incorporated.html Informationcourtesy o
ushistory.org
- excerpted from the book at the ushistory.org website
Historic Photographs of Northern Liberties
''Philly''History.org {{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Neighborhoods in Philadelphia Municipalities in Philadelphia County prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854 National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Irish-American neighborhoods Historic districts in Philadelphia Populated places established in 1771 Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Former red-light districts in the United States