Northern Liberties is a neighborhood in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. 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 1850.

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 The Cohocksink Creek was formerly a stream running between what are now the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Northern Liberties and Kensington. It was a tributary of the Delaware River. Its name, spelled various ways, is said to come from a Lenap ...

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 Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

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

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

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-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. 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 The Christian Schmidt Brewing Company was an American brewing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1860, it was the largest brewing company in the history of Philadelphia, producing nearly 4,000,000 barrels of beer a ...

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 drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...

Greek revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

, and

Federal style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...

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 United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

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

Daniel Boone School Daniel Boone School is a historic school building located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Irwin T. Catharine and built in 1926–1927. It is a four-story, eight bay brick building with a t ...

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, bu ...

Integrity Title Insurance, Trust and Safe Deposit Company Integrity Title Insurance, Trust and Safe Deposit Company is a historic bank building located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1902, and an addition was built in 1912. The two-story building is ...

, Thomas Jefferson School,

Mifflin School The Mifflin School, built in 1825, is the oldest surviving school building used in the Philadelphia public school system. It is a two-story, two-bay red brick building, which now has its side walls stuccoed over. In the first phase of the develop ...

, and

St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...

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 In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United State ...

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 The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...

'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 US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

. 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, 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. A SuperFresh supermarket opened in August 2011 on 2nd Street between Girard and Germantown Avenues, near the Piazza, a large

mixed-use development Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...

owned by

Post Brothers Apartments Post Brothers is a nationally recognized leader in multifamily development, innovation, and sustainability. Since the company’s founding in Philadelphia in 2006, it has developed or acquired more than 30 properties, and upon completion of its ...

. The supermarket is now an

Acme Acme is Ancient Greek (ακμή; English transliteration: ''akmē'') for "the peak", "zenith" or "prime". It may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Acme'' (album), an album by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion * Acme and Septimius, a fictional ...

Yards Brewing Company Yards Brewing Company is a craft brewery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, specializing in ales, particularly those in the English tradition. In 1994 friends Tom Kehoe and Jon Bovit established Yards after producing their own homebr ...

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 public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the 8th largest school district in the nation, by enrollment, serving over 200 ...

. 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 There are several uses of the word Bodine: People *Bodine is the stage name of a young teen Dutch artist, known for "The Voice Kids of Holland" and contributing to tracks of Trance artists like Ashley Wallbridge. *A. Aubrey Bodine (1906–1970), a ...

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 Philadelphia. It is the 13th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the City of Philadelphia gove ...

, 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 residents

Jake Elliott Jake Daniel Elliott (born January 21, 1995) is an American football placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Memphis Tigers football, Memphis. He was part of the Eagles' Super Bo ...

(born 1995), American football kicker *

Gabe Kapler Gabriel Stefan Kapler (born July 31, 1975), nicknamed "Kap", is an American former professional baseball outfielder, and current manager of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). Kapler was a 57th-round draft pick (1,487th ove ...

(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 John Thomas McIntyre (26 November 1871 – 21 May 1951) was an American playwright, and novelist of mystery and crime fiction. Life McIntyre was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 26 November 1871 to Irish immigrants, Sarah Walker (184 ...

(1871–1951), novelist *

William Millward William Millward (June 30, 1822 – November 28, 1871) was an Opposition Party and Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Biography Millward was born in the old district of Northern Liberties in Phi ...

(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 Liberties, ...

(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 Historical red-light districts in the United States