Torresdale, also formerly known as Torrisdale, is a neighborhood in the Far Northeast section of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Torresdale is located along the Delaware River between Holmesburg and Bensalem Township in neighboring

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

. The adjacent confluence of the

Poquessing Creek Poquessing Creek is a creek,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 a right tributary of the Delaware River, that forms part of the boundary between Bucks County and ...

with the Delaware River had been favored by

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

's surveyor,

Thomas Holme Thomas Holme (1624–1695) was the first Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. He laid out the first and original plan for the city of Philadelphia. Holme was one of the Valiant Sixty, a group of early leaders and activists in the Religious Societ ...

, as the site for the city that Penn planned to found. Although a more southerly site was finally selected, Holme and others acquired property there, where he is buried.

History

Torresdale, originally Torrisdale, was named by

Charles Macalester Charles Macalester (February 17, 1798 – December 9, 1873) was an American businessman, banker and philanthropist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served as a government director for the Second Bank of the United States and an advisor and frie ...

for his family's ancestral Scotland home. Before 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 to ...

, Torresdale had been part of Delaware Township of

Philadelphia County Philadelphia County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the most populous county in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, Philadelphia County had a population of 1,603,797. The county is the second smallest county in Pennsyl ...

, and before 1853, part of Lower Dublin Township of the same county. In 1894, Torresdale was the site of the regatta of the

Rowing Association of American Colleges The Rowing Association of American Colleges (1870 to 1894) the first collegiate athletic organization in the United States, was a body governing college rowing. Upon organization by the captains of the leading crews of the day, they devised a prima ...

. Long before there was what is referred to today as the

Philadelphia Main Line The Philadelphia Main Line, known simply as the Main Line, is an informally delineated historical and social region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lying along the former Pennsylvania Railroad's once prestigious Main Line, it runs ...

, Torresdale, along with Holmesburg to its south and

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

to its north, had been Philadelphia's posh suburban neighborhood, as evidenced by

Glen Foerd on the Delaware Glen Foerd is a historic mansion and estate located in the Torresdale neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, overlooking the Delaware River near the mouth of Poquessing Creek. History The mansion, then named Glengarry, was built as a summe ...

, a luxurious riverside estate and

, the Biddle estate, for which the village of Andalusia is named.

Notable sites

Torresdale is the site of Holy Family University and Nazareth Academy High School. The Union League Golf Club at Torresdale, a Donald Ross–designed

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...

, located at Frankford and Grant Avenues, is one of the finest golf courses in the Philadelphia region. In 2015, the

Union League of Philadelphia The Union League of Philadelphia is a private club founded in 1862 by the Old Philadelphians as a patriotic society to support the policies of Abraham Lincoln. As of 2022, the club has over 4,000 members. Its main building was built in 1865 and ...

undertook a complete restoration of the course and historic clubhouse, which drew significant national attention. The Frankford Avenue Bridge over Poquessing Creek is listed on 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 ...

. All Saints' Episcopal Church was established in 1772. Eden Hall Chapel, built in 1849 as part of the former Convent of the Sacred Heart, was demolished in 2007. The municipal Baxter Water Treatment Plant opened in 1909 as the Torresdale Water Treatment Plant. Glen Foerd at T

is a historic estate established in 1850, listed on the

and the Historic American Landscapes.

Education

Residents are zoned 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 ...

, including Thomas Holme Elementary School, Austin Meehan Middle School, and Abraham Lincoln High School.Abraham Lincoln High School Geographic Boundaries
"

. Retrieved on December 10, 2016.

Notable people

Gia Carangi Gia Marie Carangi (January 29, 1960November 18, 1986) was an American model, considered by many to be the first supermodel. She was featured on the cover of many magazines, including multiple editions of '' Vogue'' and ''Cosmopolitan'', and appe ...

(1960-1986), model * Boake Carter (1903-1944), national news commentator *

Francis Anthony Drexel Francis Anthony Drexel (June 20, 1824 – February 15, 1885) was a Philadelphia banker and philanthropist. The eldest son of Philadelphia financier Francis Martin Drexel, after the death of his father, he became senior partner in the firm Drexel ...

(1824-1885), banker and philanthropist *

Katharine Drexel Katharine Drexel, SBS (born Catherine Mary Drexel; November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955) was an American heiress, philanthropist, religious sister, educator, and foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. She was the second person born ...

(1858-1955), Roman Catholic saint *

Edwin Henry Fitler Edwin Henry Fitler (December 2, 1825 – May 31, 1896) was an American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania. He founded Edwin H. Fitler & Company, the largest cordage manufacturer in the United States at the time, and served as a Rep ...

(1825-1896), businessman and 75th mayor of Philadelphia * Robert H. Foerderer (1860-1903), U.S. Congressman and businessman *

Virginia Knauer Virginia Harrington Knauer (née Wright; March 28, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American Republican politician. She served as the Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs and Director of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affair ...

(1915-2011), politician * William J. Green, III (born 1938), politician *

William J. Green Jr. William Joseph Green Jr. (March 5, 1910 – December 21, 1963) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography William J. Green was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Irish immigrants. ...

(1910-1963), U.S. Congressman

References

{{Authority control Neighborhoods in Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia