Jewelers Row is the oldest diamond district in the United States that has been home to many retailers, wholesalers, and craftsmen for several centuries, writes Michelle Myers for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

After Founding Father Robert Morris went bankrupt, a large lot he owned in Philadelphia was auctioned off at a sheriff’s sale and then purchased by developer William Sansom. He decided to split the parcel down the middle with a new street and then went on to build a set of townhouses that would be later called Jewelers Row.

But instead of residential, by the 19th century, Sansom Street was starting to shape up as a commercial district.

At first, it was home to printers, engravers, and other similar businesses. But once Center City became more attractive to wealthier people, businesses that catered to them — such as jewelers — soon followed.

In addition, jewelers were guaranteed more safety there than in other locations due to the proximity of what was then the State House and Philadelphia Mint.

Jewelry shops started to open one by one, creating “a pretty sophisticated cluster,” said Lawrence Duke, a Drexel clinical professor of marketing and international business.

Jewelers Row continues to be this way today, but Samson’s original residential area plan could eventually come to fruition.

Read more about the story of Jewelers Row in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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