Historic
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Battleship New Jersey is Closer To its Temporary Return To Philly, But Repair Money Is Needed
Battleship New Jersey has been displayed in The Garden State for over three decades, and a refresh is needed, writes Tom MacDonald for WHYY. The refresh includes repainting, applying a system of coatings, fixing and repairing the ship’s cathodic protection system. “There are 1,200 anodes that will be replaced, and then finally, there are 160…
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Plans To Move Native American Chief Statue in Philadelphia Stalled
Tribal leaders are showing opposition to the proposed plan to move a statue of a prominent Native American chief in Philadelphia, writes Jesse O’Neill for the New York Post. The statue of Chief Tamanend, who signed a peace treaty with William Penn in 1682, currently sits on an I-95 exit ramp that leads into Old…
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From Education to Diversity, This Is How Philadelphia Has Changed Over the Last 75 Years
Philadelphia is a significantly different city than it was 75 years ago, with a smarter and more diverse population but fewer residents overall, writes Meir Rinde for Billy Penn at WHYY. According to the Pew Charitable Trust’s annual look at the State of the City, in 1950, the city reached a high of almost 2.1…
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Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Receives New Preservation Funding
For 134 years, the historic Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church has sat at Sixth and Lombard streets in Society Hill, and it was recently awarded a new grant to preserve its historical and architectural grandeur, writes Meir Rinde for Billy Penn at WHYY. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has announced that it will…
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New Book ‘Philadelphia’s Strawbridge & Clothier: From Our Family to Yours’ Takes Readers Back To a Different Time in East Market Street’s History
Philadelphia’s Strawbridge & Clothier: From Our Family to Yours, a new book by Margaret Strawbridge Butterworth, takes the readers back to the time when Philadelphia’s East Market Street was thriving, writes Amy Cohen for the Hidden City. The author recounts the story of the business started by her family, from its beginning during the Civil…
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WWII-era Battleship USS New Jersey Set to Make Voyage Back Home to Philadelphia
The WWII-era battleship USS New Jersey will make a trip home to Philadelphia in early 2024, writes David M. Zimmer for northjersey.com. The boat will cross the short distance between Camden and the place where it was built and launched in the early 1940s: the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The floating museum, which was launched for…
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The Heritage West Community Archaeology Project Digs Up the Past, History of West Philadelphia’s Black Bottom Neighborhood
The West Philadelphia community members joined forces with Penn faculty members and students over the last four months to carefully dig below the surface and see what artifacts they could unearth, writes Nate File for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Now the dig has been completed, participants are sorting through the uncovered items to see what they…
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Community Members Rally to Preserve Wissahickon’s Historic Character as It Continues to Expand
As the Wissahickon neighborhood continues to grow, the community members are working together in an effort to preserve its historic character, writes Jake Blumgart for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The community group Wissahickon Interested Citizens Association is leading the initiative to create a historic district for the neighborhood. Some progress was recorded earlier this fall when…
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The Wagner Free Institute of Science is a Haven of History
The Wagner Free Institute of Science is a hidden, lesser-known tourist destination lost in a city steeped in loads of history, writes Tom Gralish for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Wagner Institute was founded and opened in North Philadelphia in 1865 by Philadelphia merchant, philanthropist, and amateur scientist William Wagner. The institute functions as not only…
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New Book Looks at Processes That Enabled Penn, Drexel to Dramatically Reshape Parts of West Philadelphia, University City
A new book by Laura Wolf-Power titled “University City: History, Race, and Community in the Era of the Innovation District,” looks at the processes that made it possible for the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University to dramatically reshape parts of West Philadelphia, writes Amy Cohen for Hidden City. Wolf-Power also examines the efforts residents…
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U.S. Mint in Philadelphia Hosts Ceremonial Strike For New Harriet Tubman Commemorative Coin
The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia recently hosted a ceremonial strike for the 2024 Harriet Tubman commemorative coin, writes Racquel Williams for KYW Newsradio. The coin celebrates the bicentennial of Tubman’s birth and memorializes the activist who guided numerous enslaved individuals to freedom. “It’s about time that this Moses of our people is recognized in such…
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Fairmount Park is Home to a Japanese Oasis
Among the many Colonial and Federal-style mansions in Fairmount Park, there is a hidden architectural gem that even many longtime locals do not know exists, writes Lauren Griffin for the Hidden City. Shofuso is a 17th-century style traditional Japanese guesthouse that has been standing in the garden since 1958. The unique house is a site…
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New $1 Million Grant Will Help Secure Philly’s Black Sacred Spaces
A new grant program will go toward aiding Philadelphia’s Black houses of worship to maintain their historic buildings and serve their communities, writes Kimberly Haas for Hidden City. Partners for Sacred Places, in collaboration with the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, recently received a $1 million grant from the William Penn Foundation. With the funding,…
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Philadelphia is Home to the Oldest Bridge in the United States — the Frankford Avenue Bridge
As a state that has had a presence in the United States since its earliest days, its largest city — Philadelphia — has its share of historic sites, writes Corbin Lee for The Travel. While lesser known than historical landmarks like Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, or the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of those…
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A Philadelphia Inventor Was Among the First to Demonstrate Moving Images That Became the Precursor to Movies
In 1870, Philadelphia inventor Henry Heyl displayed among the first demonstrations of a projected moving picture, writes Avi Wolfman-Arent for Billy Penn at WHYY. He invented a device he called the “phasmatrope,” and demonstrated it at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia in front of about 1,500 individuals. The device was a disc loaded with…
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Philadelphia Historical Commission Announces Six New Designations, One Demolition
During its most recent meeting in October, the Philadelphia Historical Commission designated six new buildings to the local Register of Historic Places, writes Kimberly Haas for Hidden City. The first designation nomination was for the Hollinger Building in Center City. It satisfies three criteria — its distinctive architectural style, its representative commercial building, and that…
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There is Over 100 Years of History for “Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews” in Philadelphia
In 1917, the first Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews were made in Philadelphia and it hasn’t stopped since, writes 6abc. Today, they are a beloved treat for many. However, it started as a war ration for military troops during World War I, due to its high protein ingredients. “It’s the original energy bar,” said Deb Turoczy, senior…
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Northeast Philadelphia’s Budd Company Pioneered Modern Transit with Innovative Steel Use
Despite Pittsburgh having the official nickname “The Steel City,” it’s Philadelphia that is responsible for the steel that is used in modern transit nationwide, writes Avi Wolfman-Arent for Billy Penn at WHYY. The Budd Company, a Philadelphia-based firm founded by Edward Gowen Budd, played a critical role in the incorporation of steel used in trains,…
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