UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF PHILADELPHIA

ASSIGNMENT 1 SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR CHIFOS FOR 23-PLAN-7002: STRUCTURE AND

DYNAMICS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

SCHOOL OF PLANNING

BY

ADELYN N. HALL

CINCINNATI, OH

JANUARY 23, 2014

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INTRODUCTION

Philadelphia, founded by William Penn on October 27th, 1682, has a long history not always

reflective of its translated name, ‘The City of Brotherly Love’. While occupied by Native American tribes

up until the late 1600’s, the introduction of Penn and other immigrants fleeing from religious persecution

in Europe allowed this area to evolve into a major colonial township based off of the confluence of the

Delaware and Schuylkill rivers ("US History: Philadelphia" 2013). With current population estimates at

1.5 million, it is the largest city in the State of Pennsylvania and is considered the 5th largest city in

America today ("State and County QuickFacts: Philadelphia” 2014). Its success as an early American

city allowed Philadelphia to become the cradle of modern American democracy and later the epicenter of

the industrial revolution.

While Penn’s original plan of the city only spanned 1,200 acres of land, it has grown considerably,

to 142.6 square miles today. Like many older industrial cities in America, Philadelphia experienced the

boom and bust of the industrial revolution, and by the 1980’s had lost over 20% of its population. What

was once the leader of textile, coal, rail, and steel manufacturing, Philadelphia now struggles to define its

role in the shadow of New York City in the wake of the 21st Century. While no longer the industrial

powerhouse it once was, Philadelphia is adapting and currently experiencing population growth. City

investments in sports, higher education, arts, music and historical preservation are attracting attention and

bringing the city back to the center stage. Furthermore, there is a resurgence of demand for skilled

workers in industrial manufacturing (Von Bergen 2011). A current map showing the location of

Philadelphia is displayed as Figure 1 attached below.

FOUNDATION

The continued success of Philadelphia as a major American city is a testament to the importance

of planning in formative stages of community development. William Penn, born and raised in London,

was granted land in America by King Charles II to fulfil a debt owed to Penn’s father. Penn, all too

familiar with the grit and seedy underbelly of the cities in England, wished to create a sort of utopia that

connected community with nature and spirituality, influenced by Penn’s Quaker faith. Penn, in fact, never

envisioned the metropolis as we know it today; His plan, a 1,200 acre site in gridiron form, shows

expansive green space allocated for farmland, parks, and ample space between housing units (Forrest).

The adjacency to the rivers was, of course, no accident; Penn was an experienced entrepreneur and

wished to use the rivers as resources for importing and exporting goods. Before Penn could put his plan

into action, however, he first had to confront the understandably disgruntled Native Americans, as well as

the Swedish and Dutch immigrants, who occupied this land before his arrival. In November 1682, Penn

signed a treaty with the Delaware Indians at Shackamaxon and allowed Swedish and Dutch immigrants

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(who were anxious about his Quaker faith) to annex a section of land he owned in Delaware ("US

History: Philadelphia" 2013). Freeing himself from rivalries, Penn settled Philadelphia. Penn’s hand-

drawn plan of Philadelphia can be seen as Figure 3 attached below.

EVOLUTION OF THE CITY

Situated between the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, Philadelphia began as

five unincorporated neighborhoods: Southwark, Northern Liberties, Kensington, Spring Gardens and Port

Richmond. Serving as economic hubs through shipbuilding and lumberyards, these neighborhoods were

the beginning of Philadelphia’s manufacturing success. Spring Gardens, Philadelphia’s first “suburb”,

served as the residential zone for the workers, especially those of affluence. With the influence of Penn,

higher education, arts, and religious freedoms became the pursuits of many in the area. Furthermore, the

establishment of the paper mill in 1690 introduced Philadelphia as the first information hub of the United

States ("US History: Philadelphia" 2013).

While Penn wished for the city to remain close to the rivers, it would eventually sprawl westward

to accommodate immigrants moving in to find work. At time past, the Revolutionary War spawned

economic growth, as the city became the nation’s financial center and key to producing weapons.

Furthermore, a large African American population seeking freedom from the south moved in to fill jobs.

Philadelphia later became the epicenter of the abolitionist movement and had the largest free black

population of the time. The city also benefited from economic booms during the Civil War, World War I

and World War II, but experienced a great loss in skilled men to perform labor due to the mandated drafts.

Furthermore, during this century the city suffered major fatalities due to diseases such as yellow fever,

cholera and malaria ("US History: Philadelphia" 2013).

With the introduction of the Pennsylvania Railroad, founded in 1846, Philadelphia became the

first major industrial city in the United States. This success allowed for the expansion of other industrial

pursuits, such as textile, steel, oil, coal, sugar and gas. With the continued growth of the population,

Philadelphia consolidated all settlements into one municipal government, forming a total of 24 wards in

1854. At this time, the neighborhoods of the past transform seamlessly into industrial sites: Southwark,

one of the first settlements in Philadelphia, became an extensive sugar refinery and shipping pier of the

Pennsylvania Railroad Company; The neighborhood of Kensington transformed into an iron and steel-

manufacturing hub; Spring Gardens District, the desired suburb of the 17th Century, became the home of

“Baldwin Locomotive Works”, still running in that location today ("US History: Philadelphia" 2013).

Possibly one of the largest planning revivals in Philadelphia history can be dated back to 1875,

when the Franklin Institute and Academy of Fine Arts held an International Exhibition to celebrate the

one hundred year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. To prepare for this event, 194

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buildings were erected around the city. The Centennial Exhibition, opened from May until November 10th,

admitted over nine million people. Unfortunately, only four buildings remain from the exhibition today

("US History: Philadelphia" 2013).

The 20th Century was a time of recovery. The housing stock was severely damaged and outdated,

and the city was rampant with crime. Politics were corrupt and prohibition laws sparked illegal trade to

overwhelm the city. While World War II sparked a revival of industry, by the 1950’s the population of

Philadelphia (at that time around two-million residents) had started a decline. Due to the bust of the

industrial revolution and the great investments in federal highways, by the 1980’s, Philadelphia had lost

20% of its population. In 1976, 100 years since The Centennial Exhibition, the US Bicentennial was held

in Philadelphia. Independence National Park and Penn’s Landing were both founded, and the city seemed

to regain its identity. Today, while Philadelphia is seeing a resurgence of immigrants, especially from

South America and South East Asia, it is still struggling to retain its population ("US History:

Philadelphia" 2013).

CRITICAL POINTS

Because of Philadelphia’s long and rich history, there are many critical points that illuminate its

fluctuation as a major American city. First, Philadelphia played a key roll in all of the major American

wars up to the 21st Century. Philadelphia served as a safe-haven, a political think-tank, and a producer of

goods during the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, World War I and World War II. While times of war

are always hard on a nation, it was during these drastic times that Philadelphia defined itself as a city.

During the Revolutionary War the city was a safe haven to soldiers and helped prepare other towns for

battle. The Civil War allowed Philadelphia to define itself as an abolitionist; the city now has deep roots

in African American heritage and culture. Finally, the great World Wars’ allowed Philadelphia’s industry

of railroads, steel, iron and coal to grow. Not only was industry growing, but government buildings,

libraries and monuments were being erected during these times to mark Philadelphia as an important

historical landmark ("US History: Philadelphia" 2013). The bloody battles of past times created the tough

an adaptive city we know today.

Another critical point in Philadelphia’s history took place in January of 1816. The County

Commissioners of Philadelphia proposed an education plan to the City Council, which was adopted in

1818. This proposal - public education to all - was the first form of public education in the United States.

Created to serve the poor population of the city, public education continued to expand in Philadelphia,

and by 1896 the city was educating over 190,000 youth ("US History: Philadelphia" 2013). This policy

transformed the role of government in the city and the nation as more than just protectors from war, but

protectors of inalienable rights. This legislation was later adopted nation-wide and is still in place today.

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The introduction of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1846 becomes another pivotal point in the

economic history of the city. As connectivity became important for growth, Philadelphia laid tracks,

linking all the great American industrial cities of the time. At its peak, the Pennsylvania Railroad

Company owned over 800 rail companies, with a workforce of over 250,000 people. With rail being

surpassed by other modes of transportation, however, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company merged with

New York City to form the PA Central Transportation Company in 1968. Unfortunately, only two years

passed before it was forced to file for bankruptcy in 1970 ("Railroad History Timeline," 2014).

Finally, Philadelphia’s population decline can be traced back to the late 1950’s. Hitting its peak at

two million residents, a flight to the suburbs caused a severe drop in population, resulting in a lack of

mixed income and increased economic instability. Furthermore, Philadelphia is still recovering from a

reputation of high crime born during this time period ("US History: Philadelphia" 2013). Like many older

industrial cities on the East, Philadelphia’s identity is wading in murky waters; but another critical point

of change could just be over the horizon, as Philadelphia sets forth a rehabilitation plan to fight against

the flight and reclaim its identity once more.

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WORKS CITED

Forrest, Tuomi. "William Penn Plans the City." William Penn: Visionary Proprietor.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/penn/pnplan.html (accessed January 21, 2014).

"Railroad History Timeline." Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/education/historytimeline1.shtml (accessed January 22, 2014).

"State and County QuickFacts: Philadelphia County, PA." United States Census Bureau.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/42/42101.html (accessed January 22, 2014).

"US History: Philadelphia." The Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia.

http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/ (accessed January 21, 2014).

Von Bergen, Jane. "City’s textile industry faces huge challenges." The Inquirer.

http://articles.philly.com/2011-10-30/business/30339166_1_textile-factory-textile-

manufacturers-textile-sector (accessed January 22, 2014).

PHILADELPHIA 23-PLAN-7002: STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS ADELYN HALL

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Figure 1: Google Map of Philadelphia

Figure 2: Philadelphia Neighborhoods by Esty

Evolution through Time 2

Figure 3: William Penn’s Plan (1683) Figure 4: Bird’s Eye View by Theodore R. Davis (1872)

Figure 5: A Map of Philadelphia and Part Adjacent, by N. Scull and G. Heap (1753)

Evolution through Time 3

Figure 6: Figure drawn by Charles Crushing

Critical Points

¨  All major American Wars up to the 21st Century . ¨  In 1816, The County Commissioners of Philadelphia

proposed an education plan to the City Councils. In 1818 the legislation passed to provide “public education” to all, forming the first school district in the United States.

¨  The expansion of the Pennsylvania Railroad, founded in 1846.

¨  Flight to the suburbs in the 1950’s (population peak of 2 million), 60’s and 70’s.

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Figures

Figure 1:

¨  Map of Philadelphia by GoogleMaps: ¤  https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Philadelphia,

PA&hl=en&sll=39.13634,-84.540401&sspn=0.610881,0.722351&oq=phi&hnear=Philadelphia,+Pennsylvania&t=m&z=11

Figure 2:

¨  Philadelphia Boundaries by Esty.com: ¤  http://www.etsy.com/listing/86562652/philadelphia-neighborhoods-map

Figure 3:

¨  William Penn’s Plan (1683): ¤  http://tebeau304.clevelandhistory.org/files/2011/09/philadelphiamap.jpg

Figure 4:

¨  Bird’s Eye View by Theodore R. Davis (1872): ¤  www.worldmapsonline.com/historicalmaps/kr-1872-philadelphia.htm

Figure 5:

¨  A Map of Philadelphia and Part Adjacent, By N. Scull and G. Heap (1753): ¤  http://pagenealogy.net/maps/PA%20-%20Scull%20&%20Heap%20-%201753.jpg

Figure 6:

¨  Picture drawn by Charles Crushing: ¤  http://www.charlescushing.com/paintings/paintings/pc0.html

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