Comparing a map of 1824 Philadelphia to today reveals some interesting changes over the last 200 years. Using this 1824
Below are the top 10 interesting things we found.
1. Native American River NamesShow On Map
The Schuylkill & Delaware Rivers are shown on this 1824 map with the Native American name shown first. What we now know as the Schuylkill River was named that by the Dutch. On May 4th, 1824, the town of Flat Rock was renamed to Manayunk, from the Lenape Indian word for the Schuylkill River “manaiung” which literally translates to “place to drink” in English. 2(c)
2. Street Names Reversed Order West of BroadShow On Map
Schuylkill 8th st became 15th, 7th became 16th, etc
- Fair Mount Water Works & Fairmount Dam (completed in 1821) are operating in full swing (Or maybe City Hall Not present? being an intersection?
- The rail yard of 30th Street Station are on the site of the Blockley Burial Ground
- Ridge St. is referred to as “Wissahickon or Ridge”
- Sping Garden st. laid out but not opened yet, ending at 6th st.
- Canal st. where The Filmore stands today actually has a canal
- Windmill Island is still one island – this will not be divided into two islands until 1840
- South Street is still called Cedar. Cedar Ave in West Philadelphia almost aligns with this, but actually aligns with the street one block south, Shippen Lane, now called Bainbridge.
- Landreth’s Garden can be seen on Federal St just south of the city. Established in 1784 “In 1845 the Landreth family granted a parcel of land to the city of Philadelphia for the building of a public school named the Landreth School, later expanded to 23rd and Federal Streets.”
10. Landreth’s Garden can be seen on Federal St just south of the city.
Established in 1784, Landreth’s Seeds became a major supplier of seeds across the county and beyond. They sold seeds to every American president from George Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt.(a) “In 1845 the Landreth family granted a parcel of land to the city of Philadelphia for the building of a public school named the Landreth School, later expanded to 23rd and Federal Streets.”
(b)https://archive.org/details/DLandrethSeedCo00LandA
(a) https://web.archive.org/web/20120503081625/http://www.landrethseeds.com/history.html
David Landreth School. (2023, September 12). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Landreth_School
(c) “Manayunk: Then + Now.” Manayunk, manayunk.com/about/history.html.
Gibson, Jane Mork (1990). “Fairmount Dam, 1819–1821”. Workshop of the World. Oliver Evans Press. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2010. Although repairs and additions to Fairmount Dam have been undertaken in the years since its construction in 1819–1821, the original cribs have remained as placed, with the added support constructions before and behind.