Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Frankford is a neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, situated about six miles northeast of Center City. Although its borders are ill-defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original bed of the Frankford Creek, Roosevelt Boulevard, and Cheltenham Avenue. Adjacent neighborhoods include Bridesburg, Port Richmond, Juniata, Oxford Circle, and Wissinoming.

In 2005, the 19124 ZIP code, which roughly contains Frankford and Juniata, had a median home sale price of $81,075, an increase of 22% over 2004.

1 History
2 Northwood
3 Demographics
4 Education
5 Trivia
6 External links
7 References

[edit] History

Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania highlighting Frankford Borough prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854

Founded in the middle to late 1600s by German settlers, the village very likely took its name from the title of the Franckfort Company, which took up ground there, along what is now known as Frankford Creek, then known as Tacony Creek, in the lower part of Oxford Township.^[1] It was an early suburb of the town of Philadelphia. William Penn forged a trail through the village that would run from the original town (now Center City) to New York City, passing through Bucks County near the site of his home, Pennsbury Manor. That trail would come to be known as "Frankford Pike" (later Frankford Avenue) and was the town's main street. The village was incorporated into a borough March 2, 1800. By act of April 4, 1831, the boundaries of the borough were extended. In 1854, the borough was annexed by the city of Philadelphia through the Act of Consolidation, 1854.

In 1922, the Frankford Elevated Line opened, which connected to the Market Street Elevated, offering rapid-transit access to Center City and West Philadelphia. The terminus of today's SEPTA Market-Frankford Line line, now known as the Frankford Transportation Center, became a major transit hub, with connections to bus and trolley routes extending into The Northeast. Residents of Frankford live within walking distance of the terminal. SEPTA's elevated train (the "El") runs through the neighborhood over Frankford Avenue.

Frankford Avenue was formerly a major shopping destination of the region. Much of it became blighted throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but plans for revitalization have taken hold. Although many vacant storefronts remain, businesses catering to new customers have opened in recent years. Many business owners hope that gentrification of neighborhoods such as Fishtown and Kensington will spread north into Frankford. Others worry that previous attempts at improving Frankford have not been as effective as hoped, with some blocks to the east of the El still suffering from street crime and open-air drug sales.

[edit] Northwood

Within the bounds of Frankford exists an enclave known as "Northwood". Northwood is made up of almost entirely twin and single homes. Northwood is bounded by Harrison Street to the south, Roosevelt Boulevard to the west and Oxford Avenue to the east, its northernmost point being Sanger Street, just below the intersection of Castor Avenue, the Roosevelt Blvd (US 1) and Oxford Avenue (PA 232). However, a more broad definition of Northwood would extend to Adams Avenue on the south side, including the location of Northwood Park and the larger mansions on Castor Avenue south of Harrison Street.

Northwood is home to two schools, the H.R. Edmunds Elementary School, whose original building dates back to the 1920s, with a building addition being completed in 1998, and Frankford High School. The Northwood Academy Charter School sits just beyond the bounds of Northwood. Other facilities in Northwood include Frankford High School's War Memorial Stadium, built in honor of those who served in World War I from the area, and Baldwin Field, named for Matthias Baldwin of the former Baldwin Locomotive Works and his family.

The neighborhood is home to a mostly middle-class population. The neighborhood was also home to former Philadelphia mayor and Representative from the 5th (then 3rd) Congressional District, William J. Green, III, and the late Edward Becker, former justice on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals for the United States.

A distinguishing feature about Northwood is the absence of business within its offical boundaries. Much of the land on which Northwood sits was owned previously by Louis Burk, a businessman, who stipulated that only residences be built on his land thereafter. Burke also sold to the city the land needed to erect Frankford High School in the early part of the 20th century. The Northwood Civic Association has made certain that the neighborhood remain residencial, fighting off commercial and other interests, including the Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints, a shopping center, as well as numerous other entrepreneurs including doctor's offices, water-ice stands and a gourmet soft-pretzel shop.

[edit] Demographics

Frankford includes a wide variety of ethnic groups, including a large number of Italian Americans, Polish Americans, Irish Americans, Caribbean Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, the racial makeup of Frankford is 56.58% White, 30.82% African American, 1.89% Asian, and 7.29% from other races. 12.85% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The population of Frankford grew by 3% between the 1990 and 2000 censuses.

[edit] Education

Frankford, like all areas of Philadelphia, is served by the School District of Philadelphia.

Frankford High School is in Frankford.

Frankford Friends School, a private Kindergarten through 8th grade school, is in Frankford [1].

[edit] Trivia

Frankford is the site of Friends Hospital, the first private psychiatric hospital in the U.S.
One of Philadelphia's earliest Catholic Churches, Saint Joachim's, was built here in 1845.
It was the home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, a defunct National Football League team.