Southwark, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Southwark was originally the Southwark District, a municipality in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania and is today primarily a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

[edit] History

Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania highlighting Southwark District prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854

Southwark was the oldest district in Philadelphia County. It began to grow much earlier than the northern portions of the county beyond the city limits. This increase of the district was aided by the Swedish settlements of Wicaco and Moyamensing. This region was the first which required the attention of the General Assembly. By agreement the inhabitants had continued some of the principal streets of the city running north and south through their territory. In regard to the cross streets there was not always as much unanimity, and wishing such regulations the inhabitants applied to the Assembly by petition. On May 14, 1762, an Act was passed to create a municipality in the southern suburbs to be called the district of Southwark.

The limits of the district started on Cedar (South) Street and the River Delaware, and proceeded west to Passyunk Road; along the latter to Moyamensing Road; then by Keeler’s Lane to Greenwich Road; then to the Delaware River, and along the several courses of the same until reaching the beginning point again. The greatest dimensions were 1 1/4 miles in length by 1 1/4 miles in breath; covering an area of 760 acres (3.1 km²).

Due to its location south of Philadelphia, the name was adopted as an allusion to the borough named Southwark in the county of Surrey, England, immediately south of the city of London.

In the recent past, Southwark was noted as a very poor and dangerous neighborhood. Because of this, better neighborhoods enveloped it by slowly expanding their boundaries, until today when you can only see a few remaining traces of this neighborhood's name. These include Southwark restaurant at 4th and Bainbridge, Southwark Paints further south on 4th, Southwark Development Corp, a public housing project along Washington from 3rd to 5th, and even "Southwark" painted on a wall as far away as 23rd and Washington.

[edit] Resources

Chronology of the Political Subdivisions of the County of Philadelphia, 1683-1854
Information courtesy of ushistory.org
Incorporated District, Boroughs, and Townships in the County of Philadelphia, 1854 By Rudolph J. Walther - excerpted from the book at the ushistory.org website

Neighborhoods of the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
	Bella Vista - Devil's Pocket - Girard Estate - Greenwich - Grays Ferry - Hawthorne - Italian Market - Marconi Plaza - Moyamensing - Packer Park - Passyunk Square - Pennsport - Point Breeze - Newbold - Queen Village - Schuykill - Southwark - Southwest Center City - Tasker - Wharton - Whitman - Wilson Park - West Passyunk
Philadelphia neighborhoods Center City - North Philadelphia - Northwest Philadelphia - The Northeast - South Philadelphia - Southwest Philadelphia - West Philadelphia