Pennypack Creek
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pennypack Creek is a creek that runs southwest through eastern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, lower Bucks County, and the northeast section of Philadelphia, before emptying into the Delaware River. Originally known as Dublin Creek, the Pennypack was first surveyed by Thomas Holme in 1687. The creek begins in two branches, one in Horsham, the other in Warminster, joining in Bryn Athyn. The creek then flows through Lower Moreland, Abington and Northeast Philadelphia. The creek draws its name from the Lenape word "pënëpèkw" meaning "downward-flowing water."
Pennypack Creek was once the site of several mills, but is no longer used for industrial purposes. It runs through Pennypack Park in Philadelphia and Lorimer Park in Montgomery County.
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[edit] Historic bridges
Several historic bridges cross Pennypack Creek and its tributaries.
- The Frankford Avenue Bridge, a triple-span stone-arch bridge built in 1697, carries Frankford Avenue. It is the oldest bridge in the United States still in use.
- The Fetters Mill Road Bridge, a Pratt through-truss bridge built in 1883, is still in use.[1]
- The Krewstown Road Bridge, a stone arch bridge built in 1907, is still in use.[2]
- The Holme Avenue Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge built in 1918, is still in use.[3]
- The Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge built in 1920, is still in use.[4]
- The Holme Avenue Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge across Wooden Bridge Run built in 1921, is still in use.[5]
- The Ryan Avenue Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge over Sandy Run built in 1929, is still in use.[6]
- The Rhawn Street Bridges, two closed-spandrel concrete arches bridge built in 1930, are still in use.[7][8]
[edit] Quotations
- Pennypack creek rises in Montgomery County, crosses the township line of the late Dublin township, and enters the Delaware near the town of Holmesburg.--Duffield's run and Ashton run, uniting with Wooden Bridge run, enter the Pennypack near Rowland's paint-factory.--Sandy run enters into it north of the Oxford and Dublin poor-house.--Comly's run and Welsh run flow into Paul's run, which joins the Pennypack below Verreeville. On Lindstrom's map this creek is called Pennishpaska, La Riviere de Pennicpacka; by Campanius, Pennishpacha Kyl. In early Swedish patents it is called Pemipacka. Holme calls it Dublin creek, whilst in later maps it is called Pennypack and Pennepack. Heckewelder says that Pennypack means "deep, dead water; water without much current."
- ("Changes in the Names of Streams In and About Philadelphia." Public Ledger Almanac: 1879. Pages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, & 13. [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stations
- A picture of Pennypack Creek from Windows Live Local. This scene shows the creek as it flows beneath the bridge on Frankford Avenue in Holmesburg, believed to be the oldest stone arch bridge in use in the United States.
- Pennypack in art: William Thompson Russell Smith (1812-1896) painted Jarrett Hallowell's Meadow on the Pennypack in 1880 link to Smith's Meadow
- Pennypack in art: Xanthus Russell Smith (1839-1929) painted Turnpike Bridge on the Pennypack in 1881 link to Smith's Bridge
- Pennypack Creek Watershed Study
- Friends of Pennypack Park
- Photographs - mostly of Pennypack Creek - from the Lincoln Cartledge Collection of the Historical Society of Frankford
- The Pennepack in Lower Dublin Township (now part of Philadelphia: see Act of Consolidation, 1854)
- Holme's map of 1687
- Headquartered at 2955 Edgehill Road in Huntingdon Valley, the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust manages the 725-acre Pennypack Preserve which is open to the public and includes 8 miles of pedestrian, equestrian, and bicycle trails.
