Bridesburg is the last river-front neighborhood before the Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States begins. Bridesburg has a significant Polish community and continues to be a destination from incoming immigrants from Poland to live. The Polish community is centered around the various Polish establishments, most notably, Saint John Cantius Church, built in Polish Cathedral style.
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The historic boundaries of the former borough of Bridesburg were the original bed of Frankford Creek around the north and west, the Delaware River to the southeast, and Port Richmond to the southwest, along a border at Pike Street near Wheatsheaf Lane.[1] With the diversion of Frankford Creek in 1956 and the construction of I-95 in the late 1960s, these have become the effective southwest and northwest boundaries. Adjacent neighborhoods are Wissinoming to the northeast, Whitehall to the north, Frankford to the northwest, and Port Richmond to the southwest.
The 19137 ZIP Code, of which Bridesburg proper is the major part, extends as far to the southwest as Castor Avenue, and includes some area to the northwest of I-95 and the original bed of Frankford Creek.[2]. A small portion of Bridesburg (also 19137) is situated directly next to the 19124 zip code known as Frankford.
Before the arrival of Europeans, the Lenni Lenape Indians inhabited the region. The explorer Henry Hudson in 1609 was the first European to set foot in this region, and based on his findings these Indians were considered to be the first inhabitants of the area. The Delawar also lived in this area and received their name by the English, after the Delaware River.
In 1638, the Swedes bought land east of the Delaware River from the Indians and named it New Sweden. The Swedes lived with the Indians on friendly terms. By 1645 the Swedes had expanded to the Northeast of modern-day Philadelphia, and in 1647 the Dutch came. But it was not until the 1680s when the English came with William Penn that the area was actually developed. After 1750, Germans then settled the area, particularly in Bridesburg and Frankford.
Founded in the early 19th century, Bridesburg, a tract of land formerly belonging to Point-no-Point, took its name from Joseph Kirkbride, who for many years owned land there and was proprietor of a ferry over Frankford Creek, and to whom the Legislature gave a right to build a bridge and receive toll for passage over the same by act of March 20, 1811. On April 1, 1833, Philadelphia County bought the Kirkbride bridge and two-and-a-half acres of land annexed for $5,500. Kirkbridesburg was considered too long a name for convenience, and the shorter "Bridesburg" was adopted. Bridesburg was incorporated as a borough on April 1, 1848. In 1854, the borough was annexed to the city of Philadelphia in the Act of Consolidation.
The region was known in Colonial times as Point-no-Point, due to the deceptive appearance of the blunt cape at the mouth of the creek. When first seen going northward it appeared to be a point, boldly jutting out into the stream and upon coming nearer, it lost its character and seemed to be an ordinary portion of the right bank; on further approach it seemed to again jut out into a point.
Principal T. Worcester Worrell used to teach his pupils the ditty:
Many famous personalities in history have passed through the lands of Point-no-Point. The second President of the United States wrote a letter to his wife Abigail describing his travels in Point-no-Point.
On 25 May 1777 John Adams wrote:
The road to Point-no-point lies along the river Delaware, in fair sight of it and its opposite shore. For near four miles the road is as strait as the streets of Philadelphia. On each side, are beautiful rows of trees, buttonwoods, oaks, walnuts, cherries and willows, especially down towards the banks of the river. The meadows, pastures and grass plats are as green as leeks. There are many fruit trees and fine orchards set with the nicest regularity. But the fields of grain, the rye and wheat exceed all description. These fields are all sown in ridges and the furrow between each couple of ridges is as plainly to be seen as if a swath had been mown along. Yet it is no wider than a ploughshare and it is as strait as an arrow. It looks as if the sower had gone along the furrow with his spectacles to pick up every grain that should accidentally fall into it. The corn is just coming out of the ground. The furrows struck out for the hills to be planted in, are each way as straight, as mathematical right lines ; and the squares between every four hills as exact as they could be done by plumb and line, or scale and compass.[3]
Bridesburg was incorporated as a borough on April 1, 1848[4]; it included the peninsula between the lower Frankford creek and the Delaware, and beyond Richmond district, the boundary lying near the projected line of Pike street, not far from Wheat Sheaf Lane.
It was first called Kirkbridesburg, for Joseph Kirkbride, who operated a ferry to New Jersey, and in 1811 built a toll bridge at Bridge street over Frankford Creek. About one-hundred forty years ago, the people of the village decided the name was too long, so Bridesburg was adopted. In 1854, the borough was annexed to the city of Philadelphia in the Act of Consolidation.
As of the 2000 Census, Bridesburg's 19137 ZIP code had a population of 8,069, of which 95.5% was white, 1.1% was black or African-American, 0.5% was American Indian or Alaska native, 0.4% was Asian, and the remaining 2.5% was other or mixed races. Of these, 2.9% identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino.[5]
For such a small community, Bridesburg is the home of a large number of churches:
The School District of Philadelphia operates Bridesburg Elementary School, which serves elementary school students.[10] Residents are also zoned to Harding Middle School and Frankford High School.[11][12]
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia operates Catholic schools. Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic School (formerly St John Cantius Elementary School) (Grades PreK-8) is in Bridesburg.
Charter schools include:
The United States Post Office operates the Bridesburg Post Office at 2734 Orthodox Street.[13]
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