Pennsport, Philadelphia

This article is about the Philadelphia neighborhood. For the string band, see Pennsport (string band).
Pennsport
Neighborhood of Philadelphia

Whitman Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia in Pennsport
Country  United States
State Pennsylvania
County Philadelphia County
City Philadelphia
Area code(s) Area code 215

Pennsport is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Pennsport is home to a large working class Irish American population and many Mummer clubs. It was also the site of a controversial push for casinos along the Philadelphia waterfront.[1] [2] Foxwoods Casino was proposed for Christopher Columbus Boulevard at Reed Street.

Location

Pennsport is bound by Passyunk Square to the west, the Delaware River to the east, Queen Village neighborhood to the north, and Whitman to the south. The Pennsport Redevelopment Area Plan of 1968 listed the border streets as Washington Avenue on the north, Snyder Avenue on the south, and Fourth Street on the west.[3]

Demographics

The 2000 census listed Pennsport's population as 26,300, a figure that includes the populations of Southwark, Queen Village, & Whitman. [4]

Pennsport is 70% white, 17% black, 8% Asian, & 5% Latino. Roughly 40% of the population is under 18.[4]

History

According to the Genealogy of Philadelphia County Subdivisions, Pennsport was originally part of Moyamensing Township. Most of the area north of present-day Mifflin Street was included in the Southwark District from 1794 until the consolidation of Philadelphia in 1854. At that point, it was mostly contained in the First Ward. The First and Second Wards ran east of Passyunk Avenue and were divided by Wharton St. (First to the south, Second to the north). The southern boundary of the First Ward initially spanned south to the river, but it was stopped at Mifflin St. in 1898.[5]

Furness High School and the Abigail Vare School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6] Historic rowhouse synagogue Congregation Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel was featured in the Hidden City Philadelphia 2013 Festival.[7]

Education

The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools.

Public libraries

The Free Library of Philadelphia Whitman Branch serves Pennsport.[8]

External links

References

  1. ↑ Philly.com article on casino proposals
  2. ↑ Philadelphia Weekly article on resident response to the casinos
  3. ↑ Pennsport Redevelopment Area Plan (Nov. 1968), Philadelphia Neighborhoods Project, University of Pennsylvania Libraries.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 South Philly Review, October 7, 2004, "The Place Where You Live: Pennsport".
  5. ↑ Weinberg, Allen; John Daly (1966). Genealogy of Philadelphia County Subdivisions. Philadelphia: City of Philadelphia Department of Records.
  6. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  7. ↑ Myers, Joseph (May 23, 2013). "Hidden City showcases Shivtei Yeshuron: A local synagogue will participate in a celebration of often-overlooked spaces.". The South Philly Review. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
  8. ↑ "Whitman Branch." Free Library of Philadelphia. Retrieved on October 19, 2012.

Coordinates: 39°55′39″N 75°09′02″W / 39.92750°N 75.15056°W