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48-462: The historic boundaries of the former borough of Bridesburg were the original course of Frankford Creek around the south and west, the Delaware River to the southeast, and Port Richmond to the southwest, along a border at Pike Street near Wheatsheaf Lane. Aramingo Avenue/I-95 is the border to the western edge of the neighborhood that borders Frankford . Adjacent neighborhoods are Wissinoming to

96-646: A Philadelphia tannery , with Charles O'Neill, John McStay, and Christopher Conway. They rented a narrow store front at 2nd & Willow Street, with its rail lines down the center, bringing livestock and their valuable skin, especially goats, sheep and calves but also cattle and horses. The firm specialized in moroccan leather and worked leather into products ranging from gloves to handbags to shoes. In 1897, Costello, Cooey & Co. moved to Bridesburg, into "the main building of two stories, containing offices, glazing room, toilets, dyeing and buffing room, one-story tannery building, containing vats and accessories thereto,

144-651: A favorite place for planting, fine land;" whilst Mr. Henry says it means "lands in a hollow or valley." In modern times, the Wingohocking has been called "Logan's Run", from the fact that it flowed through the grounds of the seat of James Logan at Stenton. The Wingohocking rises near Mount Airy , curves generally to the south, and passing through Germantown runs eastwardly until it unites with Tacony Creek near Rowland's saw-mill. Tookany Creek rises in Montgomery County near Shoemakertown, runs south-west and south, crosses

192-613: A former tavern and schoolhouse that still stands today, with son Alfred P. G. Rose and descendants succeeding. The family served the community as the Rose Funeral Home until 2023. William Tippetts Rose, a son, ran parlors in Frankford , and purchased the Beach Haven Terrace Yacht Club on Long Beach Island in 1933. Another son Charles Samuel Rose married Martha Cooey, the daughter of Robert Cooey and Sophia Borbeck, at

240-583: A patent to Thomas Fairman, 1688. Frankford Creek has a great impact on the Cheltenham and North Philadelphia Communities. For many children growing up in the area, it provided them with their first experience for learning about ecosystems and opportunities for community projects. It also spurred the formation of several parks, including Wall Park, High School Park, Tookany Creek Parkway in Cheltenham, and Olney Park, Juniata Park, and Womrath Park in Philadelphia. It

288-452: A point, sharply jutting into the stream, but upon approaching, 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: Point look out, point look in, Point no Point, and point ag'in. Many famous personalities in history have passed through the lands of Point-no-Point. The second President of

336-431: A sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest , where the place names Toxony and Tookany were used in historic times; the stream is still known as Tookany Creek in this region, where it flows southwest. Turning south into Philadelphia at the crotch of Philadelphia's V-shaped border, the creek is called Tacony Creek ; from here southward, it is considered the informal boundary separating Northeast Philadelphia from

384-609: Is also home to the Joseph A. Ferko String Band. The Ferko String Band is a member of the Philadelphia String Band Association, which is a division of the Philadelphia Mummers Parade. As of the 2010 Census, Bridesburg had a population of 8,638, of which 90% was white, 5.5% Hispanic, 1.9% was black or African-American, 0.6% was Asian, and the remaining 2% was other or mixed races. For its size, Bridesburg

432-442: 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. Bridesburg

480-545: Is now called Frankford Creek from the junction of Tacony and Wingohocking creeks, and enters the Delaware near the U.S. Arsenal. Tacony is called Taoconik in a patent to Robert Adams, 1684; Toaconinck in a patent to Griffith Jones in the same year; and Toaconinck Township is referenced on Thomas Holme's 1687 survey map. Little Tacony is also called Tackawanna . Mr. Henry says Tacony is derived from Tekene and means "woods" or "an uninhabited place." Into Frankford Creek near

528-490: Is one of the few urban meadows in the Philadelphia area. Cobbs Creek has a similar impact for West Philadelphia and Upper Darby children. Act of Consolidation, 1854 The Act of Consolidation , more formally known as the act of February 2, 1854 (P.L. 21, No. 16), is legislation of the Pennsylvania General Assembly that created the consolidated City and County of Philadelphia , expanding

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576-648: Is the home of a large number of churches: The School District of Philadelphia operates Bridesburg Elementary School, which serves elementary school students. Residents are also zoned to Warren G. Harding Middle School and Frankford High School . At one time, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia operated two Catholic schools in Bridesburg: All Saints School (1864-2004) and St. John Cantius School. Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic School (formerly St. John Cantius Elementary School)

624-507: The Act of Consolidation . At the end of the 19th century, Costello, Cooey & Co ., a company specializing in kidskin leather (from young goats) and the chromium tanning process, employed more than 100 workers. It operated on the east side of Orthodox Street on the Frankford Creek between 1897 and 1914, "with three modern brick factory buildings and brick warehouse: up-to-date equipment for

672-481: The Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers and north and south between Vine and South streets, representing the present-day Center City section of Philadelphia. The rest of Philadelphia County contained thirteen townships , six boroughs and nine districts . Philadelphia City's recent influx of immigrants spilled over into the rest of Philadelphia County, surging the area's population. In 1840, Philadelphia's population

720-740: 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 arrived. 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

768-549: The Trenton Line of SEPTA Regional Rail is located in the neighborhood. Frankford Creek Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania . It derived its name from today's Frankford, Philadelphia neighborhood. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until

816-708: The Whig Party . The Whigs usually dominated Philadelphia City elections while the outlying districts were dominated by the Democrats and the Whigs feared they would lose power within the city. With support from all the city's major newspapers, and the end of the Whig party's existence around that time, the consolidation overcame opposition and the issue was brought to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Eli Kirk Price brought

864-759: The Bridesburg Presbyterian Church, on January 27, 1909. Their sons Robert Cooey Rose and John Samuel Rose operated funeral businesses Frankford and Lawncrest into the 1970s. Martha, her children, grandchildren and descendants continue the family tradition of life on Long Beach Island . Bridesburg Foundry has been in continuous operation since 1914. The company began in Bridesburg and then moved to its present location in Whitehall, Pennsylvania in 1941. Polish families migrated to Bridesburg between 1900 and 1920. "The Frankford leather plant of Robert H. Foerderer Inc. originally hired Polish men to work in curing

912-503: The Delaware empties a stream called Freaheatah . Frankford Creek derives its name from the village of Frankford, adjoining. On Lindstrom's map it is called "Aleskins Kylen", La Riviere des Anguilles Ecorchees (meaning "the river of skinned eels"), the origin of which can only be conjectured. A portion of the creek east of the junction of the Little Tacony is called Questioninck in a patent to Eric Cock and others, and Quissinuaminck in

960-467: The Frankford and Tacony (or Tookany) Creeks. Frankford Creek is formed by the union of three streams. One of these, now known as Wingohocking Creek , is so called in a patent to Griffith Jones , 1684. It is called Winconico in a patent to John Goodson, 1701, and Wincokoe in a patent to Griffith Jones of the same year. Wingohocking is defined by Heckewelder to be "a choice spot of land for cultivation,

1008-539: 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

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1056-414: 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

1104-543: The budget from the city council . On March 11 there was a large celebration for the consolidation. Governor Bigler, members of the legislature, and chief officers of the state visited the city for the celebration. Events included an excursion on the Delaware River , a ball at the Philadelphia Chinese Museum and a banquet at the Sansom Street Hall the next day. Although the city and county now shared

1152-537: The city's territory to the entirety of Philadelphia County and dissolving the other municipal authorities in the county. The law was enacted by the General Assembly and approved February 2, 1854, by Governor William Bigler . This act consolidated all remaining townships , districts , and boroughs within the County of Philadelphia , dissolving their governmental structures and bringing all municipal authority within

1200-447: The county under the auspices of the Philadelphia government. Additionally, any unincorporated areas were included in the consolidation. The consolidation was drafted to help combat lawlessness that the many local governments could not handle separately and to bring in much-needed tax revenue for the State. In early 1854, the city of Philadelphia 's boundaries extended east and west between

1248-579: The creek now flows through a concrete culvert. In 1956 the creek was diverted to meet the Delaware River at a more southerly point, cutting off its natural bed that curved around Bridesburg along the Frankford Arsenal . Part of that bed was filled, but much of the old creek remains, near its original mouth on the Delaware. Frankford Creek has been converted to storm sewers along much of its course, as this map shows. Several historic bridges cross

1296-555: The creek's path through Frankford was straightened as two horseshoe bends were removed in the vicinity of the intersection of Wyoming and Castor Avenues. An arch structure, the remains of a bridge carrying Wyoming Avenue over one of the removed bends in the creek, is visible from park level (approximately 15 ft (5m) below Wyoming Ave.). A bridge railing along the sidewalk still exists in this location, across from Eastern Regional Medical Center of Cancer Treatment Centers of America (formerly Parkview Hospital). Downstream from Castor Avenue,

1344-590: 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 the 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

1392-418: The hides. This process consisted of soaking hides for days in dog manure to soften it. The smell of the manure and the need to handle the soaked leather made this job unacceptable to most Philadelphia workers. However, the new Polish immigrant, excluded from most factory work in the city, flocked to Bridesburg for work." Bridesburg is home to the second oldest VFW Post in the world, founded in 1899. Bridesburg

1440-581: The issue to the Pennsylvania Senate while Matthias W. Baldwin and William C. Patterson brought it to the House of Representatives . A bill was produced on December 20, 1853, and by January 31, 1854, the bill had passed both houses. The bill was then brought to Governor William Bigler , who was in Erie, Pennsylvania . Bigler was awoken out of bed before midnight on February 2 and signed the bill into law. The signing

1488-462: The line of the former Bristol township, and formed the boundary of Bristol and Oxford townships. Rock Run enters Tookany Creek southwest of what was formerly Whitaker's factory. The Little Tacony rises near the Township-line Road between Dublin and Oxford, runs nearly south through Oxford township, and is joined by one or two brooks, and empties into Frankford Creek east of Frankford. The stream

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1536-579: The manufacture of glazed leather and leather for a patent kid, side and horse, with the capacity of from 300 to 400 dozen daily." Robert Cooey (1840-1903), an emigrant from Newtownstewart , County Tyrone , arrived in Philadelphia on the packet ship The Provincialist in 1851 with his sister Isabella at the age of 10. He went to work with his brother and father in the tanneries of the Northern Liberties . In 1877, he partnered. partnered with Mark Costello (1844-1928), an emigrant from Ballinderry , to form

1584-474: The name was too long, and shortened it to Bridesburg. The Bridesburg Manufacturing Company was established in 1820 by Kirkbride. It was originally a textile mill on Frankford Creek. Industry followed the company into Bridesburg, especially with the establishment of the Bridesburg Manufacturing Company and the U.S. Arsenal in 1816. In 1854, the borough was annexed to the city of Philadelphia in

1632-538: The north, Aramingo Avenue and I-95 to the northwest, Frankford Creek to the south, and the Delaware River to the east. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Lenni Lenape Indians inhabited the region. 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. In 1638, the Swedes bought land east of

1680-484: The northeast, Whitehall to the north, Frankford to the northwest, and Port Richmond to the southwest. The 19137 ZIP Code , of which Bridesburg forms 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 course of Frankford Creek. A small portion of Bridesburg (also 19137) is situated directly next to the 19124 ZIP code known as Frankford. Physical boundaries of Bridesburg are: Bridge Street on

1728-531: The rest of the city. The Philadelphia neighborhoods of Olney and Feltonville lie on the western side of the stream in this area while Northwood, Lawncrest, Summerdale, and Frankford lie on the eastern side. It continues to be called the Tacony at least until the smaller Wingohocking Creek merges with it in Juniata Park , within the city-owned golf course. Beyond Castor Avenue it is known as Frankford Creek until

1776-533: The riot was out of control. Attempts to improve the issue included an 1845 law that required several of the surrounding districts to maintain adequate law enforcement and an 1850 act that gave Philadelphia law enforcement the authority to police seven surrounding districts. As a result, the act also achieved one of its intended roles: Expand and strengthen the jurisdiction of the Philadelphia Police Department . The other major reason for consolidation

1824-545: The same boundaries, a number of city and county functions remained separate. Many of these functions were overseen by " City Commissioners " who were elected separately from the city council and mayor. In 1951, the state constitution was amended to allow cities and counties to fully merge, and Philadelphia voters adopted a new home rule charter that merged nearly all city and county institutions. The new charter took effect in January 1952. Although Philadelphia County has effectively been

1872-566: The same time refused to let Philadelphia get involved. An example of how poorly law enforcement agencies worked together was in May, 1844 when an anti-Catholic riot erupted in Kensington . The sheriff was the only police officer available in Kensington at the time and when Philadelphia's militia was called they hesitated because they hadn't been reimbursed for past calls. By the time the militia arrived,

1920-524: The stream's confluence with the Delaware River in the Bridesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia . The section of stream known as Frankford Creek is 3.1 miles (5.0 km) long, and the upstream section known as Tacony Creek, from Hill Crest, is 11.1 miles (17.9 km) long. The Lenape Native Americans who lived within its watershed called the creek Quessionwonmink, which means “Eel Skin River.” Some believe

1968-419: The two buildings being connected by enclosed passage-way; a boiler and engine house, boilers and accessories for 250 horse-power, and steam engine of 150 horse-power, and piece of land…” By 1908, they opened an Arch Street showroom for shoes and other goods. In 1895, John Rose & Sons , undertakers, John Rose (1855-1916), an emigrant cabinetmaker from London , proprietor, opened at 2616 Bridge Street, in

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2016-412: The word Tacony to be derived from another Lenni Lenape word meaning "forest" or "wilderness". Portions of its tributary Wingohocking Creek were converted to sewers between 1905 and 1915. In 1934, the horseshoe bend between Bridge and Margaret Streets (where the creek formed part of the boundary between the Frankford and Bridesburg neighborhoods) was removed as a new straight channel was cut. In 1949,

2064-523: Was 93,665 and the rest of the county was 164,372; by 1850 the populations were 121,376 and 287,385 respectively. One of the major reasons put forth for the consolidation of the city was the county's inability to govern. Law enforcement found it difficult to enforce the peace. A person could break the law in Philadelphia City and quickly cross the border and escape punishment. Districts outside Philadelphia could not control their criminal elements and at

2112-486: 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 Frankford Creek. When first seen going northward it appeared to be

2160-541: Was in operation from 2004 until 2012. Students choosing Catholic education in a Catholic school attend Blessed Trinity Regional School (formerly St. Timothy's School) in Mayfair since September 2012. Charter schools include: The United States Post Office operates the Bridesburg Post Office at 2734 Orthodox Street. SEPTA bus routes 25 , 73 , J , and 84 all run in/near the neighborhood. Bridesburg station of

2208-440: Was incorporated as a borough on April 1, 1848; it included the peninsula between the lower Frankford Creek and the Delaware River, 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. The villagers decided

2256-493: Was rushed because several districts were considering assuming new debts for railroad loans and other projects, with the expectation that the consolidated city would pay instead. The Act of Consolidation, along with creating Philadelphia's modern border, gave executive power to a mayor who would be elected every two years. The mayor was given substantial control of the police department and control of municipal administration and executive departments with oversight and control of

2304-568: Was that Philadelphia's actual population center was not in Philadelphia, but north of Vine Street . Between 1844 and 1854, Philadelphia's population grew by 29.5 percent. Places like Spring Garden grew by 111.5 percent, and the Kensington section of Philadelphia grew by 109.5 percent. This population shift was draining the city of much-needed tax revenue for police and fire departments, water, sewage, and other city improvements. There had been several unsuccessful proposals at consolidation before 1854. The main opposition of consolidation came from

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