Франкфорд: История и границы филадельфийского района

Frankford is a neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia situated about six miles (10 km) northeast of Center City. Although its borders are vaguely defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original course of Frankford Creek on the south to Castor Avenue on the northwest and southwest, to Cheltenham Avenue on the north, and to Aramingo Avenue and I 95 on the east. Adjacent neighborhoods are Bridesburg, Juniata, Northwood, Summerdale, and Wissinoming. Historically, Frankford had an unofficial division separating Frankford (proper) from East Frankford, which encompassed the area east of Frankford Avenue. The division divided the community first along racial lines, with African Americans to the east of Frankford Avenue and Caucasians to the west. As the community has become less homogeneous, the division is more of a vestige of the past.

The village of Frankford was established by the Quakers in about 1682 in an area formerly occupied by Dutch people (Nederlanders). At the time of Penn's arrival it was occupied by the Swedes, Finns and Native Americans. The land known as the Manor of Frank was purchased by the Free Society of Traders, a group of Quaker businessmen in England. The original settlers were Henry Waddy, Thomas Fairman, Robert Adam, and Edward Seary. The village very likely took its name from the title of the Frankfurt Company, which took up ground there, along what is now known as Frankford Creek, in the lower part of Oxford Township. Frankford Creek's upper tributaries were the Tacony Creek and the Wingohocking Creek; while its lower tributaries are the Little Tacony Creek and the Freaheatah. Frankford was an early suburb of the town of Philadelphia. William Penn forged a trail through the village running from the original town (now Center City) to New York City, passing through Bucks County near the site of his home, Pennsbury Manor. That trail came to be known as "Frankford Pike" (later Frankford Avenue) and was the town's main street. The village was incorporated into a borough on March 2, 1800, bounded by Leiper Street on the northwest, Little Tacony (or Tackawanna) Creek on the south and east, and Frankford Creek on the west. By an act on April 4, 1831, the boundaries of the borough were extended to include land to the northwest of Leiper Street, the line running along Harrison and Horrocks Streets, to a point on Frankford Creek below Wyoming Avenue. On November 25, 1773, after receiving permission to dam the creek from a Quaker named Nicholas Waln, a feme sole trader named Mary Peters established a small grist mill. She was in a partnership with Richard Whitman of Oxford Township, Philadelphia County. Frankford also has the distinction of having played a role in the Declaration of Independence. "There is also a tradition that on the afternoon of that day, or possibly a day or two earlier, there was a joyful private celebration of the great event, by Jefferson and others, at the garden house of a country seat in Frankford (near Philadelphia), then occupied by Dr. Enoch Edwards, a leading patriot of that time." Frankford was also the site of a gunpowder mill that became famous because of its association with Oswald Eve and Paul Revere. In the 19th century, the town became a center for textile production. Other manufacturing industries also flourished. An early description of industry in 1837:
The borough of Frankford, on the Delaware, is the seat of numerous manufacturing establishments, including several cotton mills, calico print works and bleacheries, woollen mills, iron works, & etc. Here are also an Arsenal of the United States, and a Lunatic Asylum belonging to the Friends. The Frankford Arsenal rivaled the Philadelphia Navy Yard during World War II. It provided over 22,000 jobs and at its peak, produced 8 million bullets per day. In 1922, the Frankford Elevated Line opened, connecting to the Market Street Elevated to provide rapid transit access to Center City and West Philadelphia. The terminus of today's SEPTA Market Frankford Line, now known as the Frankford Transportation Center, became a major transit hub, with connections to bus and trolley routes extending into Northeast Philadelphia. Residents of Frankford live within walking distance of the terminal. SEPTA's elevated train (the "El") runs through the neighborhood above Frankford Avenue. Although the Frankford Line helped to catapult Frankford Avenue into a major shopping district in the early 20th century, the traditionally working class neighborhood saw decline in the 1950s as many Philadelphians moved to the suburbs. White flight eventually took its hold on the neighborhood throughout the 1970s and 1980s. By 1990, over 30% of the storefronts on Frankford Avenue were vacant. Since this time, Frankford has seen a push for improvement. In 1993, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission adopted the Frankford Plan as a blueprint for revitalizing the neighborhood. Although many vacant storefronts remain, businesses catering to new customers have opened in recent years. Many business owners hope that gentrification of neighborhoods such as Fishtown and Kensington will spread north into Frankford. Others worry that previous attempts at improving Frankford have not been as effective as hoped, with most areas of the neighborhood still suffering from street crime and open air drug sales. Between 1985 and 1990, a serial killer known as the "Frankford Slasher" murdered several women in the neighborhood. Although several suspects were taken into custody, the actual killer has never been identified.

Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library, 4278 Griscom St. Historical Society of Frankford, established 1905, 1507 Orthodox St.

The Charter School of Arts & Science: String Theory (formerly Henry R. Edmunds School), 1197 Haworth St.
First Philadelphia Charter School for Literacy, 4300 Tacony St.
Frankford Friends School, 1500 Orthodox St.
Frankford High School, 5000 Oxford Ave.
Frankford Hospital School of Nursing, 4918 Penn St.
Warren G. Harding Middle School, 2000 Wakeling St.
John Marshall School, Sellers and Griscom Sts. Northwood Academy Charter School, 4621 Castor Ave.
Smedley Elementary School, Bridge and Mulberry Sts. Allen M. Stearne Elementary School, 1655 Unity St.

Frankford was the hunting ground for the "Frankford Slasher", who stalked victims between 1985 and 1990. The intersection of Bridge Street and Hawthorne Street was listed number six in a 2007 list of the city's top ten recreational drug corners according to an article by Philadelphia Weekly reporter Steve Volk.

Frankford is a diverse working class neighborhood, containing a wide variety of ethnic groups, including a large number of Irish Americans, Polish Americans, Italian Americans, Portuguese Americans, Brazilian Americans, Arab Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, specifically from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and West Indian Americans, mainly from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Haiti. As of the census of 2010, the racial makeup of Frankford is 31.8% African American, 30.8% White, 29% Hispanic, and 8.4% other. The population of Frankford grew by 3% between the 1990 and 2000 censuses.

Frankford, like all areas of Philadelphia, is served by the School District of Philadelphia. In particular Frankford High School has been the community's public high school since 1910. In addition to public schools, Frankford Friends School, a private Pre Kindergarten through 8th grade school, is in Frankford The Free Library of Philadelphia also operates the Frankford Branch in the neighborhood. The Frankford Hospital School of Nursing operated from 1904 to 2020.

The community was the home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, a National Football League team that won the championship in 1926 but folded in 1931. Frankford is also home to the N. E. Frankford Boys and Girls Club American Legion Post 224 Drill Team, who won the AMA Nationals Championship in 2005 and 2006. Also part of the community for decades was the Frankford Boys Club. It was an organization that gave Frankford youth an opportunity to learn how to play football, baseball and basketball as part of NESAC. The Boys Club was one of NESAC flagship organizations and participated in many playoff games and championship victories.