KENSINGTON
Kensington was the original hub of working-class Philadelphia. Development
had first spread along the early roads, such as Germantown and Frankford
Avenues, and next to the canals created out of the Cohocksink and
Aramingo creeks. Later the railroads spurred the greatest development.
Early 19th-century industries—relatively small in scale—included the making of wagons, glass, and pottery. By mid-century, textile trades dominated the area, in particular carpet making. Big manufacturers were Magee and John Bromley & Sons. Later, hosiery and knitting mills were added to the mixture. In the 1920s, one third of Kensington's work force was making socks, fabrics, scarves, and sweaters. Other industries included meat packing, tanning, and leather working.
FISHTOWN
Fishtown, originally within the core of Kensington, evolved over time
into a distinct working-class neighborhood bounded by Frankford Avenue
on the west, Norris Street on the northeast, and the Delaware River
to the south and east. By the 1730s, owners of shipbuilding and repair
facilities began moving north from the central city, and within 70
years, maritime trades dominated the community.
In 1830, at the foot of Otis Street (now East Susquehanna Avenue), William Cramp started a business that grew into one of the world's largest manufacturers of iron battleships and commercial boats. William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company was a major Philadelphia employer during the city's 19th-century manufacturing boom. (It closed in the 1920s, but reopened temporarily to serve the needs of World War II. The site is now called Riverside Industrial Park.)
After the Civil War, the markets of the western frontier helped spurt Fishtown's industrial and community growth, which peaked between 1880 and 1900. Industries included manufacturers of textiles, furniture, elevators, and sporting goods; foundries for brass and bronze; breweries; and sugar refiners. Nearly two-dozen piers extended along the riverfront, each with its own railroad track carrying substantial amounts of coal, manufacturing supplies, and finished goods.
POST-INDUSTRIAL CHANGES
The residents of Kensington and Fishtown lived in two- and three-story
row houses within walking distance of manufacturing jobs. But the number
of jobs dropped drastically in the second half of the 20th century.
For example, in the Kensington neighborhood, the population declined
by more than half (from 32,000 to 15,000). Over 30 years time, 2,000
of Kensington's 8,500 units of housing were demolished. Of the 6,500
that remained, 400 were unoccupied. Nonetheless, the Kensington neighborhood,
as well as Fishtown, was relatively stable. Because the initial loss
of population had been less severe and less rapid than in some other
parts of the city, Kensington and Fishtown had not been victims of
the "clean slate" urban-renewal demolition of the 1950s and
60s.
A
festive launching at the William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building
Company.
November 22, 1941.
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