FALL IN PHILADELPHIA -- ELFRETH'S ALLEY

I love this picture.  It is so typically Old City Philadelphia.  This is definitely not Elfreth's Alley, but it reminded me of it with the narrow street, so I thought I would tell you about another wonderful place in my hometown.

Elfreth's Alley is a historic street in Philly dating back to 1702.  There are 32 houses on the street dating back to 1728.  I am fortunate enough to know someone who lives there.  He is the head of the Human Relations department for the library.  I used to work with his mother who I loved dearly.  Such a sweet lady.  Sadly I attended her funeral about two years ago.

But let me tell you more about Elfreth's Alley.  



As you can see, it really is an alley.  No car could possibly go down this street.

The alley was named for Jeremiah Elfreth, an 18th century blacksmith and property owner.  Shipwrights, pewter and silver smiths, glassblowers and furniture makers and their families lived here.  In the 1770s one-third of the houses on this block were headed by women.  The style of houses and the cobblestone street were common in colonial Philadelphia.  There are still many streets that look like this.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries industry began to change this street.  In 1868 a stove factory moved onto the street and eventually factories surrounded Elfreth's Alley.  Immigrants lured by the jobs began to move onto the street.  In 1900 the street and the surrounding neighborhood was overwhelmingly Irish.

In 1934 the Elfreth's Alley Association was formed to preserve these historic houses.  The association helped save the street from demolition and changed the name back to Elfreth's Alley (it had been changed to Cherry Street).  

Today Elfreth's Alley is the product of historic preservation efforts.  It is a tourist attraction and a rare surviving example of 18th century working class houses.

This is the Elfreth's Alley Museum.  It preserves the 18th century home of a pair of dressmakers.  Guides take you through the house and describe life not only in this house, but in others on the street.  For more than 70 years some of the homeowners open their houses to the public in June so you can see more than just the museum.

I want to thank Beyond My Ken for the use of their wonderful pictures.  If you would like to see more of their work or purchase them, please see their web page.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elfreth%27s_Alley.JPG

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of history to start your week.  Have a wonderful Monday.  It's just the start to a lovely week ahead.

Kathy