- Geography
- Historic Maps
- The latitude of Fairmount is 41.316N. The longitude is -76.283W.
- It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 2,146 feet.
- Demographics
- Census Data Analysis and Observations
- As of the 2000 Census, the racial makeup of Fairmount is 65.23% White, 24.24% African-American, 7.63% Hispanic or Latino, 3.93% Asian, and 4.09% of people who identified their racial orientation as Other. Over the past 20 years there has been tremendous turn-over in the western end of the neighborhood as older residents move out and newer, younger residents move in. Long-time families make up an important but shrinking part of the neighborhood’s population, as Fairmount increasingly resembles that of a more cosmopolitan, downtown district. While the demographic profile of the neighborhood is very diverse, it remains largely segregated along racial lines and by economic status, with the African-American and Hispanic populations clustering in the eastern section of the community south of Fairmount Avenue.
- Census Data
- Census Data by Characteristic
- History of Community
In 1681, Charles the Second of England granted a substantial plot of land in the New World to one William Penn, as payment of a loan given to the King by Penn’s father. This sizable gift of land included the area between the Delaware and Schuykill Rivers, and became the chosen site upon which William Penn would conduct his “Holy Experiment”, the construction of the City of Philadelphia. Penn employed the architect planner Thomas Holme to create a blueprint for the city that would include a grid of intersecting streets and several public squares. Just outside the northwestern boundary of Holme’s planning proposal was a small section of hill that was designated the name Fair Mount.
William Penn had originally planned on building his estate and cultivating a grape vineyard in the soil on and around this “Hill”, however, because of its proximity to the river, the climate proved to be too harsh in the colder months and the plan was abandoned. Well into the 1700′s, this strip of land lining the Schuykill River remained rural and uncultivated. The eastern strip of town along the Delaware was quicker to develop industrially and residentially because it was more accessible for trade purposes in the importation and exportation of goods to other cities and ports.
In 1770, Robert Morris, one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as a financier of the American Revolution, bought this section of land along the Schuykill that lay to the north of the growing “hub” of Philadelphia. He built his estate, calling it Morris Hill and invested in several projects to develop the land economically. Morris constructed several green houses and introduced the first lemon trees to American soil, so that amongst many Philadelphians, “the Hills” eventually came to be known as Lemon Hill. Despite his fervent efforts, Morris went bankrupt in a short period of time and was thrown into the City’s debtor’s prison. His estate was sold at auction in 1799.
Morris Hill was re-assigned its original name of Fairmount in the 1820′s shortly after the reservoir for the Fairmount Waterworks Company was constructed. The street which extended from the Riverbank to Broad Street that had initially been entitled Morris Street, until that was also changed in the 1850′s to what it is known as at present – Spring Garden. In 1801, the Waterworks Company opened its first site on the ground where City Hall stands today. However, because of steady increases in the population, the growing demand for water in the city quickly exceeded the capabilities of such a small, steam powered pump, and Frederick Gaff was the one who suggested that the Company be moved to the more spacious and convenient location of Fairmount.
Philadelphia was the first large industrial American city to consider the delivery of safe water a municipal responsibility to their inhabitants. Watering Committee (forebear of the Philadelphia Water Department) to assure a constant supply of uncontaminated drinking water. Committee members eventually chose Frederick Graff to build a waterworks on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill. Graffs initial use of steam engines to lift water from the river eventually gave way to waterwheels in July 1822. Powered by the river, pumps raised water into the reservoirs located on Faire Mount Hill. By 1872, water driven “jonval” turbines were discovered to be more efficient and replaced the more archaic waterwheels that had been powering the operation since its establishment. In addition to its beautiful architecture and impressive size, the Water Works became one of’ the most profitable and prestigious businesses in the City when. it gained water power. The Engine House that contained the steam engines was remodeled in 1835 as a restaurant and to this day remains a main attraction for tourists who visit the city of Philadelphia.
Bastille Day: Eastern State Penitentiary’s annual Bastille Day celebration is sponsored by local businesses and has, over the past twelve years, become one of Philadelphia’s most popular summertime events, attracting thousands of visitors each year to the old “haunted” prison. This year’s event will be held on July 15th at 5:30 PM, when dozens of French revolutionaries armed with muskets and cannon and singing “La Marseilles,” will storm the walls of “the Bastille” (Eastern State Penitentiary) and drag Marie Antoinette to a real, functioning guillotine, built for the occasion. Neighborhood restaurants host wonderful French dinner specials and celebrations throughout the evening. “Marie Antoinette” is ceremoniously led to the guillotine while she cries “Let them eat Tastykake!,” a local Philadelphia brand of cupcake. After the enactment there is a large neighborhood street celebration with food, music and dancing stretching late into the night.
Girard College
Girard College was built between 1833 and 1847 by the well-renowned architect Thomas Walter. Stephen Girard, a wealthy Philadelphian merchant and shipbuilder, bequeathed the school for orphaned boys to the city. The school, funded by Stephen Girard, a wealthy merchant and shipbuilder of Philadelphia, was dedicated to providing a higher education for poor, orphaned boys of the city. Although originally exclusive to young white men, the institution gradually expanded to open its doors to anyone who wanted to further their education. Sections of the building are open to the public and contain many historical artifacts that once belonged to the Girard Estate. The college is located on Corinthian Ave, the road that runs from the gates of the school out on to Fairmount Ave, and was named for the style of architectural columns that adorn the building.
Fairmount Fun-Fact:
The section of Fairmount Avenue that runs by the college was originally called New Hickory Lane. Its name was then changed to Coates Street after Thomas Coates who owned much of the land lining the first section of the street from the Delaware River and Front Street well into the city. It was not until 1873 that the street became Fairmount Avenue.
Church of St. Hedwig
In 1909, owing to rapidly growing Eastern-European community that was immigrating to the Fairmount district, the Polish community here in Fairmount created the parish of St. Hedwig. Originally built on the corner of 22nd and the Parkway, the church and school were relocated shortly after to their current address at 24th and Brown Streets and were built on the site of the old Penn Cinema Theater. It is believed that underneath the foundations of these buildings there are underground tunnels and storage rooms where beer from the local brewery was stored.
For many years, St. Hedwig’s school was one of the largest in the neighborhood, but in recent years has closed. However, despite the closure, the church continues to play a very active role in the community, with the auditorium from the old school building being converted into a meeting place for the neighborhood association. One of the most beautiful contributions of this parish is the daily bell recital where, at very noon, the sound of church bells fill the neighborhood with their enchanting, haunting song.
In a recent development plan, it has been proposed that the land surrounding the church would be purchased and the old school building razed, to accommodate more space for the possible construction of 20 town house units.
Smoke Stack, Old Brewery Factory
The smoke stack at 23rd and Poplar Streets is one of the most prominent landmarks in the neighborhood and can be seen for many miles around the city. It is a remnant of one of the many Brewery Factories that used to sustain the economy of this historically working-class, immigrant community. To the north of Poplar is the wall surrounding the Philadelphia Nursing Home’s property, one of the oldest homes in the country, while the south side of Poplar is lined with typical Philadelphia two-story row homes.
Fairmount Fun-Fact:
Poplar Street is an example of many Fairmount street names (such as Aspen, Beechwood, Myrtle, and Olive Streets) that were named after trees and plants as part of a tradition started by William Penn, the “father of the city”.
Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Prison, known to Fairmount residents as simply, “the Prison” was designed by John Haviland and completed in 1829, making it the nation’s oldest, most historic correctional facility. The walls are about 30 feet tall and are about thirteen feet thick at ground level. There is only one door` to enter and leave the structure. With guard houses atop each of the four corner towers, there is no doubt that this was built for security.
The “panoptical” design of the prison was reflective of the 19th century ideas about the purpose of prisons being used as places of social isolation to enforce control and make power all-pervasive. It was believed that a lack of order and discipline were causal affects leading to a life of crime, and that a structured environment promoting diligent work and an absence of “bad influences” would be rehabilitating. All prisoners were placed in solitary confinement and expected to learn a trade that would contribute to the prison’s production of goods, such as furniture and other household wares. Older residents in the neighborhood still own some of the wicker chairs, baskets, and picture frames made by prisoners.
The observation tower was in the center of the structure, so that guards could look down all seven of the long corridors from their station in the rotunda. Each prisoner was housed in an 8 feet by 12 feet cell, which contained a bed, toilet, and water faucet. The new style was so popular that the Eastern State Penitentiary became an attraction. Other countries would send representatives here to observe and gather ideas. The Prison and the Niagara Falls were the two landmarks Charles Dickens wanted to see most during his 1842 visit to the United States.
Al Capone, Easter Penitentiary Inmate
Al Capone was probably the most notable inmate to be detained in the prison, for a few months in the 1930′s. Several escapes, some successful and some not, included the prison baker scaling down the wall using a rope in 1832, and three prisoners tunneling their way through the sewer system in the 1870′s. Willie Sutton, the infamous bank robber, led an escape attempt in the 1940′s. He and a friend dug a tunnel under the front wall that ended at the intersection of 22nd and Fairmount Ave, but the prisoners who used the tunnel for their escape were captured by passing policemen in their exit.
Eventually, the prison became so overcrowded that it became impossible to maintain the structure of confinement when several prisoners had to be assigned to one cell. The State officially closed the prison in 1970 and since that time the building has gotten more and more dilapidated, being used for tours and Halloween “haunted house” shows without any sort of upkeep or renovation.
For more images and information on Fairmount’s most historical landmark, visit the Penitentiary’s official website for a virtual tour at www.eastemstate.org
Fairmount Today
New developments: A segment of Fairmount, just south of Brewerytown has been assessed as blighted by the City Planning Commission of Philadelphia. The section is generally bounded by 27th and 26th Streets, by Girard on the north and Poplar on the south side, spanning approximately 4 square acres in a space that is composed of about 11 vacant lots and 14 vacant structures. The site is thereby eligible for redevelopment of the space for economic, commercial or social purposes. With respect to Philadelphia’s increasing desirability as a real estate location, and Fairmount gathering the reputation as an up and coming “young” neighborhood, it is likely that the area will eventually be converted into new housing units. Plans for Blight Recertification plans adopted by the …For further –information on neighborhood zoning and development changes, visit the
Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s website at www.philaplanning.org
Trolley Service
In 2005, service of SEPTA’S Girard Avenue Trolley resumed along the northern boundary of the neighborhood. Many hope that the historic trolley will help bring more investment to the Girard Avenue corridor and the Fairmount neighborhood. Restoring trolley routes and other more convenient modes of transportation to this area are part of the on-going Girard Ave Renewal Project that is also trying to bring back much of the commercial business that was lost after many of the riots in the 60′s and 70′s.
