In 1858, the railroad was rerouted across the top of Mantua to parallel the river down to the Market Street Bridge. The continued expansion of the trolley in to West Philadelphia changed the character of the neighborhood encouraging the wealthy homeowners to leave their nieghborhood for less densely populated areas. The large private lots that dated back to the founding of Mantua were subdivided and replaced by the rowhouses that now characterize the neighborhood.
Mantua_1
This map shows the rerouted trolley route that changed the social, economic, and ethnic life in Mantua and West Philadelphia .
Mantua_6
An example of a large estate in Mantua as it looked in 1900. These large estates would eventually be almost completely replaced by rowhomes.
Mantua_2
In the late 1800s, many Mantua residents worked in various industries along the Schuykull River. These workers were also employed outside of Mantua in Philadelphia’s railroads, hospitals, factories, and offices.The occupants of Mantua during this time were largely white, descendants of Irish, German, and Jewish immigrants. According to Alice Gray Reed in her article “Making a House a Home in a Philadelphia Neighborhood,” these homes were traditionally a stepping stone for lower class laborers in their pursuit of the American dream. She writes, “Mantua has been a stopping place for a succession of railroad and factory workers of differing ethnic backgrounds who remained only until they could become established and live comfortably elsewhere.
Additionally, Mantua was the scene of much unrest during late nineteenth century labor struggles against the railroad as well as periodic violence. Thus, the area traditionally experienced governmental neglect and poverty. In the early 20th century, Mantua continued to function as a highly residential area for the working class, with a few shops and stores intermixed with the homes.
1920 – 1950
In the 1920s Mantua, along with many low income neighborhoods in the northeast, experienced a large influx of African Americans migrating from the south. By 1940 there were over 18,000 African Americans living in the neighborhood.
After the Second World War, in the 1940s and 1950s, a period of “white flight” affected all of West Philadelphia, and it was then that the population demographics of Mantua shifted to become primarily African American. The population in Mantua continued to decline, as did that of the entire city of Philadelphia, as industry and wealthier residents left the city for the suburbs. One of the main issues that dettered wealtheir white residents from remaining in the neighborhood was the deteriotation of the housing stock in the area. This, combined with an influx of lower class African Americans in to the area scared many of the former white residents away, leading to an overall population loss in the area.
Mantua_3
Mantua reflected this loss of wealth and industry. What was once a populous working-class neighborhood became an area in which blighted and abandoned buildings grew in number. Today, the population, which is over 94% African American, boasts a rich history of community involvement and investment.
Mantua_8
Prominent community leaders have existed since the 1960s and fight to promote their neighborhood while fighting violence, drugs, and crime. The neighborhood is often warmly referred to as “The Bottom” by those who live thereMantua’s close proximity to Drexel University has caused tension over the years, a tension that resulted in the displacement of a portion of the community in the 1960s.
