Society Hill, or “The Seventh Ward,” in Philadelphia has Spruce Street as its northern boundary, South Street as its southern boundary, with 7th Street bordering it to the west and the Delaware River to the East.
Quick Facts
Society Hill is the oldest section of Philadelphia, and thus one of the oldest in the country.
Freed slaves and immigrants populated the neighborhood for the beginning of the 19th century onward.
Society Hill in the late 19th century became a rough section of apartments, taprooms, cheap rooming houses, warehouses, and small stores. Murder and prostitution were chronic issues.
“The Bloody Fifth Ward” or “The Seventh Ward” became nicknames for Society Hill, and while its residents were exploited for their collective black vote, efforts to control crime or improve the area were nonexistent.
W.E.B. DuBois was a resident of the community and researched its demographics.
Starting in 1950, gentrification and preservation efforts would displace the existing community for young white families.
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