Category: history

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A great community is always within reach

My brother Seán was the last of the Rowley Family on Herbert Street. He sold the house back in about 2005.  When the Rowley Family lived there it was an Irish house through and through. It was a sea of green featuring shamrocks, leprechauns, and St Brigid’s Crosses. My Ma even talked funny like one of the Irish in the movies.

We had family come over from Ireland from time to time and they had very fond memories of their time visiting on Herbert Street.  It was a great house with awesome memories.

One family member, Regina, was visiting just 2 years ago from Ireland and wanted to take a visit down to the old neighborhood. As we were making our way up and down the streets of Northwood, we noticed that one of the main differences was the absences of the trees on the streets. Many trees had died off or been removed. You don’t realize what type of character trees add to a neighborhood until they are no longer there.

Anyhow, we went up and down Herbert Street a couple times rubbernecking out the windows with each pass. We were noting what had changed and what had stayed the same.

On the last pass down Herbert Street – out of “my” front door pops a woman with a smile on her face. She asks “can I help you. It’s like the 5th time you passed by the house and you seemed to slow with each pass of my house.”

Regina, spouts from the car, “no – it’s his house”. Now I had to pull over and explain.

I believe her name was Ms. Gwyn.  As I walked towards the house, I explained my history with the house. She invited us in for a visit.

The house was no longer Irish. There was a new history to the house one that was brilliantly African. The walls were colored with new patterns, shapes, and colors. Celtic images were replaced with those from another continent. Walking through the house you could see the pride of a family and the new character and stories that would forever be imprinted within those walls.

She let us have free reign of the house. I explained to her the events and the stories unique to each room. Ms. Gwyn seems curious about the Rowley family’s love for Caribbean Beach wallpaper murals that was one or two layers thick in the master bedroom. I told her that was not part of any “Irish” culture you’d find on Google. Just a crazy Rowley thing. As I shared each excited utterance of happy memories, she had a similar story to share.

When I left Herbert Street that day, I felt a good family had continued a tradition between those walls that included love and laughter. This seemed to be just the type of family that made Northwood such a great place to live the years I was there.

One of my fondest memories at St. Joachim with Cardinal Krol and Father Silvestri at the consecration of the new church.

Keep on loving and caring for the neighborhood and a great community is always within reach.

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Exhibit at the Historical Society of Frankford

New exhibit opening at The Historical Society of Frankford

The Early Photographers of the Frankford Area

Drawing from the archives at the historical society, the exhibit displays images by the men and women both professional and amateur who lived or worked in Frankford from 1850 to 1930.

Starting October 8, 2019 and continuing through 2020

Open during lectures or by appointment 215-743-6030

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Second Annual Conference for Archival Researchers and Friends

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF FRANKFORD
1507 Orthodox Street
Philadelphia, PA 19124
The Historical Society of Frankford announces the
Second Annual Conference for Archival Researchers and Friends.
At the Society, 1507 Orthodox Street, October 6, 2019, 3 – 6 pm
Admission Free
All are welcome to attend.  The gathering will consist of short stories drawn from the research experience of the presenters, conversation, and refreshments.
The presentations will include:
– Fred Prescott, HSoF Board Member, on a bamboo airplane built to protect Frankford Arsenal during World War I.
– Professor Matt Smalarz, Chair of the Humanities Department at Manor College, on real estate development in Northeast Philadelphia after World War II.
– Author John Manton, on the Frankford Arsenal Commandant who defected to the Confederacy.
– Fred Moore, local historian, on graveyard revelations.
– Genealogical researcher Tom Dayton and HSoF History Committee Chair John Buffington on relations between Lenape residents of Petty’s Island and white purchasers of the property.
– And probably some surprise appearances.
We believe that the short story format of this conference–presenters will strive to tell an interesting story within 10 minutes–makes it more family friendly than the usual history program with a single 45 minute-or-more talk on a single subject.  So this is an experiment, and we encourage people to bring their children, grandchildren, or young neighbors to help up try out our theory.  Please join us.
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Coming up at the Historical Society of Frankford on October 8th

Lecture for October 8th at The Historical Society of Frankford will be a show of lantern slides produced by the members of The Frankford Camera Club.

The club was founded in 1889 and made it’s home at the Wright’s Institute for about 50 years. They were a group of men and women who were amateur photographers during an age when the technology was becoming available to everyone.

Come view these slides on our projector called a Balopticon that dates from around 1914.

Lecture begins at 7:30 pm followed by light refreshments. Open to all free of charge. Donations gratefully accepted.

Historical Society of Frankford

1507 Orthodox Street

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Frankford Quarry Mystery Unveiled

At the Historical Society of Frankford meeting on September 10th, John Hewitt with the help of Bob Smiley searched and retrieved old newspaper article’s about the quarry at the intersections of Adams Avenue and Church Street. The story is how some 11 children and an adult lost their lives after falling into a Frankford bluestone quarry that later became Deni Playground in about the years 1871 to 1897.

Donald Clark assisted in taking pictures that night.  Thank you very much for your help Donald. Pat Smiley spoke about Keep the Faith in Frankford and the upcoming things going on and Joe Taylor from the organization talked about the clean up at Saint Joachim Cemetery. Pat also talked about Bob Smiley’s book coming out and his talk November 12th at the Historical Society of Frankford. There will be updates about the book.

In the absence of Jim Young, President of the Society,  Jerry Kolankiewicz did the introduction of speakers. Thank you Jerry and a big thanks to Susan Couvreur & the other board members who helped to make this presentation a good one.

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Coming up at the meeting on October 8th will be a slide show- Images From The Old Frankford Camera Club  of glass slides created by the members of the Frankford Camera Club which was founded in 1889. They were based at Wright’s Institute which was located at Unity and Griscom streets.