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Historical Society Program May 11th

For our May meeting, presented via live stream on Facebook and YouTube on May 11 at 7:30 pm, John Buffington will talk about the history of Frankford Arsenal, a National Historic Register site, which also has 9 buildings specifically listed on the Philadelphia Historic Register, from the near-disaster of American military inadequacy in the War of 1812, through base closure in 1971 and privatization in 1977, to current status, threats, and opportunities.
As always, we invite you to comment and post questions in either platform’s comment section, however this time we will do something a little different. At the close we will invite viewers to post questions and comments to be addressed live about the potential for the Historical Society of Frankford to intervene more aggressively in situations like the current lamentable state of Buildings 2 and 3 at the Arsenal. So please stay tuned to the end, especially if you think that we aren’t doing enough on preservation emergencies.
Find it on their Facebook page or follow this link to YouTube:  link
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MUST BE THE REASON

MUST BE THE REASON

When a baby bird falls from the tree before it learns to fly, there must be a reason.
If you start out on the right path, and end up on the wrong side, there must be a reason.
When flowers bloom and look up to the sky, there must be a reason.
But when you learn to fly, end up on the right side, look up to the sky, and have faith in yourself, and believe in God.
That must be the reason.

BY
LENNY JAYNES

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Frankford Works Project

TARTAGLIONE ANNOUNCES AWARD OF $50,000 WATERSHED RESTORATION GRANT FOR FRANKFORD WORKS PROJECT

Philadelphia, PA – State Senator Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) is pleased to announce that 1320 Pine Street BJ Venture 1 LP, developer of the Frankford Works project at 2127 Gillingham Street, has been awarded a $50,000 Watershed Restoration and Protection Program grant from the Commonwealth for stormwater management in a newly restored mixed-use campus.

Frankford Works is a project aimed at the rehabilitation of seven former warehouse buildings originally built circa 1922 in an industrial area of Frankford. The project will recreate the space to transform it from an old warehouse and factory complex into bright, open units serving the community as live/work opportunities for small businesses and organizations.

“Projects like Frankford Works are forward-thinking and vital as many of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods continue the difficult transition from the city’s industrial past into the economy of the future,” Senator Tartaglione said. “I am thrilled to deliver this funding from the Commonwealth that will bring commerce and jobs to the community while helping to protect our water supply.”

The state funding will be used to mitigate stormwater flows leaving the site. Work will include the installation of a 1,060-square-foot rain garden/ponding area for stormwater storage. The potential capture area for the rain garden is 14,850 square feet of impervious surface. In addition, an existing semi-impervious courtyard will be converted into green space to filter runoff, cool air temperatures, reduce energy consumption, and improve air quality. The total project cost is $120,000.

The Watershed Restoration and Protection Program was created under Act 13 of 2012, through which the Commonwealth Financing Authority distributes a portion of the Marcellus Legacy Fund. The overall goal of the Program is to restore and maintain streams impaired by the uncontrolled discharge of polluted runoff, and ultimately to remove these streams from the state’s Impaired Waters list. For information, visit https://dced.pa.gov/programs/watershed-restoration-protection-program-wrpp/

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Virtual Community Design Workshop

Virtual Community Design Workshop

We are inviting all community members to take part in a virtual design workshop for the Frankford Library.  The upcoming workshop will be hosted online via Zoom on Thursday, May 6 from 6:30 pm – 8pm.  During the workshop, community members will meet with the project team. This includes the project manager, architect and Free Library staff. Community members will be able to share their priorities and goals for an updated building design with the team.

All are welcome! If you, or someone you know, needs interpretation in a language other than English, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing FRKrenovate@freelibrary.org.
To RSVP and receive the zoom workshop information, please email FRKrenovate@freelibrary.org.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Regards,

GASPAR SANTOS
Community Initiative Specialist
Northeast Neighborhood Libraries

267-334-5646 | freelibrary.org
(He/Him/His)

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The Civil War and the Santa Fe Trail

THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC (G.A.R.) CIVIL WAR MUSEUM
Presents a New Program via ZOOM 
Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 1:00 p.m.
              “The Civil War and the Santa Fe Trail (at its 200th Anniversary)”
By Deb Goodrich, historian, author, researcher, preservationist and Museum member.
The Santa Fe Trail was among the first international trade routes in the United States. While the main route led from the new state of Missouri to Santa Fe in the newly liberated country of Mexico, feeder trails came from ports in the Northeast and New Orleans. It became the “interstate highway” of the time and an important military road. As such, it was the scene of incidents during Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War that, while being far from the center of the War in the East, was nonetheless an integral piece of that conflict.
Deb Goodrich is the Chair of the Santa Fe Trail 200, the bicentennial of this historic route to be commemorated between 2021-2025. She is the Garvey Texas Foundation Historian in Residence at the Fort Wallace Museum, Wallace, KS, and the host of Around Kansas TV Show. Deb has appeared in numerous documentaries including The American Experience and AHC’s Gunslingers. She is the author of Kansas Forts and Bases (with Michelle Martin) and The Civil War in Kansas. Deb is writing a biography of Vice President Charles Curtis, enrolled in the Kaw Nation and first Republican Senate Majority Leader.
Please send a request to reserve a virtual seat for this outstanding presentation by replying to this e-mail at
You will be sent a link with a password that will enable you to access the program within 24 hours of the start of the presentation.
As a lover of history, you know how critical it is to keep history alive, especially today!  We very much appreciate your continued support for the GAR Civil War Museum
A FREE virtual program online 
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC MUSEUM & LIBRARY
Historic Ruan Mansion • 4278 Griscom Street• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19124 •