41:
240:, it developed into one of West Philadelphia's affluent streetcar suburbs. The University of Pennsylvania moved there in 1870. After World War I, wealthier residents moved further west into West Philadelphia and its suburbs, leaving neighborhoods in eastern West Philadelphia in decline. The relative availability of cheap housing in the area attracted many African Americans, including
269:
children would gain entrance to the magnet school, which was being designed for the children of the faculty, staff, and graduate students of Penn and Drexel. Construction of the magnet school, to be called
University City High School, would also displace families and individuals living in that section of Area 3.
268:
The first major clash between Black Bottom residents and the white institutions came in 1963, over the plans to build a science magnet high school on 7.6 acres of land in Unit 3 between 36th and 38th
Streets, along Market Street (Reid et al, 1997). Black residents believed that very few of their
504:
264:" neighborhood of residences and services for students, faculty and staff. Together, they created the West Philadelphia Corporation and acquired large numbers of properties for demolition.
236:
In the decades preceding
Philadelphia's consolidation in 1854, the area was home to taverns and businesses catering largely to the stagecoach and cattle droving trades. After the
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1727:
1717:
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205:
neighborhoods. At least one source says "Black Bottom" was understood to mean blocks north of
Lancaster Avenue, while blocks south of it were referred to as "the Bottom".
1811:
1767:
450:
497:
553:
193:. Sources disagree on its northern and southern boundaries, but the neighborhood is generally understood to have been north and separate from the campus of the
40:
490:
302:
257:
46:
57:
1752:
281:. The final buildings were demolished by the late 1960s. The number of displaced residents is estimated between 4,496 and 15,000 by various sources.
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1450:
746:
548:
384:
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220:, and Greenville. Following the displacement of thousands of residents in the 1960s, the area is now considered to be a part of
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716:
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937:
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260:, and Presbyterian Hospital sought to create large-scale redevelopment in the area to eradicate blight and develop a "
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451:"As building boom continues in West Philly, Black Bottom Tribe fights for a sign of the community they lost"
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The
University of Pennsylvania had expanded as far north as Walnut Street by 1920, but in 1959, Penn,
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1215:
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902:
882:
829:
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397:"West Philadelphia Collaborative History - The University City Science Center and the Black Bottom"
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987:
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593:
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373:
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636:
588:
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162:
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Former Black Bottom residents celebrate Black Bottom Day on the last
Saturday in August in
1162:
897:
852:
789:
208:
Before it was called Black Bottom, the area was once part of or overlapped places called
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1805:
751:
696:
661:
563:
178:
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887:
598:
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174:
128:
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1059:
711:
651:
482:
72:
59:
721:
428:
119:
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329:
339:
166:
19:
Historical neighborhood in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
145:
124:
486:
335:
Profile's in Penn's
History "Penn's West Philadelphia Campus"
385:
Mosaic depicting Black Bottom at
University City High School
244:, who faced housing discrimination elsewhere in the city.
277:
by the city, and remaining properties were purchased by
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1438:
1347:
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1123:
995:
986:
838:
775:
617:
539:
528:
135:
118:
108:
98:
88:
24:
330:The Corporation: "A New Concept for Old Neighbors"
189:Black Bottom sat between 40th and 32nd streets in
273:Portions of the area were eventually declared
498:
8:
16:Historical neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA
1581:
1344:
1244:
992:
536:
505:
491:
483:
303:University City High School (Philadelphia)
258:University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
21:
1812:African-American history in Philadelphia
372:Dr. Palmer's Student's wordpress site:
362:Dr. Walter Palmer's Blackbottom Project
357:
355:
351:
117:
87:
37:
340:Site created by Dr. Palmer's students
134:
107:
97:
7:
1794:Philadelphia is its own county seat.
474:Black Bottom: Community displacement
401:collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu
14:
242:migrants from the Southern States
45:Mosaic depicting Black Bottom at
523:Former municipalities are below.
39:
298:University City Science Center
1:
1822:University City, Philadelphia
1817:Neighborhoods in Philadelphia
449:Allen, Taylor (2021-08-09).
1030:El Centro de Oro / Fairhill
47:University City High School
1838:
1594:Philadelphia (Center City)
632:Central South Philadelphia
476:(Student research website)
195:University of Pennsylvania
177:. It was mostly razed for
521:
218:West Philadelphia Borough
53:
38:
31:
1792:consolidated city-county
1080:North Philadelphia West
1075:North Philadelphia East
33:Historical neighborhood
647:East Passyunk Crossing
609:Washington Square West
307:Nearby neighborhoods:
271:
742:Southwest Center City
642:Dickinson Square West
266:
150:Eastern Daylight Time
137: • Summer (
848:Avenue of Technology
830:Southwest Schuylkill
161:was a predominantly
1451:Ashton-Woodenbridge
953:30th Street Station
868:Centennial District
73:39.9574°N 75.1978°W
69: /
1753:Northern Liberties
1675:Northern Liberties
1110:Strawberry Mansion
1070:Northern Liberties
978:Wynnefield Heights
594:Rittenhouse Square
549:Avenue of the Arts
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1798:
1781:
1780:
1637:West Philadelphia
1571:
1570:
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1334:
1333:
1234:
1233:
692:Lower Moyamensing
254:Drexel University
222:West Philadelphia
197:and south of the
191:West Philadelphia
171:West Philadelphia
156:
155:
78:39.9574; -75.1978
1829:
1582:
1511:Upper Holmesburg
1345:
1245:
993:
968:Woodland Terrace
933:Powelton Village
537:
507:
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427:. Archived from
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214:Hamilton Village
203:Powelton Village
169:neighborhood in
163:African American
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1516:Winchester Park
1466:Crestmont Farms
1446:Academy Gardens
1434:
1330:
1289:Upper Northwest
1284:
1248:Lower Northwest
1230:
1177:
1173:West Kensington
1163:Olde Kensington
1119:
982:
958:University City
918:Overbrook Farms
898:Haverford North
853:Belmont Village
834:
790:Bartram Village
771:
717:Passyunk Square
613:
569:Franklin Square
531:
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513:Communities of
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262:University City
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226:University City
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1578:Municipalities
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1400:Lexington Park
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1367:
1362:
1360:Castor Gardens
1357:
1351:
1349:
1348:Near Northeast
1342:
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1183:Olney-Oak Lane
1179:
1178:
1176:
1175:
1170:
1165:
1160:
1158:Nicetown–Tioga
1155:
1150:
1145:
1140:
1135:
1133:Allegheny West
1129:
1127:
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1120:
1118:
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1025:Cecil B. Moore
1022:
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923:Overbrook Park
920:
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863:Cathedral Park
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747:Sports Complex
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682:Italian Market
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637:Devil's Pocket
634:
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589:Penn's Landing
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324:External links
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293:
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286:Fairmount Park
279:eminent domain
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181:in the 1960s.
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1695:Spring Garden
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1559:Port Richmond
1557:
1555:
1554:Olde Richmond
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1464:
1462:
1459:
1457:
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1449:
1447:
1444:
1443:
1441:
1439:Far Northeast
1437:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1421:
1418:
1416:
1413:
1411:
1410:Oxford Circle
1408:
1406:
1403:
1401:
1398:
1396:
1393:
1391:
1388:
1386:
1383:
1381:
1378:
1376:
1373:
1371:
1368:
1366:
1365:Crescentville
1363:
1361:
1358:
1356:
1353:
1352:
1350:
1346:
1343:
1341:
1337:
1327:
1324:
1322:
1319:
1317:
1314:
1312:
1309:
1307:
1306:Chestnut Hill
1304:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1293:
1291:
1287:
1281:
1278:
1276:
1273:
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1261:
1258:
1256:
1253:
1252:
1250:
1246:
1243:
1241:
1237:
1227:
1226:West Oak Lane
1224:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1214:
1212:
1209:
1207:
1204:
1202:
1199:
1197:
1194:
1192:
1191:East Oak Lane
1189:
1188:
1186:
1184:
1180:
1174:
1171:
1169:
1166:
1164:
1161:
1159:
1156:
1154:
1151:
1149:
1146:
1144:
1143:Franklinville
1141:
1139:
1136:
1134:
1131:
1130:
1128:
1126:
1122:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1108:
1106:
1103:
1101:
1100:Spring Garden
1098:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1065:North Central
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1031:
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1026:
1023:
1021:
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961:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
948:Squirrel Hill
946:
944:
941:
939:
938:Saunders Park
936:
934:
931:
929:
926:
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921:
919:
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752:West Passyunk
750:
748:
745:
743:
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738:
735:
733:
732:Queen Village
730:
728:
725:
723:
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715:
713:
710:
708:
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703:
700:
698:
697:Marconi Plaza
695:
693:
690:
688:
687:Little Saigon
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
662:Girard Estate
660:
658:
655:
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590:
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574:Jewelers' Row
572:
570:
567:
565:
564:Fitler Square
562:
560:
557:
555:
552:
550:
547:
546:
544:
542:
538:
535:
533:
532:Neighborhoods
527:
520:
516:
508:
503:
501:
496:
494:
489:
488:
485:
475:
470:
467:
456:
452:
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431:on 2021-09-08
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54:Coordinates:
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1743:Lower Dublin
1481:Morrell Park
1380:Holme Circle
1153:Hunting Park
1095:South Lehigh
1040:Francisville
888:Garden Court
858:Carroll Park
820:Mount Moriah
805:Elmwood Park
727:Point Breeze
604:South Street
599:Society Hill
579:Logan Square
554:Broad Street
530:Sections and
515:Philadelphia
469:
458:. Retrieved
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433:. Retrieved
429:the original
425:www.uchs.net
424:
421:"Greenville"
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374:Black Bottom
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175:Pennsylvania
159:Black Bottom
158:
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129:Eastern Time
113:Philadelphia
103:Pennsylvania
26:Black Bottom
1738:Kingsessing
1670:Moyamensing
1526:River Wards
1476:Modena Park
1430:Wissinoming
1296:Beggarstown
1280:Wissahickon
1196:Feltonville
1125:Upper North
1060:N3RD Street
1015:Brewerytown
997:Lower North
963:Walnut Hill
943:Spruce Hill
878:Cobbs Creek
815:Kingsessing
767:Wilson Park
712:Packer Park
702:Moyamensing
667:Grays Ferry
627:Bella Vista
541:Center City
316:Spruce Hill
311:Walnut Hill
76: /
1806:Categories
1773:Roxborough
1733:Germantown
1665:Kensington
1627:Germantown
1617:Bridesburg
1549:Kensington
1544:Harrowgate
1534:Bridesburg
1506:Torresdale
1415:Rhawnhurst
1385:Holmesburg
1321:Mount Airy
1311:Germantown
1301:Cedarbrook
1275:Roxborough
1260:East Falls
1168:Swampoodle
1020:Callowhill
973:Wynnefield
908:Mill Creek
893:Haddington
873:Cedar Park
810:Hog Island
652:Fabric Row
460:2021-08-09
435:2022-01-21
406:2022-01-21
346:References
64:75°11′52″W
61:39°57′27″N
1786:Footnotes
1705:Townships
1690:Southwark
1652:Districts
1642:Whitehall
1622:Frankford
1496:Pennypack
1471:Millbrook
1456:Bustleton
1375:Frankford
1370:Fox Chase
1340:Northeast
1240:Northwest
1206:Koreatown
1201:Fern Rock
1090:Sharswood
1045:Hartranft
1035:Fairmount
913:Overbrook
795:Clearview
777:Southwest
737:Southwark
722:Pennsport
677:Hawthorne
672:Greenwich
559:Chinatown
238:Civil War
120:Time zone
1763:Passyunk
1748:Moreland
1728:Delaware
1713:Blockley
1685:Richmond
1632:Manayunk
1612:Aramingo
1604:Boroughs
1539:Fishtown
1501:Somerton
1491:Parkwood
1486:Normandy
1395:Lawndale
1355:Burholme
1270:Parkland
1265:Manayunk
1148:Glenwood
1138:Badlands
1115:Yorktown
1050:Ivy Hill
1010:Belfield
1005:Badlands
928:Parkside
825:Paschall
800:Eastwick
657:FDR Park
584:Old City
292:See also
275:blighted
210:Blockley
185:Location
1723:Byberry
1718:Bristol
1660:Belmont
1461:Byberry
1405:Mayfair
1390:Juniata
1255:Andorra
1105:Stanton
762:Whitman
757:Wharton
707:Newbold
232:History
89:Country
1758:Oxford
1586:Cities
1576:Former
1425:Tacony
1326:Wister
1316:Morton
1216:Ogontz
1085:Poplar
1055:Ludlow
903:Mantua
883:Dunlap
785:Angora
199:Mantua
1790:As a
1420:Ryers
1221:Olney
1211:Logan
988:North
619:South
146:UTC-4
125:UTC-5
99:State
1768:Penn
1680:Penn
840:West
455:WHYY
201:and
167:poor
165:and
109:City
224:'s
139:DST
1808::
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216:,
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