Bill Sanderson wrote:Wow--talk about true preservationist ethos--Let's bring back outhouses and be truly historically correct! (Actually, as near as I can tell indoor plumbing, or at least off the back porch, has been the case since our house was built.) This can't have been the case for the whole neighborhood, I suspect though.
years ago, when I worked with ted hershberg on the philadelphia social history project, we saw how the development and population of germantown followed sewer lines (as well as trolley lines) -- ie, a 'build it and they will come' model of urban development... I'm wondering if this here historic streetcar suburb we live in developed along the same lines...
Yes. And if I recall correctly, Ted documented that as well.
However, in this case it was only partially sewer lines (Mill Creek), but dominantly the existing east-west coach roads which the Street cars followed after the Schuylkill was bridged.
The burial of Mill Creek and its various tributaries contributed significantly to the amount of land available for housing construction.
Vast areas of West Philadelphia were in fact still farms the Civil War era, from Samuel Powell's estate (i.e. Powelton Avenue) to Clark park. Independent Townships, such as Kingsessing, Hamilton Village, Blockley made up the area prior to 1854. Philadelphia county became the City of Philadelphia in 1854 with the passage of the "City County Consolidation act." [The Consolidation Act (P.L. 21, February 2, 1854)]
A quick study on the history can be found at the UCHS website: http://www.uchs.net/
"Rosenthal's History of University City."
T.T.F.N. William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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