LOOKING BACK & MOVING FORWARD LOOKING MOVING BACK FORWARD Looking Moving A Back Forward N A Nostalgic Look At Our Neighborhoods ostalgic Look at Our Neighborhoods A GIFT PUBLICATION FROM THE SPORTS COMPLEX SPECIAL SERVICES DISTRICT www.scssd.org A N O S T ALGIC LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS SCSSD / PHILADELPHIA PORTS OMPLEX PECIAL ERVICES ISTRICT LOOKINGOOKING BACK S C S S D MOVIMOVING FORWARDORWARD VOTING DIRECTORS TABLE OF CONTENTS DISTRICT I Director Judy Cerrone Alternate Theresa Piccone 3 Neighborhoods DISTRICT II Director Barbara Capozzi, Esq. Alternate Don Toto 25 Landmarks DISTRICT III Director John Sfrisi 43 Parks Alternate Joseph Messina DISTRICT IV 55 1926 Sesquicentennial Director Ted Scairato Alternate George Hatton III COMCAST-SPECTACOR 81 Sports Complex Director John Page PHILADELPHIA Alternate Mike Hasson 108 Acknowledgements PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 3300 SOUTH 7TH STREET Director Don Smolenski & Credits PHILADELPHIA, PA 19148 Alternate Leonard Bonacci Phone: (215) 271-1701 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES Fax: (215) 271-1702 Director Mike Stiles, Esq. www.scssd.org Alternate Michael Harris DEDICATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Shawn Jalosinski This book is dedicated to the residents PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL [email protected] Hon. Frank DiCicco and places that have made and continue ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Hon. Anna C. Verna to make the neighborhoods around the Jeffrey Kern CITY MANAGING DIRECTOR Sports Complex in South Philadelphia a [email protected] Dr. Camille Cates Barnett truly special place to live, work, and visit. PA STATE HOUSE SCSSD recognizes our volunteer Hon. Robert C. Donatucci Community Directors who spend countless Hon. William F. Keller hours in pursuit of neighborhood protections PA STATE SENATE and improvements. Hon. Lawrence M. Farnese, Jr. Ongoing thanks to Comcast-Spectacor, the OFFICERS Philadelphia Eagles, and the Philadelphia PRESIDENT Phillies for fully funding SCSSD and John Page making this book possible. VICE PRESIDENT Judy Cerrone (current) Barbara Capozzi, Esq. (past) The Sports Complex Special Services District, or SCSSD for short, is a non-profit corporation that serves Ted Scairato (past) approximately 9,000 residents and 4,000 households located within the four Community Districts shown SECRETARY in the map above. SCSSD is engaged in a mission to protect community interests, improve neighborhood Don Smolenski (current) quality of life, and promote efficient operation of the South Philadelphia sports complex venues. SCSSD Mike Stiles, Esq. (past) is proud to provide neighbors with this unique gift publication to supplement our ongoing programs such as TREASURER residential street and sidewalk cleaning, landscape beautification, traffic improvement projects, lighting John Sfrisi upgrades, and community events. May 2010 DearDear SCSSD SCSSD Neighbors, Neighbors, Did South Did South Philadelphia Philadelphia really really have have its its ownown LibertyLiberty Bell? Bell? Was there Was there once once an outdooran outdoor boxing boxing stadium stadium atat thethe corner corner of of Broad Broad and and Packer? Packer? A pool-jumping A pool-jumping horse horse visible visible from from row row homes?homes? How aboutHow about a public a public pool pool large large enough enough toto fit 70,00070,000 Philadelphians? Philadelphians? LongLong before before SCSSD SCSSD was was createdcreated in in 2001, 2001, the the land land south south of Oregon of Oregon Avenue Avenue witnessed LOOKINGOOKING BACK witnesseda myriad a of myriad historical of eventshistorical and eventswas home and to wasmany home significant to many landmarks significant that have landmarks MOVIMOVING FORWARDORWARD thatcome have and come gone. and This gone. book This provides book a smallprovides glimpse a small into that glimpse history into of developmentthat history of developmentwith over 300 through nostalgic ### photos nostalgic organized photos under organized five themes. under five themes. NEIGHBORHOODS We Weare are thrilled thrilled to to share share thesethese remarkableremarkable photos photos with with you, you, and theand answer the answer is ‘yes’ is to ‘yes’ to allall ofof the questions questions posed posed above... above... A massive A massive Liberty Liberty Bell Bell replica replica did spanned span South South Broad Street Street in in1926 1926 (page (page 60). 60). We start this book with a section showcasing the Toppi Toppi Stadium Stadium sat 5,000sat 5,000 fans fans for for local local boxing boxing entertainmententertainment (page (page 32). 32). origins of the four neighborhoods that comprise the Sports Complex Special Services District. Horse Horse diving diving was wasa popular a popular attraction attraction at at the the AquaramaAquarama (page (page 29). 29). Though the availability of photos is quite limited, And FDR And FDRPark Park once once had had a 12 a million12 million gallon gallon concreteconcrete swimming swimming pool pool (page (page 49). 49). the following twenty-one pages provide a glimpse into some of the construction and early life in our ThroughThrough this this photo photo compilation, compilation, we we hopehope to taketake you you on on a amemorable memorable journey journey back back in in four Community Districts. timetime to theto the birth birth and and growth growth of of our our neighborhoods. Older Older residents residents can can reminisce, reminisce, whilewhile younger younger residents residents can can see see whatwhat was herehere before before they they were were born. born. These These authentic authentic snapshotssnapshots give give you you an an appreciation appreciation of howhow much much has has changed changed in lessin less than than a century... a century... It Itis isa waya way of Lookingof Looking Back Back while Movingwhile Moving Forward. Forward. We Wehope hope you you enjoy enjoy this this keepsakekeepsake book book as as much much as weas didwe preparingdid preparing it for you.it for you. Sincerely, Sincerely, The The SportsSports ComplexComplex Special Special Services Services District District (SCSSD) (SCSSD) Disclaimer:Disclaimer: Please Please note note this thisbook book is not is anot comprehensive a comprehensive history history of your of your neighborhoods. neighborhoods. We We have have made made our our absoluteabsolute best best effort effort to research to research and andaccurately accurately represent represent photos photos and and information information in this in this book. book. However, However, we we cannotcannot guarantee guarantee the accuracythe accuracy of information of information from from cited cited sources. sources. It should It should also also be noted,be noted, in particular in particular with with the Neighborhoodsthe Neighborhoods section, section,that some that locations some locations are highlighted are highlighted with multiple with multiple photos, photos, while other while residential other residential locations havelocations no photos. have This no is photos. not a matter This is of not favoritism, a matter ofbut favoritism, rather limited but rather photo limited availability! photo availability! 2 3 B I G L E R S TREET • 1 9 5 6 NEIGHBORHOODS R ESIDENTIAL C ONSTRUCTION • 1 9 5 2 COMMUNITY DISTRICT I Construction of rowhomes along the 3100 block of S. Broad Street, October 7, 1952. The photo on the left is looking south. The photo on the right shows the northeast corner of S. Broad Street and Curtin Street. Above: Hassam Paving Company working on S. Broad Street near Packer Avenue, November 18, 1913. Below: View of low-lying conditions on S. 10th Street, south of Packer Avenue, October 28, 1926. This area is currently a Sports Complex surface parking lot. Construction of rowhomes along the 3200 block of S. Broad Street, October 7, 1952. The photo on the left is looking south from Curtin Street. The photo on the right shows the northeast corner of S. Broad Street and Geary Street. 4 5 CC- 242 CC- 434 @ 35% View of Curtin Street, looking east from S. Broad Street, June 5, 1953. NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DISTRICT I Brick dwelling units located southeast of S. 13th Street and Curtin Street, June 5, 1953. Photo of a dwelling located 200 feet south of Small dwellings located 430 feet south of S. 13th Street S. 13th Street and Geary Street, June 5, 1953. and Geary Street, June 29, 1953. View of Geary Street, looking east from S. Broad Street, June 5, 1953. The right side of the View from Packer Avenue, looking south towards S. 13th Street, June 5, 1953. photo shows the vacant land that would much later become the 1300 block of Geary Street homes. 6 7 NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DISTRICT I Looking east at the 3200 block of S. Broad Street, April 5, 1957. Looking south along the 3100 block of S. Juniper Street, August 11, 1976. Veterans Stadium is visible in the A large concrete slab found in the front yard of a home on the background. 3100 block of S. Juniper Street, December 11, 1956. View of S. Juniper Street, looking north from Geary Street, December 31, 1956. B EFORE & A FTER Looking north along the 3200 block of S. Juniper Street, December 31, 1956. View of S. Juniper Street, looking south towards Geary Street, December 31, 1956. The screen from the South City Drive-In Movie Theater is visible in Views of S. 13th Street, between Packer Avenue and Geary Street, 1950’s. the background. 8 9 Rendering of a proposed public square at the intersection of S. 20th Street, Moyamensing Avenue, and Packer Avenue, NEIGHBORHOODS dated March 1914 from Philadelphia’s Bureau of Surveys. COMMUNITY DISTRICT II Almost a century later, SCSSD is currently pursuing a roundabout design concept for this intersection with the goal of establishing a community gateway, calming traffic, and adding landscape beautification. Looking north from Pattison Avenue near S. 20th Street, May 21, 1952. 1914 N AVA L S H I P YA R D H OMES Views of the Shipyard Homes 1943 1953 built near the end of World War II. Homes were located west of S. Broad Street between the U.S. Naval Hospital and Packer Avenue. 10 11 NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DISTRICT II View of the 3100 block of S.