January/February 2015 The Newsletter of The Society Hill Civic Association SOCIETYHILL Reporter www.societyhillcivic.org Philly’s Own Ellis Island he Society Hill Civic Association Susan became interested in the stories of immi- T (SHCA) invites all neighbors to its grants and has been collecting family histories General Membership Meeting on January 21, from descendants. She will share with you the when Pennsport neighbor Susan McAninley Pier’s history and some of those family stories. will speak about Pier 53, a Philadelphia Remember that everyone is welcome to attend treasure steps from our own community. our General Membership Meeting. Simply arrive Susan McAninley is a graphic artist and a lifetime at Pennsylvania Hospital’s Zubrow Auditorium, resident of Philadelphia. When she made her located on the first floor inside the main entrance home three blocks from the Delaware River in at 8th Street near Spruce, before 7:30 p.m. 1991, the riverfront was long abandoned and bar- All members interested in Society Hill issues ricaded. In 2008, the Central Delaware Advocacy are welcome at our monthly Board Meeting, Group launched a 10-year strategic plan to imple- 6 p.m. at the Great Court Conference Room. ment a new civic vision for the waterfront. The first area developed was the Washington Avenue Green Park, at the foot of Washington McCALL SCHOOL Historical Marker at Avenue and Columbus Boulevard. An overgrown Washington Avenue and Pier 53, abandoned since 1965, extended from Columbus Boulevard. that park into the river. Little was known about Pier 53, even though the site played a part in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812; served as a boatbuilding shipyard and the nation’s first Naval Yard; and welcomed and dispatched Civil War soldiers. From 1876 into the 1920s, it was an immigration pier — the Ellis Island of Phila delphia — for incoming immigrants from Europe, welcoming about a million new residents. NELSON, a global design firm, recently sent WEDNESDAY MARK YOUR CALENDAR a team of volunteers to McCall School to provide many additions to the school's interior and exterior. January With parents and students, they painted doors and Society Hill Civic Association Meetings murals, planted new vegetation and used reclaimed Wednesday, January 21, 2015 wood from Independence National Historical Park to build benches that help tell the history of our neigh- Pennsylvania Hospital borhood. 21 8th & Spruce Streets 6:00 p.m. Board of Directors Meeting Pennsylvania Great Court Conference Room All SHCA members are welcome. 7:30 p.m. General Membership Meeting Pennsylvania Hospital Zubrow Auditorium All neighborhood residents are invited to attend. Speaker: Susan McAninley Topic: Pier 53 — Its History and Immigrant Arrivals PAGE 2 SOCIETYHILL Reporter NUSA SOCIETYHILL Gold Seal Award Reporter Winner Managing Editor Press Release Liaison Sandra Rothman c/o Matt DeJulio Columnists [email protected] Marilyn Appel Advertising Manager Claire Batten Lenore Hardy Jane Biberman [email protected] Matt DeJulio Martha Levine Submission Deadlines Jim Murphy March/April Issue Advertising: February 1 Contributors Editorial: February 1 Fred Manfred Lilyan Maitin Society Hill Susan McAninley Civic Association Diane Stein P. O. Box 63503 Philadelphia, PA 19147 Photographer Bonnie Halda Tel. 215-629-1288 Graphic Design Website Judy Lamirand Find past issues of the [email protected] Reporter with color photos w at www.societyhillcivic.org. w designgroupllc.com Submissions 267.872.8814 We want to hear from you. Our goal is to print news of interest to Society Hillers — happenings in and around our community for residents, businesses and professionals. Direct your editorial submissions and/or queries to Sandra Rothman by phone at 717-715-5791 or email [email protected]. To publicize an event, submit all press releases directly. parallel Materials must be submitted in writing — via mail or email — and must include the name of a contact person. Edited submissions will be considered for publication if the subject matter is community related and if space design allows. Otherwise, upcoming events of interest may be listed in the Community Calendar. Letters to the Editor will be considered for publication only if signed and the writer provides contact information. Find our designs SHCA Board Officers and Directors online. President Northeast Quadrant BeyondTheLibertyBell.org Robert Curley 2015 Heather Steiner Parallel-Design.com First Vice President 2016 Lisa Unger Jim Moss 2017 George Kelley Second Vice President Northwest Quadrant 215-476-4040 Martha Levine 2015 Mary Tracy Recording Secretary 2016 Amy DeMarco Logos Marlene Molinoff 2017 Norman Lieberman Websites Treasurer Southeast Quadrant Marc Feldman Banners Newsletters 2015 Laura Temple Directors-at-Large 2016 Jeff Berry Books The Award-Winning George Dowdall, 2017 Barbara Gelman Diane Harrison, Brochures Society Hill Southwest Quadrant Bill Landy, Sissie Lipton, 2015 Marilyn Appel Fred Manfred, Mary Purcell, Invitations ! 2016 Daniel Horowitz Reporter Vijay Verma, Kim Williams 2017 Joan Kleinbard JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 PAGE 3 Bulletin Board Snapshots of the people who make SHCA work. Mary Purcell, Mary is fond of the and subscribes to the a native of New Jersey, wonderful community at Philadelphia Orchestra. moved to Philadelphia the Towers, as well as the Additionally, Mary enjoys by way of Chicago in historic Society Hill commu- time with her large extended 1994 and has been nity in which we are lucky to family, including her feisty a resident of Society live. When she is not in the parents, who are in their Hill Towers since. gym, cooking or watching 80s and going strong. Mary Mary’s professional HGTV and the Food Network, is past chair of the Society expertise is in she enjoys membership Hill Towers Community PAC project management at a number of our cultural and joined the SHCA board and employee gems, including the Pennsyl - in 2009. She coordinates benefits administration, vania Academy of the Fine SHCA socials and most recently as a principal Arts and the Philadelphia participates in various at Mercer, a Marsh & Museum of Art. She committees. McLennan company. volunteers at WHYY Mary Tracy, president of She has also been an on the way! This extremely Scenic Philadelphia, has advocate for protecting busy woman relaxes by served on SHCA’s Zoning parkland and organized playing fiddle for the band and Historic Preservation the legal challenge resulting Irish Mist, which she has Committee for three years. in a landmark court decision been doing for the past that upheld the will of Robert 30 years. As a community advocate Waln Ryerss, which saved in Philadelphia, Mary led Burholme Park from private efforts to restore the historic development. This precedent Overbrook Train Station. She deterred similar land deals helped secure removal of five throughout the state. illegal billboards in Overbrook Farms, and co-founded the Mary moved to Society Hill citywide coalition SCRUB from Overbrook Farms four (Society Created to Reduce years ago. Her son Bryan Urban Blight) in 1990, and daughter Kate live and partnering with community work in New York City, and groups and local officials to her daughter Clare lives and pass laws protecting neigh- works in Philadelphia. Mary borhoods from billboard blight. has one grandchild and one The Society Hill Civic Association is fortunate to recruit talented, hard-working neighbors who love our community and work hard to make it even better. Consider adding your time and talents to an SHCA committee. You’ll meet interesting people and make meaningful contributions to Society Hill, one of America’s premier neighborhoods. Find a list of all of SHCA’s committees at www.societyhillcivic.org. In This Issue… Page 5 Page 12 Page 19 Page 30 Mark Your Calendar: Exploring the City: Our Old Neighborhood: Nifty Neighbors in My Own Washington Square Affair Reading Terminal Market Lilyan Maitin Reminisces Backyard: Sid and Shirley Curtis Page 7 Page 15 Page 23 Page 32 Sorting Things Out: Philly Food Lovers: Capofitto Society Hill Schools: Membership With (New) Benefits: Recycling Dos and Don’ts is Much More than Gelato Constitution High School Discounts for Members PAGE 4 SOCIETYHILL Reporter JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 PAGE 5 MARK YOUR CALENDAR Washington Square Affair :: June 10, 2015 ark your calendar! SHCA’s fourth Some of the more ambitious endeavors have MWashington Square Affair will take been collaborative efforts between SHCA, place on Wednesday, June 10. It promises Independence National Historical Park, private to be the best celebration since 1776! donations and the community. One of the first The tented Affair will be held in Washington major projects was the design and installation Square from 6:30 to 9 p.m. We hope you of a park-wide sprinkler system, critical in will join us for an exciting evening with friends, maintaining the health of the flower beds neighbors and local businesses, as we gather and grassy areas. and mingle in celebration of this historic neigh- Thanks to the generous support of the Phila - borhood jewel. The Affair will feature a variety delphia Fountain Society, we were finally able of foods from area restaurants and caterers, to install the central Water Lily fixture, which wine, music and festive entertainment. was outlined in the original plan, as well as The earlier Patron cocktail party will be held on repair and restore the basin. Two years ago, Friday, May 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pamela and Joan and Bernard Spain’s generous contribution Ajay Raju’s sensational Pine Street residence. led the way for both guard houses to undergo Guests will enjoy their Italianate New York-style historic restorations. Most recently, Suzanne brownstone with a magnificent formal garden, and Norman Cohn’s donation funded critical all of which overlook the picturesque grounds maintenance and cleaning of the memorial site. of historic Pennsylvania Hospital. Oprah Winfrey’s Individuals and businesses have the opportunity project Beloved was filmed in this grand mansion.