Fairhill, Philadelphia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fairhill
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Lillian Marrero Library in Fairhill
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 Fairhill
Location in Philadelphia
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| Country |  United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Philadelphia |
| City | Philadelphia |
| Area code(s) | 215, 267 and 445 |
Fairhill is a neighborhood in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located on the east side of the North Philadelphia area. Fairhill is known as a main center for Philadelphia's Hispanic community.
The neighborhood has a special shopping area called "El Centro de Oro" along North 5th Street. Fairhill is surrounded by other neighborhoods like Harrowgate, West Kensington, Hartranft, Glenwood, and Hunting Park.
Contents
A Look Back: Fairhill's History
The land where Fairhill is today was once a large estate. It belonged to the Isaac Norris family. Isaac Norris was an important merchant and later became the mayor of Philadelphia.
Fair Hill Burial Ground
Fairhill is also home to the Fair Hill Burial Ground. This is a historic cemetery. It was started by Quakers in 1703. The land for the cemetery was given by William Penn. The cemetery is now listed on the National Register for Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical site.
Growing as a Neighborhood
Fairhill started to become a city neighborhood in the 1880s. Many new people moved there. A lot of these new residents were German immigrants. They were often German Catholics.
In 1890, these German Catholic families started a church. It was called Saint Bonaventure Parish. The church building was finished in 1906. It had a tall clock tower and spire.
Changes Over Time
In the 1950s, the people living in Fairhill began to change. Many German-American families moved away. African Americans and Latinos moved into the neighborhood. Most of the new Latino residents were from Puerto Rico.
By 1975, the church started offering services in Spanish. This helped the new Spanish-speaking families. The church and its school closed in 1993. The church building was later taken down.
Fairhill's Location and Special Places
Fairhill is bordered by Front Street to the east. Germantown Avenue (10th Street) is to the west. Allegheny Avenue is to the north, and Cumberland Street is to the south.
El Centro de Oro: The Golden Center
El Centro de Oro means "The Golden Downtown" in Spanish. It is also called "El Bloque de Oro," or "Golden Block." This is a busy shopping area. It is located around 5th Street and Lehigh Avenue.
This area has many important Puerto Rican businesses and groups. Some examples are Taller Puertorriqueño (Puerto Rican Workshop) and Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (Association of Puerto Ricans on the March). There is also Artístas y Músicos Latino Americanos (Latin American Artists and Musicians).
El Centro de Oro was created in the 1970s. Community leaders helped make it happen. They wanted a new center for the Latino community. Their old neighborhood was changing. So, they encouraged businesses and groups to move to Fairhill. They also worked to create housing and social services for Latino families.
Who Lives in Fairhill?
Fairhill is a very diverse neighborhood. Most of the people living there are Hispanic. In fact, it has the highest number of Hispanic residents of any neighborhood in Philadelphia. This is more than ten times the average for the whole city.
Most of the Hispanic residents are Puerto Ricans. But there are also many people from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, and Brazil. The neighborhood is sometimes called "El Centro de Oro" because it is such an important center for the city's Hispanic community.
Some parts of Fairhill, especially west of 5th Street, are mostly Hispanic. Areas east of 5th Street are almost entirely Hispanic. Fairhill and other parts of North Philadelphia have some of the largest groups of Puerto Ricans in the United States, outside of Puerto Rico itself. The neighborhood also faces challenges, with many families having lower incomes compared to the national average.
Learning in Fairhill
The School District of Philadelphia runs the public schools in Fairhill.
Local Schools
- Fairhill School: This school serves students from kindergarten to 8th grade.
- Thomas Alva Edison High School / John C. Fareira Skills Center: Students from Fairhill School usually go on to this high school.
- Fairhill Community High School (FCHS): This is a special charter high school. It helps students who may have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out.
The Public Library
The Free Library of Philadelphia has a branch in Fairhill. It is called the Lillian Marrero Library. It used to be known as the Lehigh Avenue Branch. Lillian E. Marrero was a supervisor at this library.
