Somerton, Philadelphia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Somerton, Philadelphia
Neighborhood
Bustleton Avenue at the intersection with Byberry Road in Somerton.
Somerton, Philadelphia Location in Philadelphia
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Philadelphia
City	Philadelphia
Zip code	19116
Area code(s)	215, 267

Somerton is a neighborhood located in the Far Northeast part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It's a lively area with a mix of homes and businesses. The neighborhood has clear boundaries: Red Lion Road to the south, Roosevelt Boulevard to the east, and East County Line Road and Poquessing Creek to the north. To the west, it borders Montgomery County. Somerton is known for its growing population of people from all over the world, especially from Russia, Ukraine, India, and Central Asia.

The United States Postal Service has a Somerton Postal Store. However, all mail for the 19116 ZIP code is delivered by the Bustleton Post Office.

A Look Back at Somerton's Past

Somerton was not always called Somerton! It was first known as Smithfield. This was a small village within a larger area called Moreland Township.

How Somerton Got Its Name

The name Somerton comes from Jacob Sommer. His family lived in the area for four generations. The name "Somerton" first appeared for the local post office in 1830. Even then, some maps still showed it as "Smithfield or Somerton." By the 1850s, maps only used the name Somerton.

Exploring Somerton's Areas

Somerton is made up of several smaller sections, each with its own unique feel.

• Old Somerton: This area is generally north of Byberry Road. It has many older, larger homes built before the 1900s. You can also find newer, mid-sized houses here.
• Londontown: This is a small part of Somerton. It's located between the Short Line train tracks on Southampton Road and Carter Road.
• Tudor Village: This section is west of Southampton Road, west of the train tracks, and east of Worthington Road. Many houses here were built by Uno Kallaste, who was from Estonia. There's even a street named after him! Other streets in Tudor Village are named after his family members, like Ina Drive (pronounced EE-na), which is named after his wife.
• Lumar Park: This area is about a mile south of Somerton. It was built in the early 1950s.
• Brentwood: Built in the late 1950s, this area is east of Bustleton Avenue.
• Lorraine Gardens: This section was built in the early 1950s. It is south of Brentwood.
• Westwood: This area was built in the mid-1960s. It is south and west of the intersection of Bustleton and Byberry Roads.
• Philmont Heights: Built in the early 1970s, this area is generally south and west of Lumar Park.
• Camelot: This is a subdivision north and west of Red Lion Road and Haldeman Avenue.
• Georgetown: This area has larger homes called "twins" (duplexes). They were built in the late 1960s.
• Timberwalk: This section was built in 1986. It is located east of George Washington High School.

Interesting Historical Sites

Somerton is home to Philadelphia's Somerton Tank Farms. These tanks were built in the mid-1950s. They were part of an experiment in Urban Farming, which means growing food in a city.

There was also once The Budd Company's Airstrip here. This airstrip was located south and west of the Somerton Tank Farm. It had two runways built around 1942-1945. The airstrip was closed by the early 1960s. Trenches were dug across the runways to stop people from drag-racing or abandoning stolen cars there.

The Philadelphia State Hospital was located at the northwestern corner of Roosevelt Boulevard and Southampton Road. It operated from the early 1900s until it closed in the late 1980s and 1990s.

Famous People from Somerton

Some well-known individuals have connections to Somerton:

• William Cooper: He was a judge and the father of the famous writer James Fenimore Cooper.
• Chris Matthews: A television personality, he used to host the show Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC.
• Robert Moffit: An analyst who works at The Heritage Foundation.
• Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz: A New York Times best-selling non-fiction writer and poet.

Learning in Somerton

Somerton has several schools and a library, offering many chances for learning.

Public Schools

• Watson T. Comly Elementary School: Built in 1928, located at 1001 Byberry Road.
• William H. Loesche: Located at 11000 Bustleton Avenue.
• George Washington High School: Located at 10175 Bustleton Avenue.

The historic Watson Comly School, built in 1892-1893, is a special building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Archdiocesan School

• St. Christopher School: Located at 13000 Proctor Road.

Private School

• Calvary Christian Academy: Located at 13500 Philmont Avenue.

Charter Schools

• MaST Community Charter School: Has two locations, 1800 E. Byberry Road and 1 E. Crown Way.
• Philadelphia Academy Charter School (PACS): Has a high school at 1700 Tomlinson Road and a grade school at 11000 Roosevelt Boulevard.

Libraries

The Free Library of Philadelphia operates the Bustleton Branch. It is located at 10199 Bustleton Avenue at Verree Road, close to George Washington High School.