Wissahickon, Philadelphia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wissahickon
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Wissahickon neighborhood gateway sign
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| Country |  United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Philadelphia County |
| City | Philadelphia |
| Zipcode |
19128
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| Area code(s) | 215, 267 and 445 |
Wissahickon is a neighborhood in the section of Lower Northwest Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania. Wissahickon is located adjacent to the neighborhoods of Roxborough and Manayunk, and it is bounded by the Wissahickon Valley Park, Ridge Avenue, Hermit Street, and Henry Avenue. The name of the neighborhood comes from the Lenni Lenape word wisameckham, for "catfish creek", a reference to the fish that were once plentiful in the Wissahickon Creek.
Contents
Historic Structures
- The 100 Steps: Located at the base of Freeland Avenue, these broad stairs were built in 1901 of Wissahickon granite and local ironwork. Restoration work was completed between 2003-05 as steps were repaired, new lighting was installed, and railings were replaced. The 100 Steps offer a convenient route to the trails in Wissahickon Valley Park.
- Merrick Hall: Located on the 5300 block of Ridge Avenue, this is the oldest building on Northern Children’s Services campus. Designed by noted Philadelphia architect Lindley Johnson in the 1870s, it was originally the former home of 19th century industrialist J. Vaughn Merrick. The house was renovated in 1927 by the well-known Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer and more recently in 2012-14 by Philadelphia architecture firm Jacobs Wyper Architects.
- Northern Children's Services: Located on the 5300 block of Ridge Avenue, this is a cluster of stone buildings, including four dormitories, an infirmary, a dining hall and kitchen, a gymnasium, a library and meeting rooms, designed and altered by Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer in 1927 on a six-acre campus aimed at helping children and their families do better.
- St. Timothy's Workingmen's Club and Institute: Located at the intersection of Ridge Avenue, Terrace Street, and Vassar Street, and founded in 1872, this club provided free educational opportunities for working men, including night classes in mechanical drawing, engineering, and chemistry, until 1913 when it ceased operations.
- LaNoce Park: Bounded by Osborn Street, Rochelle Avenue, and Kalos Street, this park is the site of the former Wissahickon Public School and was established in 1984 by way of transfer to the Fairmount Park Commission. It was named for former local barber and community leader Sabatina LaNoce who died in 1980.
- The Ridge Avenue Bridge: Located at the southern edge of the neighborhood, it is a triple-span stone arch bridge built in 1888 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The bridge carries Ridge Avenue over the Wissahickon Creek and into East Falls.
Transportation
Along the perimeter of Wissahickon is one of the longest and oldest thoroughfares in Philadelphia, Ridge Avenue.
One SEPTA Regional Rail line connects the neighborhood to Center City: the Manayunk/Norristown Line stops at the Wissahickon station. The station was once home to a building designed by the renowned architect Frank Furness; however, the building was later demolished. Improvements were made to the existing station, and during Summer 2016, local artist and Moore College of Art & Design faculty member, David Guinn painted a mural on a retaining wall running along the outbound platform of the station, coordinated by the Wissahickon Interested Citizen's Association, Mural Arts Program, and Cook-Wissahickon School.
The neighborhood is also served by bus routes 9, 27, and 65. The Wissahickon Transportation Center offers connecting service to routes 1, 9, 27, 35, 38, 61, 62, 65, 124, 125, & R. Plans for renovating the Wissahickon Transportation Center were released in 2018 by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Called the Wissahickon Gateway Plan, the plan's proposals to expand the transfer station, improve Ridge Avenue, extend the Schuylkill River Trail, and introduce new development (including shops, offices, and apartments) were met with mixed reviews.
Civic Association
The local civic association is called Wissahickon Interested Citizen's Association. Public meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month at Northern Children's Services.
- Bicknell, Joseph D. The Wissahickon in History, Song and Story. Philadelphia, PA: The City History Society of Philadelphia, 1908. Print.
- Del Collo Deborah. Roxborough. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2011. Print.
- Herman, Andrew M. Along the Wissahickon Creek. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub, 2004. Print.
- Manton, John Charles: Bygones: a Guide to Historic Roxborough-Manayunk. Philadelphia : J. C. Manton, Historical Research, c1990.
- Miles, Joseph S., and William H. Cooper. A Historical Sketch of Roxborough, Manayunk, Wissahickon. Philadelphia, PA: G. Fein & Co., 1940. Print.
- Minardi, Joseph. Historic Architecture in Philadelphia: East Falls, Manayunk, and Roxborough. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2013. Print.
- Myers, Nick. Milestones in History, 1690-1990: Roxborough, Manayunk, Wissahickon, Andorra. Philadelphia, PA: Roxborough-Manayunk-Wissahickon Historical Society, 1990. Print.
Demographics
Taking into consideration the four Census Block Groups that mostly comprise the area (BG0209001, BG0209002, BG0209003, and BG0211001), as of the 2010 Census, the Wissahickon neighborhood had roughly 3,163 residents, 1,520 households, and 659 families. The racial makeup of Wissahickon was roughly 87.48% White/Caucasian, 6.32% Black or African-American, 2.84% Asian, 2.75% two or more races, .41% some other race, and .18% were American Indian/Alaska Native. Native or Latino people of any race were roughly 2.87% of the population.
Of the roughly 1,520 households, 15% had children under the age of 18 living with them.
Roughly 44.10% of the residents were between 18 and 34 years old, 33.10% between 35 and 64 years old, 12.64% are under 18 years old, and 10.14% are over 65 years old.
Education
Primary and secondary education
The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools. Cook-Wissahickon School is a K-8 grade school located in the area. The school was built in 1968 at the corner of East Salaignac and Righter Streets to replace the aging Cook Public School and the Wissahickon School. The former Wissahickon School, built in 1887, was located at the north east corner of (then) Ridge Avenue and Kalos Street, now the site of LaNoche Park.
Residents zoned to Cook-Wissahickon are zoned to Roxborough High School.
Public libraries
Free Library of Philadelphia operates its Roxborough Branch, serving Wissahickon, at 6245 Ridge Avenue at Hermitage Street. A prior library, the Wissahickon Branch, located at Manayunk Avenue and Osborn Street, opened in 1909 and was built on land donated by the Pencoyd Iron Works. It was the ninth Andrew Carnegie-funded Free Library branch designed by the architectural firm of Whitfield and King and featured a main reading room, a children's room which also served as a lecture room seating 100, and a basement consisting of a boiler room, coal bin, staff room, a small magazine room, and two toilets. The Wissahickon Branch served the Wissahickon neighborhood until it closed in 1969. Sometime soon after, the building burned down.
Images for kids
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Birds Eye View of Manayunk, Wissahickon, Roxborough from West Laurel Hill Cemetery, 1907
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View of the 100 steps from the Wissahickon Creek, 1907
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St. Timothy's Workingmen's Club and Institute, 1878
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Snow scene, 100 block of Kalos Street, 1907
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Wissahickon Presbyterian Church, 1895
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Sarah A. Wright's ale, porter & lager beer saloon, 5226 Ridge Avenue, 1907
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Rochelle Avenue on a snowy day, 2014
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William Paine House, 2020
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Albanus Harmer House, 2020
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Eugene Kaiser House, 2020
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H. Rother and A.F. Hoffman Twin, 2020
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