Castor Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Castor Gardens is a neighborhood in the lower Northeast
section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, USA. Castor Gardens' borders are ill-defined, but it exists in the vicinity of Castor and Cottman Avenues. It is also near Roosevelt Boulevard
. The neighborhood can either be entered from the south, by taking the Oxford Circle exit of Roosevelt Boulevard, or from the north, by taking the Cottman Avenue exit. Adjacent neighborhoods are Mayfair, Lawndale, Burholme, Oxford Circle, and Rhawnhurst.
Castor Gardens uses the zip codes 19111 and 19149.
The area is served by Roosevelt Mall
, one of the largest shopping centers in Philadelphia, the Northeast Regional Library branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia
, and the District 10 Health Center of the city of Philadelphia.
and is now buried beneath the streets.
The brick colonial homes of Castor Gardens were considered more prestigious than the row homes located south of Magee Avenue, which were part of the neighborhood known as Oxford Circle (getting its name from the traffic circle located at the juncture of Oxford Avenue, Castor Avenue, and Roosevelt Boulevard, formerly known as Hunter's Circle).
As the neighborhood developed, the area between Magee and Cottman Avenue, Whitaker Avenue and Castor Avenue was mostly semi-detached and detached homes. To differentiate this area from the row homes south of Magee and east of Castor Avenue, the use of the name Castor Gardens began in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
As people began to indicate a preference for Castor Gardens as opposed to Oxford Circle, the name was applied to a larger and larger area, first encompassing the newest row homes in the area (north of Tyson Avenue) and eventually encompassing the entire area formerly known as Oxford Circle, while that name was relegated to the homes located south of Oxford Avenue which were older and smaller homes mostly built in the 1920s and 1930s. The housing stock in Castor Gardens were built as early as the 1930s, with construction halted during the years of World War II. The housing boom after World War II fueled additional construction, with the last homes being built on streets located along Cottman Avenue in 1956. Some spot building (building completed on a lot by lot basis) continued to the present day.
A Democratic stronghold, the area is split into many political districts. It is represented in Congress by Robert Brady and Allyson Schwartz, in the Philadelphia City Council by Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Joan Krajewski, in the Pennsylvania State Senate by Mike Stack and Tina Tartaglione, and in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by Mark B. Cohen, a longtime resident of Castor Gardens, and John Sabatina.
operates the Bushrod Branch at 6304 Castor Avenue at Stirling Street.
Northeast Philadelphia
Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 Census, the Northeast has a sizable percentage of the city's 1.547 million people — a population of between 300,000 and 450,000,...
section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, USA. Castor Gardens' borders are ill-defined, but it exists in the vicinity of Castor and Cottman Avenues. It is also near Roosevelt Boulevard
Roosevelt Boulevard (Philadelphia)
Roosevelt Boulevard , often referred to simply as "the Boulevard," is a major traffic artery through North and Northeast Philadelphia...
. The neighborhood can either be entered from the south, by taking the Oxford Circle exit of Roosevelt Boulevard, or from the north, by taking the Cottman Avenue exit. Adjacent neighborhoods are Mayfair, Lawndale, Burholme, Oxford Circle, and Rhawnhurst.
Castor Gardens uses the zip codes 19111 and 19149.
The area is served by Roosevelt Mall
Roosevelt Mall
Roosevelt Mall is a medium-sized outdoor shopping mall, located along PA 73 between Bustleton Avenue and the Roosevelt Boulevard in the Castor Gardens neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is anchored by a large, 3-level department store on its east end, that currently houses...
, one of the largest shopping centers in Philadelphia, the Northeast Regional Library branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia
Free Library of Philadelphia
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:History of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Initiated by the efforts of Dr...
, and the District 10 Health Center of the city of Philadelphia.
History
Castor Gardens was the name of a development of detached homes built north of Magee Avenue, on the east side of Whitaker Avenue. Its name is derived from Castor's mill, which was located to the south of Sandy Run, where it would have crossed Castor Avenue (referred to as "Hartshorn Lane" on some maps. Sandy Run is a minor tributary to Pennypack CreekPennypack Creek
Pennypack Creek is a creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through eastern Montgomery County, lower Bucks County, and the northeast section of Philadelphia, before emptying into the Delaware River.-Name:...
and is now buried beneath the streets.
The brick colonial homes of Castor Gardens were considered more prestigious than the row homes located south of Magee Avenue, which were part of the neighborhood known as Oxford Circle (getting its name from the traffic circle located at the juncture of Oxford Avenue, Castor Avenue, and Roosevelt Boulevard, formerly known as Hunter's Circle).
As the neighborhood developed, the area between Magee and Cottman Avenue, Whitaker Avenue and Castor Avenue was mostly semi-detached and detached homes. To differentiate this area from the row homes south of Magee and east of Castor Avenue, the use of the name Castor Gardens began in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
As people began to indicate a preference for Castor Gardens as opposed to Oxford Circle, the name was applied to a larger and larger area, first encompassing the newest row homes in the area (north of Tyson Avenue) and eventually encompassing the entire area formerly known as Oxford Circle, while that name was relegated to the homes located south of Oxford Avenue which were older and smaller homes mostly built in the 1920s and 1930s. The housing stock in Castor Gardens were built as early as the 1930s, with construction halted during the years of World War II. The housing boom after World War II fueled additional construction, with the last homes being built on streets located along Cottman Avenue in 1956. Some spot building (building completed on a lot by lot basis) continued to the present day.
Demographics
Historically, Castor Gardens was a primarily white, middle class Jewish community. Over the past decade, the area has experienced significant change with the integration of Koreans, Cambodians, Hispanics, Arabs, and African Americans.Government
Political leaders of note who were residents of Castor Gardens at one time include Councilman at Large Jack Kelly, former Congressman Charles Dougherty, the late Congressman Joshua Eilberg, and the late leader of the Northeast Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center Anthony IannerelliA Democratic stronghold, the area is split into many political districts. It is represented in Congress by Robert Brady and Allyson Schwartz, in the Philadelphia City Council by Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Joan Krajewski, in the Pennsylvania State Senate by Mike Stack and Tina Tartaglione, and in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by Mark B. Cohen, a longtime resident of Castor Gardens, and John Sabatina.
Public libraries
Free Library of PhiladelphiaFree Library of Philadelphia
The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:History of the Free Library of Philadelphia: Initiated by the efforts of Dr...
operates the Bushrod Branch at 6304 Castor Avenue at Stirling Street.