Fox Chase, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
in the Northeast Philadelphia
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 the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The origin of the name comes from The "Fox Chase Inn" which opened in 1705. It thrived on the Turnpike trade, but it also catered to the affluent who wanted to hunt fox, thus the name "Fox Chase".
History
Fox Chase was originally part of Lower Dublin TownshipLower Dublin Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Dublin Township, also known as Dublin Township, is a defunct township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854.-History:Commonly called Lower...
, also known as Dublin Township, a defunct township
Township (Pennsylvania)
A township in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state of the United States of America, is one of four types of municipalities in the state . Townships were established based on convenient geographical boundaries and vary in size from six to forty square miles...
that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
. The township ceased to exist and was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia
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,...
following the passage of the Act of Consolidation, 1854
Act of Consolidation, 1854
The Act of Consolidation, more formally known as the act of February 2, 1854 , was enacted by General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and approved February 2, 1854 by Governor William Bigler...
.
Philadelphia’s elite once flocked to opulent vacation homes built in the lush fringes bordering the city. The area's character changed with the arrival of the railroad in 1876. Many of Philadelphia's aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
began to discover the attractiveness of suburban living, and built mansions here, using the railroad for convenient transport into the city.
Location and Surrounding Areas
The Fox Chase section is located on the border with Montgomery CountyMontgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
and there is an active and cooperative business community that crosses the county line into Rockledge
Rockledge, Pennsylvania
Rockledge is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,543 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Rockledge is located at ....
and Huntingdon Valley
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon Valley is a village, as well as a suburban mailing address located in Lower Moreland Township, Upper Moreland and Abington Township all in Montgomery County, and in a small section of Upper Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania bordering the Fox Chase section of...
.
Pennypack Park
Pennypack Park is a municipal park, part of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park system, in Northeast Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Established in 1905 by ordinance of the City of Philadelphia, it includes about of woodlands, meadows and wetlands. The Pennypack Creek runs through the...
. It is composed of woodlands, meadows and wetlands. The banks of the Pennypack Creek
Pennypack 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:...
runs through the park from Pine Road in Fox Chase all the way to the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. The area also includes playgrounds, hiking and bike trails as well as bridle paths for horse back riding. The Pennypack Environmental Center on Verree Road is also located within the neighborhood.
Many historic structures are still intact throughout Fox Chase. The Verree House on Verree Road was the site of a raid by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
troops during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The trained eye can rediscover abandoned railroad grades, remnants of early mills, mill races and other reminders that generations of mankind have gathered in the "Green Heart" of Northeast Philadelphia
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,...
.
Fox Chase Farm
Fox Chase Farm is one of two working farms in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . Formerly owned by the Wistar family, the farm is located on Pine Road in the Fox Chase neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia on the border with Montgomery County...
is the only remaining active farm in Philadelphia County, and is used extensively by the School District of Philadelphia
School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in the School District of Philadelphia Education Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation.The School...
. It began as a land grant from William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
to Lord Stanley and then passed to the McVeigh family for over 200 years. Later, the Wistar family developed it into a self-sufficient farm until it became a Gentlemen's Farm owned by two different gentlemen farmers, Lorimer and Butler. Friends of Fox Chase Farm, an all-volunteer group, currently assists in maintaining and preserving this pastoral treasure for present and future generations.
William Rhawn, president of the National Bank
National bank
In banking, the term national bank carries several meanings:* especially in developing countries, a bank owned by the state* an ordinary private bank which operates nationally...
of the Republic in 1879, built a summer residence here. To design the project, he chose no less than Frank Furness
Frank Furness
Frank Heyling Furness was an acclaimed American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his eclectic, muscular, often idiosyncratically scaled buildings, and for his influence on the Chicago architect Louis Sullivan...
, whose work is synonymous with the mansions and public buildings of the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
. The banker’s country estate includes a carriage house and gatekeeper’s house. He called the estate “Knowlton
Knowlton
-Places:United Kingdom*Knowlton, Kent a parish in England*Knowlton, DorsetUnited States*Knowlton, Wisconsin, a town in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States*Knowlton , Wisconsin, a CDP in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States...
” because it resembled Knowles’ estate in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has since been converted into a catering establishment.
Ryerss Mansion
Ryerss Mansion, also known as Burholme Mansion, is a historic mansion in the Fox Chase neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The house was built by merchant Joseph Waln Ryerss in 1859 overlooking Burholme Park, one of the highest vistas in Philadelphia...
is also located in Fox Chase. The house was built by merchant Joseph Waln Ryerss in 1859 and dramatically overlooks Burholme Park
Burholme park
Burholme Park is a public park in the Fox Chase neighborhood of Philadelphia. The park and the Robert W. Ryerss Museum and Library was a gift of the last descendant of the Ryerss family, a prominent Philadelphia family. Robert W. Ryerss died on Feb...
, one of the highest vistas in Philadelphia. The mansion is home to a massive and eccentric collection of artifacts and antiquities from around the world, collected during the Ryerss family's extensive travels and exotic sojourns, from Europe, to Africa, to the Far East.
The largest employer of Fox Chase is the internationally known Fox Chase Cancer Center
Fox Chase Cancer Center
The Fox Chase Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center research facility and hospital located in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The main facilities of the center are located on property adjoining Burholme Park...
, a unique facility that merges cancer research with the treatment of cancer. Its researchers have won Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
s for their contributions.
Among the historic properties located in this neighborhood are:
- Knowlton MansionKnowlton MansionKnowlton Mansion, also known as the Rhawn Residence, is a historic mansion in the Fox Chase neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
, designed by Frank FurnessFrank FurnessFrank Heyling Furness was an acclaimed American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his eclectic, muscular, often idiosyncratically scaled buildings, and for his influence on the Chicago architect Louis Sullivan... - The Verree House, site of a raid by British troops during the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
- Ryerss MansionRyerss MansionRyerss Mansion, also known as Burholme Mansion, is a historic mansion in the Fox Chase neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The house was built by merchant Joseph Waln Ryerss in 1859 overlooking Burholme Park, one of the highest vistas in Philadelphia...
, home of Joseph Waln Ryerss
Transportation
Public transportation is provided by several SEPTA bus routes and the Fox Chase LineFox Chase Line
The Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.Originally known as the Fox Chase/Newtown Branch, service was truncated in January 1983 from Newtown to its current terminus in Philadelphia at Fox Chase due to unreliable train equipment and low ridership...
regional rail service which terminates near Rhawn Street and Oxford Avenue.
Public libraries
The Fox Chase Branch of the Philadelphia Free Library is located at 501 Rhawn Street at Jeanes Street.Schools
Fox Chase Academics Plus is a member of the School District of Philadelphia public school. Located on 500 Rhawn Street near the library, it is open for all children grades K to 5.Churches
Fox Chase United Methodist Church is a friendly and open community church with worship services at 8:30 and 11:00 AM on Sundays and Sunday School for adults and children at 9:45 AM. Fox Chase UMC is located at 201 Loney St. at the intersection of Filmore and Loney Sts.St.Cecilia Roman Catholic Church, 535 Rhawn Street, also has a school with grades from kindergarten to eight grade. The "new" church opened in 1955 and the first church was located just to the west of the the "new" church. It was built underground with the expectations of adding an upper level, but the depression in 1929 and World War II caused this addition to be held off until 1955.
Location
Fox Chase's boundaries are:- Northeast/East, Pennypack CreekPennypack CreekPennypack 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:...
(Bustleton, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBustleton, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Bustleton section of Northeast Philadelphia is located in the Far Northeast, north of Rhawnhurst and Fox Chase and south of Somerton; sitting between Roosevelt Boulevard to the east, the city boundary to the west, Red Lion Road to the north, and Pennypack Park to the south, it is centered at...
) - West/Northwest, Filmore St (Rockledge, PennsylvaniaRockledge, PennsylvaniaRockledge is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,543 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Rockledge is located at ....
and Abington, PennsylvaniaAbington Township, Montgomery County, PennsylvaniaAbington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
) - Southwest, Township Line Road (Cheltenham, Pennsylvania)
- South, Cottman Avenue (PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia 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,...
, Cheltenham TownshipCheltenham Township, PennsylvaniaCheltenham Township is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Although it retains the word "Township" in its official name, it has been governed by a home rule charter since 1977 and is therefore not subject to the Pennsylvania Township Code. The population was...
and Elkins Park, PennsylvaniaElkins Park, PennsylvaniaElkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, roughly from Center City, Philadelphia.-Points of interest:...
) - East, Dungan Road (RhawnhurstRhawnhurst, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaRhawnhurst is a residential neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, named for George and William Rhawn by area real estate developers. Roughly bordered by Cottman Avenue to the south, Pennway Street to the west, the Pennypack Creek to the north, and Roosevelt Boulevard to the east,...
section of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia 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,...
)
External links
- A map of the neighborhood from Windows Live LocalWindows Live LocalBing Maps is a web mapping service provided as a part of Microsoft's Bing suite of search engines and powered by the Bing Maps for Enterprise framework....
can be viewed here. - Fox Chase Homeowners Association
- Fox Chase Soccer Club
- Fox Chase Town Watch
- Fox-Rok Athletic Association
- Rieker's Prime Meats
- Historic Photographs of Fox Chase, PhillyHistory.org