Harrowgate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Harrowgate is a neighborhood
in the Northeast
section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Harrowgate is located northeast of Kensington
adjacent to Kensington Avenue. It is south of Juniata
and northwest of Port Richmond
. Its boundary with Kensington is not clear, although it is thought to be beyond the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny Avenues (nicknamed "K&A"). It is bounded by Glenwood Avenue to the west, Kensington Avenue to the east, Venango Street to the north, Tusculum Street/Allegheny Avenue to the south. Most locals consider this area to be a part of Fairhill or Kensington, depending on which side of Front Street they live. Historically the area was an Irish-American working-class community.
Harrowgate was founded in 1784 by Capt. George Esterly, a Revolutionary War
veteran, when he discovered springs in the vicinity of what is now Kensington Ave. and Tioga St., now the site of Harrowgate Square, a park covering one city block. The spring water was pronounced healthful by Dr. Benjamin Rush
, and Esterly established a spa there, with gardens, overnight accommodations, food and drink, occasional concerts, and coach service from Second and Market Sts. in Philadelphia. The name was copied from a spa in England. The spring dried up about 1800, but the town flourished.
Nearby was Cedar Grove, country estate of the Paschall and Morris families. First section of the modest mansion was built in 1746. The Morris family donated the house to the city in 1926, and it was moved, stone by stone, with much of the original furniture, to west Fairmount Park
, where it is open to the public.
Today, Harrowgate is primarily a low-income neighborhood largely populated by Puerto Ricans. But also has significant populations of Dominicans, African Americans, and Irish.
Philadelphia's SPC branch and Saint Christopher's Hospital For Children are both located in Harrowgate.
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
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
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Harrowgate is located northeast of Kensington
Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kensington is a neighborhood in the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is between the Lower Northeast section of Philadelphia and North Philadelphia. Not to be confused with the former Kensington District, now commonly referred to as Fishtown, the area modernly referred to as...
adjacent to Kensington Avenue. It is south of Juniata
Juniata, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Juniata is a neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, which is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; however, it is sometimes said to be in North Philadelphia because it lies west of Frankford Creek. Juniata is located south of the Juniata Golf Club in Tacony Creek Park...
and northwest of Port Richmond
Port Richmond, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Port Richmond, also referred to as simply Richmond, is a neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is notable for its extremely large Polish immigrant and Polish American community. The neighborhood is also home to sizable Irish, German and Italian communities as...
. Its boundary with Kensington is not clear, although it is thought to be beyond the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny Avenues (nicknamed "K&A"). It is bounded by Glenwood Avenue to the west, Kensington Avenue to the east, Venango Street to the north, Tusculum Street/Allegheny Avenue to the south. Most locals consider this area to be a part of Fairhill or Kensington, depending on which side of Front Street they live. Historically the area was an Irish-American working-class community.
Harrowgate was founded in 1784 by Capt. George Esterly, a 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...
veteran, when he discovered springs in the vicinity of what is now Kensington Ave. and Tioga St., now the site of Harrowgate Square, a park covering one city block. The spring water was pronounced healthful by Dr. Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush was a Founding Father of the United States. Rush lived in the state of Pennsylvania and was a physician, writer, educator, humanitarian and a Christian Universalist, as well as the founder of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
, and Esterly established a spa there, with gardens, overnight accommodations, food and drink, occasional concerts, and coach service from Second and Market Sts. in Philadelphia. The name was copied from a spa in England. The spring dried up about 1800, but the town flourished.
Nearby was Cedar Grove, country estate of the Paschall and Morris families. First section of the modest mansion was built in 1746. The Morris family donated the house to the city in 1926, and it was moved, stone by stone, with much of the original furniture, to west Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with , all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010.-Fairmount Park proper:...
, where it is open to the public.
Today, Harrowgate is primarily a low-income neighborhood largely populated by Puerto Ricans. But also has significant populations of Dominicans, African Americans, and Irish.
Philadelphia's SPC branch and Saint Christopher's Hospital For Children are both located in Harrowgate.