I was so excited to go to this historic spot down by the water front. Elfreth's Alley - popularly known as "Our nation's oldest residential street" - dates back to the first days of the eighteenth century. Twenty years after William Penn founded Pennsylvania and established Philadelphia as its capital, the town had grown into a thriving, prosperous mercantile center on the banks of the Delaware River.
Early settlers created a cityscape similar to what they remembered in England. Wharves stretched out into the river, welcoming ships from around the world. Shops, taverns, and homes crowded the area along the river. Philadelphians made and sold items essential to life in the New World and to the trade that was a part of their daily lives.
Two of these colonial craftsmen, blacksmiths John Gilbert and Arthur Wells, owned the land where Elfreth’s Alley now sits. In 1702, each man gave up a portion of his land to create an alleyway along their property line that connected their smithies near the river with Second Street, one block away. By that date, Second was a major north-south road.
In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, numerous artisans and craftsmen resided on Elfreth’s Alley, often living and working in the same building. Even at that early date, Elfreth’s Alley had a diverse population.
By the early twentieth century, the Alley had become a run-down, impoverished area and faced numerous demolition threats. In 1934, Alley resident Dorothy Ottey organized a group of men and women to save several colonial houses from demolition by absentee landlords. They called themselves the Elfreth's Alley Association and helped to rescue the street from additional threats, including construction of I-95 in the late 1950s.
Since 1702, Elfreth's Alley has been home to more than 3,000 people. Today thirty-two houses, built between 1728 and 1836, line the alley.
I fell in love with the deep warm colors of each door. I did get a little carried away and took pictures of my favorites. Each door had its own story to tell. Brian had to keep me from knocking!!
A Door Mat
And One Beautiful Window Box
Bladen’s Court is an alley within an alley and originally provided access to the backs of several properties that faced Front Street.
A Few Other Favorites
I wish I knew the story for each house and tenant. What a wonderful book that would make!
