Then and Now: South Street east of Third Street, Philadelphia

1930-2010

On the left hand side of today's view is Abbott's Square, a gargantuan condominium complex spanning a full block of South Street and Second Street. Built in the mid-1980s, Abbott's Square takes its name from Abbott's Dairies, which operated a nearby ice cream factory on the 200 block of Lombard Street before closing in 1982.

As in most of the city, trolley service on South Street ended in the late 50s; the tracks and wires were removed shortly thereafter.

Source: Thompson, Gary. "Finally, a first step at Penn's Landing: $35M project, long in the works, could spark a renaissance." Philadelphia Daily News. 2 Jan. 1985: 23.
Original photo: Howell, Charles L. "Public Works-28458-0." 1930. Philadelphia City Archives. PhillyHistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 23 Apr. 2010. http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/MediaStream.ashx?mediaId=37897.

Then and Now: 335-341 South Street, Philadelphia

1930-2009

Commercial storefront awnings, once a ubiquitous presence in North American cities, have become somewhat of a rarity on South Street. Ishkabibble's Eatery, a true South Street institution at the age of 30, was the last of its neighbors to maintain an awning and a well-preserved storefront lintel/cornice. Presumably, the lintel is still there, "temporarily" hidden behind the new sign and light fixture installed several years ago.

Original image: Howell, Charles L. "Public Works-28479-0-F." 1930. Philadelphia City Archives. Phillyhistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 17 Dec. 2009. http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/MediaStream.ashx?mediaId=27723.

Then and Now: 406 South Street, Philadelphia

1959-2008

Original Image: Cuneo. "Department of Public Proerpty-38424-0." 1959. Philadelphia City Archives. PhillyHistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 26 Oct. 2008. http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/MediaStream.ashx?mediaId=141039

Then and Now: Northeast corner of 4th and South, Philadelphia

1963-2008

It is well known that there are few streets in Philadelphia as storied as South Street, and its a history that I could not to justice to at this moment. Suffice it to say, its ability to reinvent itself and its resilience to destruction under the pressures of 20th century urban planning and economics are truly remarkable. At the time of the original photo, South Street's entire existence was threatened by emerging plans for the Crosstown Expressway. The victory of neighborhood groups in their fight against the project is well known and deservedly revered. Though the strip has lost much of its bohemian flair since then (note the Starbucks), it remains one of the city's liveliest and most beloved streets.

As of now, the South Street Headhouse District's streetscape project is nearing completion. Entirely new streetlights (visible above), sidewalks, and street trees have been put into place, and will ensure that South Street has many great years to come.

A History of I-695 [Philly Roads]

Original Photo: Carollo, R. "Historic Commission-50503-0." 1963. Philadelphia City Archives. PhillyHistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 26 Oct. 2008. http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/MediaStream.ashx?mediaId=108471

Then and Now: Southeast Corner of 9th and South, Philadelphia

1956-2008

This is the first of a series of then and now montages that I hopefully will be presenting regularly. This first one, generously made possible by PhillyHistory.org, shows the southeast corner of 9th and South Streets. The buildings on the corner stand essentially as they did half a century ago, the only significant changes being the loss of architectural detail on their facades - especially apparent on the building on the very left and the little row house just off the corner, which has unfortunately lost its cornice and part of the original storefront. Also noteworthy is the disappearance of the trolley wire and tracks.

Finally, it would be wrong for me not to give enormous thanks to Spacing Montréal for providing the inspiration for this feature. It's beyond cool - check it out.

Original Image: McWhorter, John. “Public Works-42652-12.” 1954. Philadelphia City Archives. PhillyHistory.org. Philadelphia Department of Records. 27 Sep. 2008.