Historical Maps

Map of Wards 7 and 8

From Twenty-fifth Street to the Schuylkill River and between South and Locust Streets. The area by the Schuylkill now consists of numerous coal yards, as well as two ice companies: American Ice Company and Standard Ice Company.

Map of Part of Ward 8

From Nineteenth to Twenty-fifth Streets and between Spruce and Chestnut Streets. Like in the last, you can see that the specific companies along the Schuylkill have changed - there is now a Marble Works - but it has remained largely an industrial area.

Map of part of Ward 8

From Seventeenth to Twenty-first Streets and between Spruce and Chestnut Streets. There is a significant number of stone buildings in this area, many of which are churches and theatres.

Map of part of Ward 8

From Twenty-first Street to the Schuylkill River and between Spruce and Chestnut Streets. The area along the Schuylkill which is now the Schuylkill River Path used to be railroad, ending in a passenger station on Twenty-fourth and Chestnut.

Map of part of Ward 7

From Twenty-second Street to the Schuylkill River and between South and Spruce Streets. There are a lot of garages along South Street which are no longer there, and one on Twenty-second and Pine, which is.

Map of parts of Wards 7 and 8

From Seventeenth Street to the Schuylkill River and between South and Chestnut Streets. This map encompasses the entire neighborhood, going one street farther to the east. The area is surprisingly similar to the way it is now. The biggest differences would probably be the industrial area along the Schuylkill, which is now Schuylkill River Park and the Schuylkill River Path, and the area to the northwest of Rittenhouse, which is now much less residential.

MAP OF SIGNIFICANT SITES IN SOUTHWEST CENTER CITY

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MAP

Map showing significant sites in Southwest Center City

From Sixteenth to Twenty-Fourth Streets and between Chestnut and Lombard Streets. An explanation of each of the numbers can be found above. Notable locations in the area include Rittenhouse Square (2), the Rosenbach museum (12), and Curtis Institute of Music (3).

MAPS OF SEVERAL DATA SETS IN PHILADELPHIA

Cooperative study by Institute of Local and State Government and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission.

All maps from Broad Street to the Schuylkill River and between Washington Avenue and Chestnut Street.

Schuylkill Area - Substandard Housing - 1940

This map shows the dwelling units needing major repairs or with no private bath as a percentage of reporting units. The lightest boxes show where there are none of these units and the darkest where there is 100 percent. Much of Southwest Center City has little to none units in need of repair, but toward the southwest corner, there are significantly more.

Vehicular Traffic Volume - 1939

This map shows the volume of vehicles over a 24-hour period. Southwest Center City gets a significant amount of traffic, especially along Chestnut and Walnut Streets, which get 10,000 and 8,000 vehicles respectively over a 24-hour period.

Schuylkill Area - Average Monthly Dwelling Unit Rentals - 1940

This map shows the average cost of rentals, with the darkest being the least, at $10 to $19, and the lightest being the most, at over $75. This map follows a similar pattern as that of the number of houses in need of repair. Where the need for repair is highest, the rentals are lowest, and where the need for repair is lowest, the rentals are highest.

Schuylkill Area - Social Organization Membership -1945

This map shows the membership of a few different social organizations throughout the city. Although most of Southwest Center City is unaffected, there is a small portion in the southwest that belongs to the YMCA, the YWCA, and the Western Community House, and a separate grouping in the southeast that belongs to the University Settlement House.

Schuylkill Area - Non-White Households - 1940

This map shows the dwelling units occupied by non-white households as a percentage of all occupied dwelling units. The lighter shading is 10 to 49 percent and the darker shading is 50 to 100 percent. The southwest corner is predominantly non-white, which matches up with both the greater number of houses in need of repair and the less expensive rentals.

Schuylkill Area - Churches & Schools - 1945

This map shows the locations of churches and schools in the city, and their religious affiliations. The churches in Southwest Center City are largely White Protestant Churches, with a few African American Protestant Churches toward the south. There is one Synagogue and two Catholic churches, one White and one African American.

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