The Future of Spring Garden St.

This was written in December 2020 with content collected from recent plans and articles referenced below.

Know the Early Beginnings to Understand the Future

To understand our future we must look briefly at our past. During the early 1800s, as more people came to Philadelphia, members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) moved to underdeveloped areas in Philadelphia County such as the western section of Northern Liberties and the District of Spring Garden. Philadelphia’s industrial boom allowed wealthy Quakers to purchase Georgian style townhomes in the mid-1800s, some of which are still standing today on the 700th block of Eighth Street and Franklin Street. The influx of wealthy Quakers and new Georgian townhomes transformed the Spring Garden District into one of the best Philadelphia neighborhoods in the 1840s. 

In 1914 the Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting purchased The Green Street Meeting House which was located at Fourth and Green next to the Spring Garden Street that exists today. The Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting gave the building over to the Friends Neighborhood Guild which was created to help the budding Eastern European population in Spring Garden and Northern Liberties - otherwise known as the Friends Neighborhood House. 

Spring Garden Street, looking Eastward from Fourth Street after demolition of buildings in 1923. Image Source: Hidden City

Spring Garden Street, looking Eastward from Fourth Street after paving in 1923. Image Source: Hidden City

In 1872, Spring Garden Street only ended at Sixth Street, the road ran from Sixth to Tenth Streets. The Northern Trust Company petitioned to have the street extended and sold their owned properties to the city for $53,000. Fifteen years later, the street was pushed to Delaware Avenue. 

New Plans for Spring Garden

Since 2009, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) created plans to change Spring Garden Street into the Spring Garden Street Greenway (SGSG). The SGSG would become part of the East Coast Greenway (ECG), a continuous 3,000 mile traffic-separated biking and walking path that spans from Maine to Florida. When completed, the ESG will connect people from 25 cities and 450 communities. In Philadelphia, the ECG crosses Center City at the Spring Garden Street which will attach the Schuylkill River Trail to the Delaware River Trail.

Route of the 3,000 mile-long East Coast Greenway from Calais, ME to Key West, FL. Image Source: The Circuit Trails

The goal is make the Spring Garden Street Greenway the most welcoming pedestrian- and bike-friendly path in the city. includes The greenway will include traffic-separated bikeways and improvements for all other modes of transportation and green stormwater infrastructure. The reimagined image of Spring Garden is an urban green boulevard that improves street safety and builds upon the Philadelphia neighborhood that has housed individuals and businesses for centuries. 

2013 Concept Study "The Reimagined Spring Garden Street Greenway", by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

Rendering of how the Spring Garden Street Greenway would safely accommodate vehicle, bicyclists and pedestrians. Image Source: The Circuit Trails

Learn more about the Spring Garden Streetway here.