Author: David R. Contosta
Publisher: Ohio State University Press
ISBN: 0814205801
Category : Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Languages : en
Pages : 378
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Book Description
"In Suburb in the City, David Contosta tells the story of how Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, once a small milling and farming town, evolved to become both a suburban enclave for wealthy Philadelphians and a part of the city itself." "In 1854, the railroad connected Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill and the village was annexed by the city. Attuned to the romantic currents of the age, the wealthy men and women who moved to Chestnut Hill believed that the village's semi-rural surroundings might uplift them physically, spiritually, emotionally, and morally. At the same time, they wanted to continue to enjoy the best that the city had to offer while escaping from its more unpleasant aspects: dirt, crime, disease, and other shortcomings. They thus cultivated a dual identity with both suburb and city." "Ironically, this led to a sense of division as prosperous suburbanites held themselves aloof from the resident shopkeepers and domestic servants who provided so many of their creature comforts. Being a suburb in the city also meant that Chestnut Hill could not control its political destiny, as communities outside the municipal limits could. In response, residents developed a number of civic organizations that became a sort of quasi government." "Contosta's study of Chestnut Hill thus illuminates the divided and often ambivalent feelings that Americans hold about their great cities. He includes anecdotes gleaned from dozens of interviews with men and women of many backgrounds - lawyers, nuns, debutantes, grocers, craftsmen, and former servants - who tell of their lives in Chestnut Hill. More than one hundred photographs, many never before published, further enliven this analysis of suburban America."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Author: Michael C. Harris
Publisher: Savas Beatie
ISBN: 161121520X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 506
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Book Description
The award–winning author of Brandywine examines a pivotal but overlooked battle of the American Revolution’s Philadelphia Campaign. Today, Germantown is a busy Philadelphia neighborhood. On October 4, 1777, it was a small village on the outskirts of the colonial capital—and the site of one of the American Revolution’s largest battles. Now Michael C. Harris sheds new light on this important action with a captivating historical study. After defeating Washington’s rebel army in the Battle of Brandywine, General Sir William Howe took Philadelphia. But Washington soon returned, launching a surprise attack on the British garrison at Germantown. The recapture of the colonial capital seemed within Washington’s grasp until poor decisions by the American high command led to a clear British victory. With original archival research and a deep knowledge of the terrain, Harris merges the strategic, political, and tactical history of this complex operation into a single compelling account. Complete with original maps, illustrations, and modern photos, and told largely through the words of those who fought there, Germantown is a major contribution to American Revolutionary studies.
Author: Hannah Benner Roach
Publisher: Genealogical Society of PA
ISBN: 9781887099141
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 104
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Book Description
That part of Philadelphia known today as Chestnut Hill, & in the early 18th century as "the hindermost part" or the "back part" of Germantown Township, includes within its boundaries the divisions of Sommerhausen & Crefeld, which formed the northernmost section of the original German township as laid out in 1684. It was 20 years or more after the first settlement in the lower part of the township before permanent improvements were established in Sommerhausen & Crefeld. This local history includes numerous mentions of individuals, families & events in this community during the 18th century. Here is a genealogical sketch of the Michael Schutz family of Chestnut Hill using the entire community as backdrop.
Author: Russell S. Hall
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738515960
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132
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Book Description
Germantown, built on the high ridges of a former Indian Trail, has much grace and grandeur to her credit. Beautiful countryside, magnificent old trees, and prestigious homes bordered by long white fences and adorned by pastures of fancy horses are scattered about the area. Century-old churches, parks close to every neighborhood, and excellent schools are also woven into the fabric of this historic town. Images of America: Germantown highlights the natural beauty, the culture, and the charm of a most treasured place in the Volunteer State. Friendly people welcome neighbors and visitors alike with warm hospitality in Germantown. Great pains have been taken by the city planners in preserving the small-town atmosphere, while still being quite mindful of the future progress of a growing city. Come and discover, through 200 intriguing old photographs, the treasures of the community's history spanning 150 years. Included in this volume are vintage images of local families, business, schools, and churches.
Author: Samuel Whitaker Pennypacker
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Germans
Languages : en
Pages : 396
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Book Description
Author: Katie Day
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199366888
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265
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Book Description
In a richly illustrated, revelatory study of Philadelphia's Germantown Avenue, home to a diverse array of more than 90 Christian and Muslim congregations, Katie Day explores the formative and multifaceted role of religious congregations within an urban environment. Germantown Avenue cuts through Philadelphia for eight and a half miles, from the affluent neighborhood of Chestnut Hill through the high crime section known as "the Badlands." The congregations along this route range from the wealthiest to the poorest populations in Philadelphia. Some congregants are immigrants who find safety and support in close fellowship, while others are long-time residents whose congregations work actively to provide social services. Cities undergo constant change, and their congregations change with them. As Day observes, some congregations have sprung up in former commercial strips, harboring new arrivals and recreating a sense of home, and others form an anchor for a neighborhood across generations, providing a connection to the past and a hope of stability for the future. Drawing on years of research, in-depth interviews with religious leaders and congregants, and a wealth of demographic data, Day demonstrates the powerful influence cities exert on their congregations, and the surprising and important impact congregations have on their urban environments.
Author: Marita Krivda Poxon
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738573861
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132
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Book Description
The northern neighborhoods of Philadelphia, which include East Oak Lane, West Oak Lane, Olney, Logan, and Fern Rock, were first settled in the late 1600s and gradually evolved into distinct communities. Old York Road and other historical roadways connected the local farms, mills, and estates to adjoining Philadelphia and Germantown. Images of America: Oak Lane, Olney, and Logan is the first book to chronicle the history of these neighborhoods through rare photographs gathered from a variety of private and public collections. Pictured are the schools, churches, businesses, theaters, hospitals, row houses, and apartment buildings that characterize the area, as well as the estates of notables, including James Logan, Fannie Kemble, Charles Wilson Peale, Joseph Wharton, and T. Henry Asbury.
Author: Lisa M. Pisterman
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1439641595
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 132
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Book Description
Louisville's Germantown and Schnitzelburg documents community's historic transformations, from agricultural center to industrial powerhouse. Believed to have been named for the citizens who settled the area as early as the 1840s, Germantown and Schnitzelburg are located just east of downtown Louisville. The first parcels purchased and settled were part of the 1,000-acre land grant that was awarded to Col. Arthur Campbell in 1790 for his service to Virginia in the Indian Wars. Spanning more than 160 years of growth, the area developed from farms and dairies in the 1850s, to the industrialization of the 1880s, and then the halcyon era of the 1950s as a safe haven of family, community, and church. Remarkable historic landmarks include a Victorian-era cotton mill, DuPont Manual High School's football stadium, and the eclectic collection of residential architecture classified as "shotgun" and "camelback." Numerous neighborhood taverns and bakeries are both historic landmarks and popular eateries in this community. Look inside and enjoy the history and beauty of a bygone era and the development of a thriving community.
Author: Stephanie Grauman Wolf
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691005904
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 384
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Book Description
Most studies of eighteenth-century community life in America have focused on New England, and in many respects the New England town has become a model for our understanding of communities throughout the United States during this period. In this study of a mid-Atlantic town, Stephanie Grauman Wolf describes a very different way of organizing society, indicating that the New England model may prove atypical. In addition, her analysis suggests the origins of twentieth-century social patterns in eighteenth-century life. Germantown, Pennsylvania, was chosen for study because it was a small urban center characterized by an ethnically and religiously mixed population of high mobility. The author uses quantitative analysis and sample case study to examine all aspects of the community. She finds that heterogeneity and mobility had a marked effect on urban development--on landholding, occupation, life style, and related areas; community organization for the control of government and church affairs; and the structure and demographic development of the: family. Her work represents an important advance not only in our understanding of eighteenth-century American society, but also in the ways in which we investigate it.
Author: David W. Young
Publisher: Temple University Press
ISBN: 9781439915547
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
2020 Philip S. Klein Book Prize Winner, Pennsylvania Historical Association Known as America’s most historic neighborhood, the Germantown section of Philadelphia (established in 1683) has distinguished itself by using public history initiatives to forge community. Progressive programs about ethnic history, postwar urban planning, and civil rights have helped make historic preservation and public history meaningful. The Battles of Germantown considers what these efforts can tell us about public history’s practice and purpose in the United States. Author David Young, a neighborhood resident who worked at Germantown historic sites for decades, uses his practitioner’s perspective to give examples of what he calls “effective public history.” The Battles of Germantown shows how the region celebrated “Negro Achievement Week” in 1928 and, for example, how social history research proved that the neighborhood’s Johnson House was a station on the Underground Railroad. These encounters have useful implications for addressing questions of race, history, and memory, as well as issues of urban planning and economic revitalization. Germantown’s historic sites use public history and provide leadership to motivate residents in an area challenged by job loss, population change, and institutional inertia. The Battles of Germantown illustrates how understanding and engaging with the past can benefit communities today.
