Southwark's deep history is tied to its relationship to the waterfront and the multitude of immigrant communities that settled its streets. The area along the banks of the Delaware River originally known as Philadelphia's Southwark District encompasses the present-day neighborhoods of Queen Village, Pennsport, and Dickinson Square West. The Washington Avenue Immigration Station, Southwark's counterpart to Ellis Island, was a testament to the waves of immigrants reaching America's shores in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the immigrants who stayed in Philadelphia found inexpensive housing in Southwark and employment along the waterfront. Today, the neighborhoods of old Southwark continue to embrace diversity. Many of the area's historic houses still stand alongside newly built homes. While the construction of high-volume roadways cut off the neighborhoods from the waterfront, new efforts are reconnecting Southwark to the river through improved access points and attractive waterfront recreation areas.

Southwark's deep history is tied to its relationship to the waterfront and the multitude of immigrant communities that settled its streets. The area along the banks of the Delaware River originally known as Philadelphia's Southwark District encompasses the present-day neighborhoods of Queen Village, Pennsport, and Dickinson Square West. The Washington Avenue Immigration Station, Southwark's counterpart to Ellis Island, was a testament to the waves of immigrants reaching America's shores in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the immigrants who stayed in Philadelphia found inexpensive housing in Southwark and employment along the waterfront. Today, the neighborhoods of old Southwark continue to embrace diversity. Many of the area's historic houses still stand alongside newly built homes. While the construction of high-volume roadways cut off the neighborhoods from the waterfront, new efforts are reconnecting Southwark to the river through improved access points and attractive waterfront recreation areas.

Excerpt from The Reply of the Guardians for the Relief and Employment of the Poor of the City of Philadelphia, the District of Southwark, and the Townships of the Northern Liberties and Penn: To Certain Remarks Made in Their Presentments by the Grand Inquests Inquiring for the County of Philadelphia for February and April Sessions, 1849 Thus, in the Opinion of the Grand Jury, the patients were amply accommodated in the old hospital, where in the wards less than 93 square feet was allowed to each bed; but are crowded at the expense of human life in the new hospital, where more than 104 feet is allowed for the same purpose. The classification of the insane was not the only object proposed to be accomplished by this change, the proper treatment of the patients also required it. Before any change had been effected, the building used as a hospital for the sick, from the increase of the patients, had become inadequate for the purpose, and from a necessity which was regularly increasing, other and better accommodation for them had to be provided. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.