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THE
PHILADELPHIA
DIRECTORY.
BY CLEMENT BIDDLE.
PHILADELPHIA:
PRINTED BY JAMES & JOHNSON, NO. 147, HIGH-STREET,
FOR THE EDITOR.
M, DCC, XCI.
No. 18.
Diftrict of PENNSYLVANIA, to wit
B E it remembered, that on the eighteenth Day of March, in the fifteenth Year of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America, Cle- ment Biddle, of the faid Diftrict, hath depolit- ed in this Office, the Title of a Book, the Right whereof he claims as Author, in the Words following, to wit :
" The Philadelphia Directory. By Clement Biddle." In Conformity to the Act of the Congrefs of the United States, intituled, " An Act for the Encouragement of Learn- ing, by fecuring the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of fuch Copies, during the Times therein mentioned."
SAMUEL CALDWELL, Clerk of the Diftriết Court.
INFORMATION
CONCERNING
THE CITY OF
PHILADELPHIA.
T HE city of Philadelphia, capital of the ftate of Penn- fylvania, and feat of government of the United States of North America, lies in Lat. 39º 56' North and Long. 750 Weft from the meridian of London, upon the Weftern bank of the river Delaware, which is here about a mile in breadth, about one hundred and twenty miles from the Atlantic Ocean, by the courfe of the bay and river, and a- bout fifty-five miles from the fea, in a South-Eaftward di- rection. The Delaware is navigable from the fea to the falls of Trenton, about thirty miles above the city, by veffels of confiderable burthen ; and by boats of twenty and thirty tons, and by large rafts in the time of frefhes, near two hundred miles into the ftate of New-York.
It was laid out by William Penn, the firft proprietary and founder of the province, in the year 1683, and fettled by a colony from England, which arrived in that and the preceeding years, and was increafed by a conftant and re- gular influx of foreigners, to fo great a degree, that in lefs than a century, and within the life time of the firft perfon born within it of European parents, it was comput- ed to contain 6,000 houfes and 40,000 inhabitants in the city and fuburbs.
The ground plot of the city is an oblong fquare, about one mile North and South, and two miles Eaft and Weft, lying in the narroweft part of the ifthings between the Dela- ware and Schuylkill rivers, about five miles in a right line above their confluence. The plane is fo nearly level except
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Information refpetting the City .
upon the bank of the Delaware, that art and labour were ne- ceffary to dig common fewers and water courfes in many pla- ces to drain the ftreets. In the beginning of this fettlement it was expected, that the fronts on both rivers would be firft improved for the convenience of trade and navigation, and that the buildings would extend gradually in the rear of each until they would meet and form one town ex- tending from Eaft to. Weft, but experience foon convinced the fettlers that the Delaware front was alone fufficient. for quays and landing places, and that the Schuylkill lay at too great a diftance to form part of the town on its banks ; whence it followed that the town increafed Northward and Southward of the original plot, upon the Delaware front, and now occupies a fpace near three miles in length, North and South, while the buildings in the middle where they are moft extended, do not reach a mile from the Delaware.
The city has been twice incorporated, and the limits thereof reftrained to the oblong, originally laid out by William Penn, without including the Northern or South- ern fuburbs. This plot is interfected by a number of ftreets at right angles with each other, nine of which run Eaft and Weft from Delaware to Schuylkill, and twenty-three North and South, croffing the firft at right angles, form- ing one hundred and eighty-four fquares of lots for build- ings. The Streets running Eaft and Weft are named (ex- cept High Street near the middle of the city) from the trees found in the country upon the arrival of the colony ; Vinc, Saffafras, Mulberry, High, Chefnut, Walnut, Spruce, Pine and Cedar Streets, and thofe running North and South from their numeral order, Front, Second, Third, Fourth, &c. to Broad Street, which is midway between the two rivers. In deeds and other defcriptive writings which require ex- actnefs, thefe ftreets have the Delaware or Schuylkill pre- fixed to their numeral names, to diftinguifh to which front they belong ; as Delaware Second Street, &c. but as there are very few buildings Weftward of Broad Street, this addition is never made in common converfation, but when they are named they are always underflood of the I elaware front unlefs Schuylkill be added.
Of thefe, High Street is Icc feet, Broad Street 113. Mul- berry 60. and all the others 50 feet wide. Within the improved parts of the city they are paved, in the middle with pebble ftones, for carts and carriages, which ufually contains three fifths of the whole breadth, and on cach fide with bricks for foot paffengers ; between the brick and ftone pavements, are gutters, paved with brick, to carry off the water, and the foot-ways are defended from the approach of carriages, by rows of pofts placed without the gutters, at the diftance of 10 or 12 feet from each other.
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Information refpetting the City.
Befides the forementioned main ftreets, there are many others not originally laid down in the plot, the moft pub- lic of which are Water Street and Dock Street. Water Street is 30 feet wide, running below the bank, at the dif- tance of about 40 feet Eaftward from and parallel to Front Street, extending from the North line of the city South- ward to the bridge over the dock, which was formerly a draw-bridge, and retains that name in common ufe, altho' it was converted into a flone arch above thirty years fince ; from the bridge it is 40 feet wide in a right line to Pine Street, and leaves a row of houfes without yards, on the bank, in its whole length, between it and Front Street ; Southward of Pine Street there is an offset of about 80 feet Eaftward, and the ftreet from thence to Cedar Street is 45 feet wide and called Penn Street. This ftreet, in the ori- ginal plan, was intended only for a cart-way to accom- modate the wharves and ftores to be erected under the bank, and not to rife more than four feet above it, fo as to leave the river open to the view from the Weft fide of Front Street ; but the inhabitants were foon convinced that the ground on both ftreets was too valuable to be kept unimproved, in any degree, merely for the fake of a prof- pect, and it is now clofely built with lofty houfes (except at very few vacancies here and there) throughout the whole front on both fides, and commodious wharves are extended into the river, at which the largeft fhips that ufe the port, can lie in fafety to difcharge and receive their cargoes, and are defended from the ice in winter by the piers, made of logs, extending into the river, funk with ftone and filled with cartli fo as to be equally firm with the main land. This Street has been called in different parts, King Street and Plumb Street, but thofe names are now difufed, and the whole is called Water Street, except that part called Penn Street, between Pine and Cedar Streets.
Dock Street is the only crooked ftrees in the city; bc- ginning at the bridge in Front Street and extending North- Weftward in a ferpentine track, through two fquares, acrofs Second and Walnut Streets, and terminates at Third Street; another branch of it extends South-Weftward acrofs Spruce Street, and terminates at Second Street. The ground oc- cupied by this ftreet, and by an open fpace between it and Spruce Street, below the bridge, was formerly a fwamr, and was given by William Penn to the corporation for the ufe of the city ; it was intended as a place to dig a bafon and docks to fhelter the fhipping, but experience proved that fhips could be defended from the ice by the piers ex- tended into the river, and that the dock could not be kept clean but at an expence far beyond its utility, wherefore it was neglected till it became a nuifance offenfive to the finell and injurious to the health of the inhabitants,
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Information respecting the City.
was, by act of Afembly, ordered to be arched over and co- vered with earth, whereby the city has acquired a beauti- ful ftreet more than 100 feet in breadth towards the water, and not lefs than go feet in the narroweft part.
The number of the ftreets, lanes and alleys, laid out by the owners of the lots before they were built on, is too great to be enumerated here, there being fcarce a fquare that is not interfected by one or more of them, fome of them conti- mued in a right line through feveral fquares, and fo fpaci- ous as to be eafily miltaken for main ftreets, others only through one fquare ; the names of thefe will be found a- mong the explanations annexed, in alphabetical order, fo that the reader upon being referred by the Directory to any of them, and fearching in the lift, will readily find the main ftreet from which they begin and at which they terminate.
The city was firft incorporated by charter under the great feal of the province, in the year 1701 : before that period it was called the town of Philadelphia. By this char- ter William Penn nominated the firft mayor, recorder, al- dermen and common councilmen, and granted them, among other privileges and franchifes, that of electing others to fupply vacancies, and even to increafe their own number at pleafure; the public grounds were granted to them by the name of the mayor and commonalty of the city of Philadel- phia, but the commonalty had no fhare in the government or eftate of the city, the whole body being felf-elective, and not accountable to the citizens in any refpect. It would be difficult to account for fo extraordinary a charter from the wifdom of William Penn, did not tradition inform us that among the firft fettlers were a confiderable number from the city of Briftol in England, whofe charter, granted at an early period before the rights of the commonalty were well underftood, had been familiarized by habit, which induced them to requeft a fimilar one ; a copy of the Briftol charter was accordingly procured, and with little variations adopt- cd. It was not long however, before the commonalty be- gan to be diffatisfied with it, and to make frequent com- plaints to the affembly, of the abufes that were practifed un- der it; many of which appear upon the minutes of the houfe. At an early period after the charter, the legiflative powers of this corporation were very limited, they could not levy a fhilling by taxes, for any ufe whatever, and could employ the income of the city eftates only for the ufc and embellifhment of the city ; wherefore we fee few monuments raifed to preferve the memory of that corporation. Although the firft men for integrity and abilities to be found in the city were elected into the office of the body politia, yet fuch is the nature of unlimited power, not accountable to the peo- ple, that it will divert the beft men from purpofes, which, before they were invefted with the power, they would have
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Information refpelling the City.
highly appproved. The jealoufy which the citizens enter- tained of the corporation, pervaded the general affembly of the province, and when the lighting, watching aud pa- ving the city became a defirable object, the representatives of the freemen would not entrust the corporation alone with the power of raifing of expending the money neceffary for thefe purpofes ; they could not however caft fuch a reflec- tion on the refpestable characters of which that body was sompofed, as wholly to vett thefe powers with others : they purfued a middle line, and confituted two feparate bo- dies by the names of city wardens and ftreet conniffioners, 10 the former of whom the lighting and watching, and to the latter the paving of the freee, was committed; the mayor or recorder and four of the aldermen concurring with each body, in laying the taxes and preferibing the mode of expending them ; thus the city legislation for thefe purpofes became compounded of two branches, the wardens and commiffioners immediately elected by the people, in the fame manner as their reprefentatives in affembly, con- flituted the democratic, and the mayor and aldermen the ariftocratie branch. Thefe bodies, thus compounded, con- ducted the bufinefs committed to them, with great harmo- ny, nor is there the leaft recollection of any difagreement between them ; the taxes were laid with equality, collect- cd with moderation, and expended for the real ufe and im- provement of the city : one complaint only, had foundation, which arofe from the nature rather than from any abufe of the powers ; the number of wardens and Greet conuniffi- oners was fo great, as at very moderate wages, to render thofe boards too expenfive.
For the honour of the late corporation it ought not be omitted, that the mayors court was always filled with an able lawyer for the recorder, and another for the profeeution of criminal offences ; and fuch was the orderly and upright administration of juftice in it, that no court in the province u. perhaps any other country exceeded it.
The prejudices under which the old corporation labour- ed from its original conftitution, were foftrong that upon the revolution, the geperal aff mbly declared by an act pafled during their firft feffion. " That the powers and jurifdic- tion hitherto exercifed by the mayor, recorder and aldermen of the cityof Philadelphia, were not founded on the autho- rity of the people, and are therefore became null and void." Wherefore by that and feveral fubfequent acts, the powers of the corporation were diffribued between the fupreme executive council, the city magiftrates, and the wardens and freet commiffioners, who exercied them from the year !777, 10 1789. The prejudices which Led no foundation as againft corporations in general, but only againfi the conftitution of the late corporation of the city, were how.
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Information refpecting the City.
ever fo ftrong, that it was with difficulty the people could be prevailed on to fubniit to a new incorporation of the city. The defects in the administration of justice and governing the police of the city at length became fo glaring, that they were feen by all claffes of people, and their minds prepared for an act of incorporation. The general affembly in the winter feffions of 1789, favouring the wifhes of the citizens, paffed an act intitled an act to incorporate the city of Philadelphia, which with a fupple- ment paffed in 1790, conftitutes the prefent city charter. By thefe acts.
The common council confifts of two branches : fifteen al- dermen are chofen by the freeholders to continue in office for feven years ; they chufe a recorder from the citizens at large for feven years, and a mayor from their own number for one year. Thirty common council men are chofen by the citizens at large, entitled to vote for reprefentatives in affembly, to continue in office for three years ; thefe were intended to form a balanced government upon the princi- ple, that the choice by freeholders, and for a longer term would produce a more felect body of aldermen, and that the citizens at large would chufe characters fitter to reprefent and form the popular branch of city government. Eight aldermen and fixteen common council inen form a quorum or board, to tranfact bufinefs, at which the mayor or recorder prefides ; they fit and deliberate together, but no act is legal, unlefs, a majority of the aldermen, a ma- jority of the common council men prefent, and the mayor or recorder concur.
There is not perhaps in the world a more liberal plan of city government, every elafs of citizens have an oppor- tunity of reprefenting and being reprefented. The body is fufficiently numerous to contain fome of every defcription, and of every fpecies of talents, and information neceffary for deliberation and execution, and yet not fo large as to be encumbered with its own weight; it poffeffes the powers of legiflation and taxation in all cafes neceffary for the well governing and improving the city, except in contradiction to acts of the general affembly ; and from the many im- provements already introduced, there is reafon to hope that its police will be equal to that of any modern city.
A city court is held by the mayor, recorder and alder- men four times a year, and holds cognifance of all crimes and mifdemeanors committed within the city.
A court of aldermen having cognifance of debts above forty fhillings, and not exceeding ten pounds, is held every week begining on Monday morning, and fetting by ad- journments until the bufinefs of the week is finifhed.
Each alderman has feperate cognifance of debts under forty fhillings.
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Information refpetting the City.
The nabiber of inhabitants within the city and fuburbs (including the dillrit of Southwark and the compactly built part of the Northern Liberties, which to every pur- pole b'h as to their g wvernment, are confidered as parts of the city) is found by the late confus to be 42 430, and the number of houses 6, 05:, dail flores or work Shops 415.
The hoafes for public worthip are numeroas, the prin- cipal of which are as follows ;
Of the church of Rome three, of the Protestant Episcopal church three, of the people called Quakers five, of the Presbyterians of different feets fix, of the Baptifs one, of the German Lutherans two, of the German Calvinit's one, of the Moravians one, of the Methodius two, of the Uni - Verfailits one, and of the Hebrews one.
The city is provided with a number of public and pri- Vate charitable institutions ; the principal of which are, the houfe of employment, a large commodious building, where the poor of the city and fome adjoining townihips, are fipported, and employed in coarfe manufactures to aid iti defraying their expenses, under the care of the overfeers and guardian; of the poor, who are a corporate body created for this purpose by att of affembly, with power to lay taxes for its further fupport.
The Pennfylvania hofpital, an inftitution erected at frft partly by the bounty of the legiflature, and partly by pri. vate fubfcription : its funds, ariting mottly from the latter fource, are confiderable, and are under the care of twelve managers, chofen annually by contributors to the amount of ten pounds or more, who are incorporated by att of af- fembly. In this houfe, infane perfons and the friendlefs fick and wounded, are taken care of and provided with every nesetlary and comfort their fituation requires, and are at- tended by fix of the ableft phyficians and fargcons, who are annually chofen by the managers, and who chearfully give their time and advice to the patients, for whofe ufe a well furnithed fhop is kept in the houfe, by a Rillful apothicca- ry, who makes up the medicines preferibed.
The Quakers alms honfe is fupported by that focicty for the ufe of their own poor; it is divided into a number of fe- parate houfes and rooms for families or fingle perfons who have fallen into decav: most of them contribute by their in- duftrý towards their own fipport, bit' are fapplied with' whatever their induftry falls fort of procuring, by a com- mittee of the focictv, and live more comfortably than many: who, in fall health and unhurt by accident, provide for their own fubliftance: there is a confiderable garden belong- ing to this honfe, from which the city is fupplied, at very moderate prices, with every kind of medicinal herbs com- mon to the climate.
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Information refpedting the City .
A houfe founded by the late Dr. John Kearfley the elder, for the fupport of twelve elderly widows, of the l'rotettant Epifcopal communion, in which a number of perfons of that defcription, who have feen better days, are very com- fortably and decently provided for.
The difpenfary, a very ufeful inititution, fupported by voluntary annual fubfcriptions ; it is under the care of twelve managers, chofen annually by the fubfcribers, who choofe phyficians and furgeons to attend the fick and wound- ed at their own houfes, and keep a large apothecaries fhop to fupply medicines ; each fubfcriber paying a guinea all- nually, has a right to recommend two poor patients at a time, and, to the honor of the faculty, it is mentioned, that the poor thus recommended, are attended gratis, with equal care and tendernefs with thofe who are able to pay them, and many thoufands have received the benefit of this inftitution, who otherwife would have languifhed, or per- haps perifhed for want of medical affiftance and by the quackery of pretenders to the healing art.
The humane fociety for recovering perfons fuppofed to be dead by drowning, eftablifhed upon fimilar principles with thofe of the fame name in mnoft fea-ports in Europe ; it is under the care of twelve managers, annually chofen by the fubfcribers ; the phyficians afford their aid to this inftitution gratis, a number of thefe being appointed for the purpofe by the manageis.
Almoft every religious fociety has a fund under proper direction, fome of which are incorporated for the relief of the widows and children of their clergy or other diftreff- el members of their communioni.
There are alfo focieties formed for the relief of particu- lar defcriptions of perfons, with funds raifed by fubfcriptions or otherwife, for the purpofe, fuch as the fea captains fociety the Delaware pilots fociety, feparate focietics for the re- lief and affiftance of emigrants and other diftreffed perfons, from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, &c. fome of which are incorporated, fo that there can fcarce happen an inftance. of individual diftrefs, for which a mode of advice, affiftance or relief is not provided without refort to public begging.
Seminaries of learning are eftablifhed upon the moft en- larged and liberal principles, of which the principal are,
The university of Peunfylvania, founded and endowed by the legiflature of the ftate. Profefforthips are eftablifh- ed in all the liberal arts and fciences, and a complete courfe of education may be purfued here, from the firft rudiments of literature, to the higheft branches of fcience.
The college and academy of Philadelphia, founded by charter, between 30 and 40 years ago, and endowed by
1
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Information refpotting the City.
generous fubfcriptions of liberal minded perfons in En- gland, Scotland, Ireland, the West Indies and many of the late colonies, now United States of America. Though this institution was interrupted in its progress for feve- ral years during the late war, yet being re-citablifhed fince the peace, it has rapidly recovered its former flate of prof- perity, and to the bench of profeffors has lately been add- ed one of common and Federal law, which renders it in re- ality, though not in name, an univerfity. If thefe two inthitutions were confolidated, and the learned profeffors properly diftributed into the different chairs of lecture- hips, Pennfylvania might boaft of a feminary of learn- ing equal to moft in the world.
Almost every religious fociety have one or more Schools under their immediate direction, for the education of their own youth of both fexes, as well of the rich, who are able to pay, as of the poor, who are taught and provided with books and ftationary gratis ; befides which, there are a number of private fchools under the direction of maflers and miftreff- es, independent of any public body ; and there are feveral private academies for the inftruction of young ladies in all the branches of polite literature, fuitable to the fex, a particular defcription of thefe, would be too lengthy for the prefent publication ; let it fuffice, that there is no in- dividual, whofe parents or guardians, mafters or miftreffes will take the trouble to apply, but will be admitted into fome one of thefe fchools, and if they are unable to pay, will be taught gratis; it ought not to be omitted, that there is a fchool for the Africans of every fhade or colour, kept under the care and at the expence of the Quakers, in- to which are admitted gratis, flaves as well as free perfons of whatever age of both fexes, and taught reading, writing, arithmetic, knitting, fewing and other ufeful female ac- complifhments ; this fchool was originally inftituted by private fubfcriptions of the fociety, with a view to prepare that degraded race for a better fituation in civil life ; but the will of the late Anthony Benezet, of benevolent memo- ry, a confiderable donation from the fociety in England, and fome other charitable devifes, have provided funds adc- quate to its future fupport, and it will no longer be bur- thenfome to individuals.
Sunday fchools for the inftruction of children who would otherwife fpend that day in idlenefs or mifchief, have late- ly been inftituted, and it is to be hoped will tend to amend the morals and conduct of the rifing generation.
The public library of Philadelphia is a moft ufeful infti- tution ; it contains near ten thoufand volumes, well felect- ed, for the information and improvement of all ranks of the citizens ; they are depofired in an elegant building
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