Heather Gibson Moqtaderi

Philadelphia's Old Southwark District Heather Gibson Moqtaderi

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. Southwark's deep history is tied to its relationship to the waterfront and the multitude of immigrant communities that settled its streets. 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.