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Roxborough – Manayunk

Photo Credit: R. Kennedy Greater Philadelphia Tourism

Nestled along the east bank of the Schuylkill River in northwest Philadelphia are the neighborhoods of Manayunk and Roxborough. Named for the Lenape Indian word "manaiung" meaning, "where we go to drink", Manayunk developed due to its proximity to the river and the completion of the Manayunk Canal. Manayunk was once home to numerous textile and paper mills and served as a major transportation link to the port of Philadelphia and inland to the farmlands of Pennsylvania. Named a National Historic District in 1983, Manayunk has over 65 chic boutiques and galleries and about 30 restaurants. It has become a major destination for shopping and dining enthusiasts. In the days of heavy industry, company executives would live at the top of the famous hills of this area. The workers lived at the bottom of the hill. Roxborough Avenue was the dividing line. Those houses on the uphill side of Roxborough Avenue were said to be in the Roxborough neighborhood. Those houses below the Avenue were said to be in Manayunk. Though Roxborough Avenue still is a postal division, it is no longer a class divider.

Roxborough
The first Swede to come to the current Ridge Avenue was Peter Lindstrom, in 1656. The road was a Native American trail leading to Barren Hill and was surrounded by large plantations where corn, beans, and tobacco were grown along with fruit orchards. Ridge Avenue was called the Manatawney and the surrounding area called Manatawna. In 1680, the Court of Upland in England appointed Peter Rambo (a local Swede) to be in charge of maintaining the Manatawney. There are still Rambo's in Roxborough and Manayunk, and they are recognized as Philadelphia's first family. William Penn arrived in 1682 and was amazed at how well-organized the plantations in Manatawna were. The names were eventually changed to Ridge Road and Rocks Burrow (where foxes burrow). Rocks Burrow was eventually changed to Roxborough in 1706. The area was considered prime location for farming and milling.

Richard Townsend, who arrived on the "Welcome" with William Penn in 1682, built the first mill on the Wissahickon. William Penn had eleven tracts of land drawn for Rocks Burrow Township. It extended from the Schuylkill River to Wissahickon Avenue and from the Midvale Avenue area to Montgomery County (Whitemarsh). Roxborough to date, is the only place that maintains the same boundaries given by William Penn. Philadelphia's second oldest house is along the Wissahickon Creek. It's original two-room section dates to 1685. Many of Roxborough's early settlers lived in log cabins. The last five standing cabins were demolished by the end of the 20th Century.

Manayunk
Named a National Historic District in 1983, Manayunk is located just minutes west of Center City Philadelphia, nestled along the banks of the Schuylkill River and the historic Manayunk Canal.

The availability of water with the completion of the Manayunk Canal is what originally drew people to the area. The canal made the river passable and at the same time made waterpower available. Waterpower was a new concept in manufacturing, initiating the industrialization of the United States. It provided power for the construction of textile and paper mills and provided a transportation link to the port of Philadelphia and inland to the farmlands of Pennsylvania.

By 1820, Manayunk had its first mill, and by 1823 the Schuylkill Canal System was completed. Manayunk's industrial prowess, combined with its accessibility to other areas via the canal system, made Manayunk the "Manchester" of the United States and helped make Philadelphia the leading industrial city of the 19th Century.

But the real story of Manayunk lies in its immigrants - the English, Irish, German, Italian and Polish - who came to this country looking for a better life. They worked, lived, worshipped and raised families here, with many becoming mill owners in their own right. Many of their descendants still reside in Manayunk and take pride in the neighborhood.

The same entrepreneurial spirit that brought thriving mills and industrious merchants to Manayunk in the early 1800's still lives on. Today's Manayunk business person could as easily be a talented professional fleeing from the corporate world, or a neighborhood veteran whose Main Street address has been in the family for six generations.

Together, an inspired Manayunk community continues the task of planning and development essential to its future. Main Street Manayunk is comprised of a potpourri of shops specializing in household furnishings, antiques, gourmet groceries, recreation equipment, crafts, and fashionable apparel.