Kingsessing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kingsessing is a neighborhood in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, located adjacent to the neighborhoods of Cedar Park, Southwest Schuykill, and Mount Moriah, as well as Yeadon in Delaware County. It is roughly bounded by Cobbs Creek and 60th Street to the southwest, Woodland Avenue to the southeast, 53rd Street to the northeast, and Baltimore Avenue to the northwest. The name Kingsessing or Chinsessing comes from the Delaware Indian word for "a place where there is a meadow."

History

The origins of Kingsessing are found in the village of the same name that roughly occupied the same site as the current neighborhood.

Kingsessing Township

Kingsessing Township was a township in the extreme southwestern portion of the county, roughly encompassed all of what is now known today as Southwest Philadelphia, bounded on the north by Blockley Township; on the east by Mill Creek and Schuylkill River; on the south by Delaware River and Bow Creek; and on the west by Darby Creek and Cobbs Creek; shaped irregularly.

It embraces the site of the old village of Kingsessing, the township contained no other settlements of any size except Maylandville. It was traversed principally by the Darby Road and the road to Lazaretto. Its greatest length, 5 miles (8 km); greatest breadth, 2 1/2 miles (4 km); area, 6,800 acres (28 km²). This was the oldest settled portion of the county of Philadelphia.

Kingsessing became the name of the township in which the original Indian and Swedish village stood. The Kingsessing settlement was called a town by the Swedes, and was the first village entitled to that appellation made by Europeans within the territory of Philadelphia. The township of Kingsessing was created not long after control of the colony was transferred to William Penn.

The township and village were incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the Act of Consolidation, 1854.

Noted natives

*John Bartram, botanist

*William Bartram, naturalist

Resources

* [http://www.phila.gov/phils/Docs/Inventor/graphics/wards/wards1.htm "Chronology of the Political Subdivisions of the County of Philadelphia, 1683-1854"]
*" [http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/incorporated.html Information] courtesy of [http://www.ushistory.org ushistory.org] "
* [http://www.ushistory.org/philadelphia/incorporated.html Incorporated District, Boroughs, and Townships in the County of Philadelphia, 1854 By Rudolph J. Walther] - excerpted from the book at the ushistory.org website
* [http://www.rowhousedays.com] 'Row House Days' courtesy of [http://www.ushistory.org ushistory.org]