THE HISTORY OF GERMANTOWN IN PHILADELPHIA

THE HISTORY OF GERMANTOWN IN PHILADELPHIA

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History of Germantown in Philadelphia

Introduction

Germantown is a historical residential segment of Philadelphia town, which is located northwest of the city. It is considered to be one of the most historic American neighborhoods. The city was settled by German Pietists in 1963, who were the first settlers in the area . Francis Daniel Pastorius led them. The township was a processing center that consisted of different groups of cottage and craftsmen industries. In these industries, raw materials were processed and turned into finished goods, whereby the finished products were sold in Philadelphia town.  There was also the development of handicraft industries such as weaving, wagon building, and tanning. The development of the town can be attributed to the growth of the craftsmen and cottage industries and also due to the change in population in the town. The fact that Germantown was viewed as a separate town from Philadelphia may have led to its development.  One of the key elements that distinguish Germantown from other neighborhoods in the area is its historical significance as it has many historical sites that relate to the struggle of freedom, religious tolerance, and independence for minority groups in America. The paper explains the history of Germantown and how the unique town among other neighborhoods in Philadelphia has developed over time. It shows the development of the housing systems, transportation, business activities, and education in Germantown.

Germantown History

Germantown is considered a special place in American history since it was the birthplace of the anti-slavery movement in America. The town was named Germantown since 54 German families resided in the area.  Francis Daniel, the first bailiff, his brother, and the other sixteen committeemen, were given the power to hold the general court of Germantown’s establishment.  Therefore, they could hold a court where all the proceedings are recorded and make laws for the settlement government. The court started in 1690 and continued its operations for six years .

In 1688 the town bailiff, four burgesses, and committeemen wrote a condemnation letter against slavery that was two pages in length and sent it to the governing bodies in the area . It was sent to the Quaker church and was mainly based on the bible’s golden rule that of do unto others what you would want them to do to you. The petition was the start of the banning of slavery in most states. In 1973 the temporary home for George Washington was established in Germantown, after which the house was later referred to as a German white house. The first black in the United States was also located in Germantown during the George Washington administration.  Germantown history plays a vital role in the salient chapters of the struggle for freedom, independence, and religious tolerance in America.

Historical Sites

Most of the old houses can be connected to the battle of Germantown. One example is the Johnson House, which was occupied by the German-Dutch in 1768, which was damaged in the battle in 1977 . The Johnsons family had helped hide freedom seekers during the battle, and therefore it was destroyed during the battle. The museum community, along with neighborhood activists, fought for the house to be preserved as it was significant not for the date of its connection but for the role it played in the anti-slavery movement.

Cliveden House is another important house in Germantown. It is considered one of the largest museum houses. It was built in 1967 by the Chew family . It was a family of enslaved Africans who worked in its plantations. Many institutions in Germantown play essential roles in the histories of the town. For instance, church histories from founding groups such as Mennonites to other congregations such as Muslim communities play an important role in the history of the town.

Education

There are both public and private schools in Germantown. The private schools were mainly started to satisfy the needs of wealthy white people who felt the need to educate their children in a different cultural and intellectual background that would prepare them for later responsibilities that suited their class and race. These schools were highly respected due to their power, class academic excellence, and religious affiliations. However, it was difficult for them to balance three factors: location, access, and cost. The first private school was founded in 1689 by Quakers church, the main reason for establishment being religious salvation. It was named William Penn Charter School after William Penn. Later on, other private schools such as Abington Friends School and George School were started. Among those taught in the schools was Daniel Pastorius, who taught at the Friends Schools from 1698 to 1700. Later on, he founded his school, where he taught for 17 years .

Development of Germantown

Among the societies established to ensure the preservation of the town’s history was the Germantown historical society. It is a research center and an educational one that helps interpret and preserve tall historical artifacts and cites in Germantown. As the years went by, there was a large population in the town. The population had racial diversity as it consisted of many races, including the whites, blacks, and the Italians. The increase in population led to the town being an urban town. Some of the factors that encouraged settlement in the town are fresh air, fertile soil, and charming springs. During the yellow fever outbreak that killed many people in Philadelphia, there were very few people died. The ground was rocky, so it was hard to cultivate with ease, but at the same time, the rocks were useful in construction since the rocks were durable.

The existence of plentiful springs made it possible for the large population to be sustained. During that time, the roads were not well developed, and therefore the people from Germantown had to go all the way to Philadelphia to carry out trade. However, this did not affect the development of the town since they could start up a business such as storage stores where people traveling could store their grains as they travel to Philadelphia. Among the people who went to Philadelphia to trade are the Indians who used Germantown as grounds for setting camps as they sold their baskets and other goods.

Over the years, however, transport systems have developed. Connecting roads were built in the 1800s. In 1873 a railroad was constructed, one that connected Fredrick road to Clopper road . The railroad led to the development of suburbs estates in the town by wealthy people. Some streets and roads have been introduced, and some of the old roads and streets have improved. They have been developed by shortening, widening, narrowing, or lengthening them. One of the oldest roads in the area maintained in its original state is the Fredrick Road. One major factor that can be attributed to the fast development of roads in Germantown was the farms and mills in the area.

Due to the town’s development, the population increased, and there was a war for space. Large estates were divided into an apartment to be able to hold everyone. New schools and churches were also built, which led to the increased urbanization of the area. There were many charitable and relief activities in the region form the churches. The relief was mainly aimed at keeping people off the streets, free medical care, and also for taking care of orphans. Today the organizations still exist though they are not as operational as they were in the past.

Germantown has developed over the years. For instance, the transportation systems have been improved as new roads have been constructed as well as railway stations. Even though Germantown is the richest historically, it is considered to be the poorest economically compared to other towns in the German township, which are Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill. According to research, the level of crime in Germantown is higher than the average rate of crime in Philadelphia⁵. The high crime rate has adversely affected the town’s development compared to other neighborhoods in Philadelphia. During the period of suburbanization and deindustrialization, Germantown was adversely affected. Germantown Avenue is one of the avenues that have retained its historical prestige. It stretches from North Philadelphia to Chestnut and can be considered one of the oldest streets in the town but in the whole country. The house where George Washington lived is located in this street. Johnson House and Cliveden House discussed earlier are also situated on this street. Most of the views that existed in the 1960s are still seen in the avenue.

Although some areas in Germantown have changed, some have not as they remain to be the same as they were when it was formed. For instance, Germantown Avenue remains the same as when it first founded. Some of the aspects that have changed are only a new building, but the old buildings and the structure remains the same. The old buildings have been renovated, but they still maintain the same structure as the original ones.

The population has increased over the years, with the town having more than 65000 settlers . Due to this, the government has worked hard to ensure that they control urban growth. They have done this by introducing rules and regulations to govern the growth. The implementation of aesthetic controls and strategic planning efforts has also been made to regulate growth.

Some of the schools that operated in the old times are still operational after they have been renovated. Some of the names of the schools have been changed and also new schools have been established. The schools can be categorized under Germantown municipal schools, private schools, Shelby County Schools, and there are also two institutions of higher learning, one being a higher institution for preaching. Germantown has retained the religiosity since there are still many churches and also most of the schools in the area were founded by the churches.

Some societies, such as Germantown Historical Society, are still in place, which performs the same objectives as those when it was formed. It still preserves the historic sites in the town that were associated with colonial times and revolutionary wars. The society owns some of the houses as it bought about four houses to save them from being wrecked. Another organization formed in 1983 called Historic Germantown Preserved still operates under the new name Germantown Historic after dropping the name Preserved . They did this mainly because of the public misconception about the word preserved.  Therefore, Germantown has changed and developed over the years, though it has maintained some aspects.

Conclusion

Germantown is a unique neighborhood within Philadelphia, as it is historically significant in the anti-slavery movement.  It was the first town to declare slaver as a wrong deed.  The town’s development can be mainly attributed to the growing population and industrious nature as there were many cottage and craftsmen industries in the area. Germantown acted as a separate town from Philadelphia as it had the power to make its own rules ad regulation, and also it had a court of record. Germantown acting independently from Philadelphia may also be another reason for its development. Some of the historic houses preserved over the years include Johnson’s House and Cliveden House, which serve great importance in the history of anti-slavery. Germantown has the highest number of historic sites in Philadelphia.

The transportation systems in the town have been improved as more roads have been built over the years. The education system in the tow is also effective as there are many schools, including two universities. One of the streets that remained the same was Germantown Avenue, which looks very similar to that of the colonial era. The education system in the town is also effective as there are many schools, including two universities, compared to other neighborhoods in the region.

Bibliography

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Harris, Michael. Germantown: a military history of the Battle for Philadelphia, October 4, 2020. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=2527575.

Store Villa,  Frank Hahn, and Benjamin Langstroth. “5700-04 GERMANTOWN AVE 19144.” 2017

Wolf, Stephanie. Urban Village: Population, Community, and Family Structure in Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1683-1800. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1980.

Young, David. “The Battles of Germantown: Public History and Preservation in America’s Most Historic Neighborhood During the Twentieth Century.” PhD diss., The Ohio State University, 2009.  http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243710061

Young, David. “‘Historic Germantown, New Knowledge in a Very Old Neighborhood.” The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia 2009 https://www.jstor.org/stable/20093969