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Cobb's Creek Maps, Plans and Drawings Collection
Notifications
Held at: Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives [Contact Us]1515 Arch Street, 10th Floor, Philadelphia, PA
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The Cobb’s Creek Park region was originally inhabited by Native Americans, primarily members of the Lenape tribe, who called the location “Karakung”. The land was utilized for its agricultural fertility, as well as the abundance of convenient fishing opportunities resulting from the surrounding tributaries. Around the mid-17th Century, Dutch, Swedish and English Quaker immigrants began settlement in the area, and worked to divert some of the streams to create man made millraces to support mills and plantation-style farms and drained the marshlands to create dry ground for pastures. The nation’s first water mill was constructed in Cobb’s Creek Park in 1634 by Swedish Governor Printz.
The Blue Bell Inn, located in Cobb’s Creek Park and built in 1766, is a site of great historical significance. During the Revolutionary Era, the Blue Bell Inn housed a number of Patriotic Army soldiers, including George Washington. It was also the location of a Revolutionary War battle in 1777, which followed the evacuation of Fort Mifflin. Although established in the mid-19th Century, historic Mount Moriah Cemetery also contains a connection to this time period as Betsy Ross was re-buried here to her permanent resting site. Today, Mount Moriah Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Pennsylvania.
The transformation of this region from dispersed farming plantations and local economic centers into a highly developed urban residential area began with the creation of the Mill Creek sewer system in the late 1800s. The creation of this sewer system increased the amount of habitable land, and subsequently quickly led to significant real estate growth. This was amplified by the creation of the Market-Frankford Elevated Train Line, or “El”, in 1908, which provided easy and affordable access to the city, desirable to commuters. The connectivity created by this public transportation helped expand the dense urbanization from central Philadelphia to the outer limits encompassed by Cobb’s Creek Park. This growth, combined with issues resulting from years of drainage of raw sewage into Cobb’s Creek, negatively impacted the park’s natural environment and resources.
Over the past twenty-five years, Cobb’s Creek Park has been the center of a number of revitalization projects aimed to restore a healthy, natural environment. In 1991, the Cobb’s Creek Community Environmental Education Center was established to help educate the public on the important role the environment has on daily life, as well as inspire volunteerism and community efforts to preserve the park’s natural habitats. An integrated watershed management was implemented by the Philadelphia Water Department in 2004 to help restore the natural resources and beneficial uses of Cobb’s Creek and surrounding tributaries. The Fairmount Park Commission has also used funding to create miles of biking and hiking trails throughout the park in efforts to enhance beneficial use of this important and vital area.
This collection contains a variety of maps, plans and drawings relating to Cobb’s Creek Park, as well as a very limited number of related correspondence. Materials included in the collection are blueprints, bluelines, linens, mylars and paper. The collection contains diverse types of maps and plans, such as sewer plans, topographic plans, site plans, latitudinal and longitudinal plans, water main plans, street maps, and landscape plans. The collection is particularly strong in items relating to the Cobb’s Creek golf courses- both Cobb’s Creek Golf Course (Olde) and Karakung Golf Course- as well as Morris Park. Items included in this collection are dated from 1902 to 2003, although the bulk dates are more inclusive at 1920 to 1975. All items included are in English.
All items in this collection have been arranged against a geographical grid map. If certain areas include a high volume of documents, they have been further arranged according to type of material (i.e. Blueprints and Bluelines or Linens and Paper).
If an item expands over two grid plots, preference has been given to the grid plot containing the larger portion covered. If portions seem equitable, preference has been given to the northern region.
If an item’s coverage expands to three or more regions it has been filed as “Cobb’s Creek General”. Highly specific subject matter, such as Cobb’s Creek Golf Course, has been arranged within each folder so all items relating to the subject matter are in succession for easier retrieval.
Place
- Publisher
- Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Caity Tingo
- Finding Aid Date
- 10/1/2012
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Archives with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.
Collection Inventory
Item is damaged. Handle with care.
Item is related to Cobb's Creek Park: Morris Park. Play areas for Morris Park, 68th Street and Haverford Avenue. See Draware C6.1 for related item.
The bottom of the document is subject to water damage. This does not, however, affect the usability of the document.
Item is related to a planting plan series for Morris Park. Please see: Cobb's Creek Park: Morris Park. Planting plan sections 1 and 4 in Drawer C1.1.
Item is extremely fragile, and has broken into 4 pieces. Use with care.
The sheets were originally taped together on their vertical sides in order to show the full length of Lansdowne Avenue. Due to the age of the tape, only sheets 1 through 4 remain taped together, while the final two sheets are separated.
As a result of a tear, a portion of sheet 2 of 2 is missing which impacts usability of the document, if only slightly. Both sheets are in fair condition, and include additional small tears, folding and fragility resulting from storage.
Verbiage on the document indicates that it is part of a two document set (sheet 1 of 2), however no corresponding document seems to be available in the collection.
Verbiage on the document indicates that it is part of a two document set (sheet 2 of 2), however no corresponding document seems to be available in the collection.
Both copies of the document are extremely fragile, and are tearing at the creases. Attempts have been made to tape the masp together, however the tape is now too brittle to provide any real use. Small portions of the maps are missing throughout as a result of being torn and from use. Handle documents with care.
Document is in very poor condition and is extremely fragile. It has been torn into multiple pieces, and has lengthy tears and small portions missing throughout. Handle with care.
Both sheets indicate they are part of a set of 5- however only the first two documents are available in the collection.
General Physical Description noteDue to fraying and folding along the edges, usability of these documents is affected. Additionally, sheet 1 is torn through the middle. Handle both documents with care.
Item is extremely fragile, and tearing at the creases. Handle with care.
Item is in poor condition, and is extremely fragile. It contains multiple tears, with portions missing. Handle with care.
Both copies are in very poor condition. They each contain a number of tears, with one copy separated into two pieces. Handle with care.
Verbiage on the document indicates it is part of a two document record (sheet 2 of 2), however no corresponding sheet appears to be available in the collection.
The document is in fair physical condition, as the edges are frayed and torn. These flaws do not impact usability of the document.
Item is in fair condition, and does contain slight damage such as rips and small portions missing. This does not affect the usability of the document. Handle with care.
Item is in poor condition, and is currently in three pieces due to tearing along crease lines. Taken together, the map is intact.
Item is in poor condition, and has been damaged. It has nearly torn in half along the crease lines, and portions of the map are missing.
Item is in extremely poor condition. It is torn in two along the crease line and portions are missing. Handle with care.
Item is in extremely poor condition. It appears to be one-half of a plan, and the remnant in the collection is torn and missing portions. Handle with care.
These maps are related to an additional set of three maps which cover a more southerly portion of Cobb's Creek Parkway - Cobb's Creek Park. Map of Cobb's Creek Parkway: Walnut Street to Larchwood Street, 23S13; Pine Street to Larchwood Street, 23S15; Larchwood Street to Cedar Avenue. [3 unique sheets; 3 sheets total] They can be found in Drawer C11.1.
Item is physically located with related series in Drawer C10.1.
Related to a similar series of sewerage maps available in Drawer C10.1.
General Physical Description noteThe edges of this document are fraying, and the document itself is brittle. Handle with care.
These maps are related to two additional maps which cover a northern portion of Cobb's Creek Parkway: Cobb's Creek Park. Map of Cobb's Creek Parkway: Market Street to Sansom Street, 18S10; Sansom Street to Locust Street, 18S11. [2 unique sheets; 2 sheets total] These maps can be found in Drawer C10.1.
This item is damaged, as it has torn into two halves along the central crease. While it is in poor condition as a result, taken together the two halves are complete and the document is still usable. Handle with care.
Item is in very poor condition, and contains foxing damage. Handle with care.
Item is in poor condition, with significant tears and small portions missing. Handle with care.
Item is in extremely poor condition. It is torn and ripped, has been previously taped together at the creases, and small portions are missing throughout. Handle with care.
Item is in extremely poor condition. It has been ripped and torn in multiple places, and is tearing at the creases. It has also become very brittle. Handle with care.
Item is related to another document entitled "Plan made for the Law Department of the City of Philadelphia for the purpose of selecting for extension of Cobb's Creek Park two tracts of land designated 'B' and 'C'", which covers a more southwesterly area of Yeadon Borough. The related document can be found in Drawer 16.1.
Document is in poor condition. The edges have frayed and rips have begun to form along the crease lines, partially a result of the large overall size of the map.
While both copies are in fragile condition, the blueprint copy is in particularly poor shape. It has been taped together many times in the past, and the tape has since become brittle. Small portions are missing throughout and it also contains many tears. Handle with care.
Edges of this document are fraying, and small portions are missing. It has been taped back together along the center, however the tape has become brittle. Handle with care.
Due to the age of the document, the material (mylar) has become spotted. This does not affect use of the document.
Item is in poor condition. Damage includes rips and tears, particularly along crease lines, and the edges are severely frayed. Handle with care.
Item is related to another document entitled "Plan made for the Law Department of the City of Philadelphia for the purpose of selecting for extension of Cobb's Creek Park two tracts of land designated 'A' and 'D'", which covers a more northeasterly area of Yeadon Borough. The related document can be found in Drawer 13.1.
General Physical Description noteItem is in poor condition. Damage to the document includes rips, tears, and portions missing. The edges are also severely frayed. Handle with care.