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Olney, Philadelphia
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Olney, Philadelphia
Olney (/ˈɒlni/ or locally /ˈɒləni/) is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia. It is roughly bounded by Roosevelt Boulevard to the south, Tacony Creek to the east, Godfrey Avenue to the north, and the railroad right-of-way west of 7th Street to the west.
Although Olney is primarily a quiet residential neighborhood, portions do serve as major commercial centers for many surrounding groups. At 5th Street and Olney Avenue, there is a Korean-American business district, and Hispanic businesses are located in southern Olney.
Fisher Park is located in Olney. It is a 23-acre (93,000 m2) public park which was laid out and owned by Joseph Wharton, founder of Swarthmore College and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. It was donated to the City of Philadelphia by Joseph in 1908 as a "Christmas gift" to Philadelphia. Fisher Park has a football field, basketball and tennis courts, and a wooded hiking area.
Olney is named after the estate of Alexander Wilson (not the ornithologist), who resided on Rising Sun Avenue, near Tacony Creek. Wilson chose the name for his residence because of his love for the poet William Cowper, of Olney, England. The mansion was demolished in 1924, but the name was applied to the growing village nearby.
Until the late 19th century, Olney was a vast, hilly farmland in the hinterland of Philadelphia County. Olney residents then included mainly farmers and wealthy Philadelphians who could afford to live away from the city. As Philadelphia grew northwards, however, the area became more urbanized. People seeking to escape the growing population density towards the center moved to Olney.
Soon thereafter, businesses began appearing, largely centered at 5th Street and Olney Avenue. Industry was also attracted and companies such as Heintz Manufacturing Company, Proctor and Schwartz, and Brown Instrument Division built factories in the neighborhood. But this took second place to the strong commercial district, led by the Olney Businessmans' Association.
The population grew even more after the construction of the Broad Street subway, whose original terminal was at the Olney Transportation Center. It promised to get riders from Olney to Philadelphia City Hall in less than twenty minutes for fifteen cents. In addition to trolley lines that traveled east and west, this made Olney Philadelphia's northern transportation hub and gave Olneyites easy access to the entire city and beyond.[citation needed]
In 1925, Colney Theatre was constructed which then had the largest one-floor seating capacity in the world with room for almost 2000 people. In 1931, Olney High School graduated its first class and for a time had the largest enrollment in the city with 3600 students. Olney High School's alumni include Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Del Ennis (1942), comedy writer Barry S. Waronker (1965), local news reporter Sheila Washington (1982), and former Feltonville historian Dennis Dalbey (1994).
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Olney, Philadelphia
Olney (/ˈɒlni/ or locally /ˈɒləni/) is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia. It is roughly bounded by Roosevelt Boulevard to the south, Tacony Creek to the east, Godfrey Avenue to the north, and the railroad right-of-way west of 7th Street to the west.
Although Olney is primarily a quiet residential neighborhood, portions do serve as major commercial centers for many surrounding groups. At 5th Street and Olney Avenue, there is a Korean-American business district, and Hispanic businesses are located in southern Olney.
Fisher Park is located in Olney. It is a 23-acre (93,000 m2) public park which was laid out and owned by Joseph Wharton, founder of Swarthmore College and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. It was donated to the City of Philadelphia by Joseph in 1908 as a "Christmas gift" to Philadelphia. Fisher Park has a football field, basketball and tennis courts, and a wooded hiking area.
Olney is named after the estate of Alexander Wilson (not the ornithologist), who resided on Rising Sun Avenue, near Tacony Creek. Wilson chose the name for his residence because of his love for the poet William Cowper, of Olney, England. The mansion was demolished in 1924, but the name was applied to the growing village nearby.
Until the late 19th century, Olney was a vast, hilly farmland in the hinterland of Philadelphia County. Olney residents then included mainly farmers and wealthy Philadelphians who could afford to live away from the city. As Philadelphia grew northwards, however, the area became more urbanized. People seeking to escape the growing population density towards the center moved to Olney.
Soon thereafter, businesses began appearing, largely centered at 5th Street and Olney Avenue. Industry was also attracted and companies such as Heintz Manufacturing Company, Proctor and Schwartz, and Brown Instrument Division built factories in the neighborhood. But this took second place to the strong commercial district, led by the Olney Businessmans' Association.
The population grew even more after the construction of the Broad Street subway, whose original terminal was at the Olney Transportation Center. It promised to get riders from Olney to Philadelphia City Hall in less than twenty minutes for fifteen cents. In addition to trolley lines that traveled east and west, this made Olney Philadelphia's northern transportation hub and gave Olneyites easy access to the entire city and beyond.[citation needed]
In 1925, Colney Theatre was constructed which then had the largest one-floor seating capacity in the world with room for almost 2000 people. In 1931, Olney High School graduated its first class and for a time had the largest enrollment in the city with 3600 students. Olney High School's alumni include Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Del Ennis (1942), comedy writer Barry S. Waronker (1965), local news reporter Sheila Washington (1982), and former Feltonville historian Dennis Dalbey (1994).
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