Elfreth’s Alley maintains the claim of being the oldest residential street in the United States. It dates back to 1702 when two blacksmiths surrendered portions of their land in order to create an alleyway that led to the river. The word "alley" once carried the flavor of a polite residential section.
Elfreth's Alley was named after Jeremiah Elfreth, a blacksmith who came to Philadelphia in 1690. Among the alley's early residents were tradesmen and their families, including shipwrights, silver and pewter smiths, glassblowers, and furniture builders. In the 1770s, one-third of the households were headed by women. Well known residents of the Alley included Betsy Ross and Dolly Madison.
With no contractor’s blueprints guiding them to a patterned uniformity, the alley grew as each colonist built his home according to his taste, and subject to his needs. The houses themselves were built in the Georgian and Federal styles, which were the prominent style when the houses were built. The two oldest surviving dwellings on the entire alley are House 120 and 122 on the south side.
In the late 19th & early 20th centuries, the area surrounding the street became more industrial. Successive waves of immigrants, lured by the nearby jobs, moved onto the street. In 1900, the neighborhood was overwhelmingly Irish.
Preservation efforts for Elfreth’s Alley began in 1934. That was the year that the Elfreth’s Alley Association was founded. At that time, the City of Philadelphia had rebranded Elfreth’s Alley as the 100 block of Cherry Street and it was set to be destroyed. Not only did the organization save the street, but they were also able to turn the 100 block of Cherry Street back into Elfreth’s Alley. The current Elfreth’s Alley houses were built between 1728 and 1836.
1910 1940's Current
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