Olney, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Olney (ˈɒlni or ˈɒləni) is a neighborhood
in the North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. It is roughly bounded by the Roosevelt Boulevard
to the south, Tacony Creek
to the east, Godfrey Avenue to the north, and the railroad right-of-way west of Sixth Street to the west.
Although Olney is primarily a quiet residential neighborhood, portions do serve as major commercial centers for many surrounding groups. 5th Street has a Korean-American business district in the vicinity of Olney Avenue, and Hispanic
businesses flourish in the southern reaches of the neighborhood.
Fisher Park is located in Olney. It is a 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) public park which was originally 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
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. Recently, youths living in the area have dubbed Olney 'The Ozone'.
As the city of Philadelphia grew northwards, the area became more urbanized. People seeking to escape the growing population density towards the center moved to Olney. Soon after, businesses began appearing, 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 which had its original terminal at Olney Avenue (Olney Transportation Center
). It promised to get riders from Olney to 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.
Throughout its history, Olney had many crowning achievements. 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 boasted the largest enrollment in the city with 3600 students. Olney High School is also reputable for its many notable alumni such as 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). Civic pride was abundant in the "city within a city." Olneyites lobbied the city intensely for the constructions of playgrounds and the library at 5th Street and Tabor Road. Community members even put together an amateur Olney Symphony Orchestra (which continues to give concerts) and started their own newspaper, the Olney Times (which is no longer in circulation as of 2010).
Between the 1960s and 1980s, Olney began experiencing change. Large numbers of African Americans began migrating into the area from other parts of the city. As part of the deindustrialization
of Philadelphia, industry closed factories and moved from the area. People began to claim that Olney was deteriorating: crime was going up and property values were going down. Taking part in the white flight
occurring across the country, many European-American residents moved to the suburbs.
This receding population was quickly supplemented by a new wave of residents from Asia
(Korea
, mainly, as well as Vietnam
, China, Cambodia
, Laos
) and Latin America
(Puerto Rico
, Colombia
, Mexico
). This new population quickly filled the vacancies left behind in the commercial district and, today, 5th and Olney is still a vital economic center. These groups also maintained Olney's historic civic pride through the creation of organizations such as the Korean Community Development Services Center. Olney has been seeing a steady increase in crime yearly.
By the mid-1980s Koreans began moving out of Logan
and into Olney and other communities. By 1986 up to 5,000 Koreans lived in Olney, and many Korean businesses were situated along North Fifth Street. Many Korean are aresidents referred to the area as "Koreatown
."
Today, Olney is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Philadelphia. The Olney station
of the Broad Street Subway, while no longer the terminal, is the second most used (next to City Hall). There are thriving business districts at 5th and Olney, Broad and Olney, and Front and Olney.
.
Olney has six public elementary schools:
Olney has two general zoned public high schools. Toward the southern reaches of the neighborhood Olney High School is the prime school. Samuel Fels High School is now accepting students living in the northern reaches of the neighborhood after violence in Olney High School became too prevalent. Magnet public high schools in the neighborhood include Central High School and the Philadelphia High School for Girls
. The Widener Memorial School is a special education center for ages K-12 in Olney.
which was once the largest Roman Catholic high school in the United States.
s, and maintained an homogeneous population throughout the first half of the 20th century. Today, Olney is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Philadelphia, with large numbers of African Americans, Koreans, Sub-Saharan Africans
, West Indians, Hispanics, and Arab Americans, as well as other smaller groups representing other nationalities and ethnic groups.
As of the census
of 2010, the racial makeup of Olney was 51.8% African American
, 23.1% Hispanic
or Latino
, 16.4% Asian
, 6.3% White
, and roughly 2% Multiracial
.
After growing modestly during the 1990s, the population of Olney decreased by 2.3% between 2000 and 2010 (from 37,366 to 36,474). Olney is located in the 19120 postal zip code, which it shares with Feltonville
and Lawncrest
. Its geographical coordinates are 40.034254 degrees North and 75.121256 degrees West.
In 2005, the median home sale price in the 19120 zip code
was $79,950. This was an increase of 20% over the median price for 2004.
Still active every Wednesday 7-9 at Saint Helena's School hall and they still camp once a month all year long. (except Aug)
Boy Scout Troop 125
Located at St Paul's Evangelical Church, 5900 N 5Th street. We meet every Thursday 6:30 - 8:00 PM. We have an active year long camping, community and outdoor program for boys ages of 11 - 17 years old.
Cub Scout Pack 125
Located at St Paul's Evangelical Church, 5900 N 5TH street. We meet every Thursday 6:30 - 8:00 PM. We are the sister Pack to the Boy Scout Troop 125. We are active Scouting Pack for boys 7-10 years old or grades 1-5.
For more information, www.beascout.org.
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
in the North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is roughly bounded by the Roosevelt Boulevard
Roosevelt Boulevard
The following roads are called Roosevelt Boulevard:*Roosevelt Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida*Roosevelt Boulevard between Marmora and Ocean City, New Jersey*Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
to the south, Tacony Creek
Frankford Creek
Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until a sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest,...
to the east, Godfrey Avenue to the north, and the railroad right-of-way west of Sixth Street to the west.
Although Olney is primarily a quiet residential neighborhood, portions do serve as major commercial centers for many surrounding groups. 5th Street has a Korean-American business district in the vicinity of Olney Avenue, and Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
businesses flourish in the southern reaches of the neighborhood.
Fisher Park is located in Olney. It is a 23 acres (93,077.8 m²) public park which was originally laid out and owned by Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton was a prominent Philadelphia merchant, industrialist and philanthropist, who was involved in mining, manufacturing and education...
, founder of Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. It was donated to the city
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
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
Frankford Creek
Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until a sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest,...
. Wilson chose the name for his residence because of his love for the poet William Cowper
William Cowper
William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry...
, of Olney, England. The mansion was demolished in 1924, but the name was applied to the growing village nearby. Recently, youths living in the area have dubbed Olney 'The Ozone'.
History
Until the late nineteenth century Olney was vast, hilly farmland in the hinterland of Philadelphia County. The population until then was mainly farmers and wealthy Philadelphians who could afford to live away from the city.As the city of Philadelphia grew northwards, the area became more urbanized. People seeking to escape the growing population density towards the center moved to Olney. Soon after, businesses began appearing, 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 which had its original terminal at Olney Avenue (Olney Transportation Center
Olney Transportation Center
The Olney Transportation Center is a SEPTA bus terminal and the last Broad Street Line subway station before the Fern Rock Transportation Center terminus. Trains in the other direction go to South Philadelphia...
). It promised to get riders from Olney to 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.
Throughout its history, Olney had many crowning achievements. In 1925, Colney Theatre was constructed which then had the largest one-floor seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
in the world with room for almost 2000 people. In 1931, Olney High School graduated its first class and for a time boasted the largest enrollment in the city with 3600 students. Olney High School is also reputable for its many notable alumni such as 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). Civic pride was abundant in the "city within a city." Olneyites lobbied the city intensely for the constructions of playgrounds and the library at 5th Street and Tabor Road. Community members even put together an amateur Olney Symphony Orchestra (which continues to give concerts) and started their own newspaper, the Olney Times (which is no longer in circulation as of 2010).
Between the 1960s and 1980s, Olney began experiencing change. Large numbers of African Americans began migrating into the area from other parts of the city. As part of the deindustrialization
Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
of Philadelphia, industry closed factories and moved from the area. People began to claim that Olney was deteriorating: crime was going up and property values were going down. Taking part in the white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
occurring across the country, many European-American residents moved to the suburbs.
This receding population was quickly supplemented by a new wave of residents from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
(Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, mainly, as well as Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, China, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
) and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
). This new population quickly filled the vacancies left behind in the commercial district and, today, 5th and Olney is still a vital economic center. These groups also maintained Olney's historic civic pride through the creation of organizations such as the Korean Community Development Services Center. Olney has been seeing a steady increase in crime yearly.
By the mid-1980s Koreans began moving out of Logan
Logan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Logan is a neighborhood in the upper North Philadelphia section of the city of Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Philadelphians usually define Logan as being bounded by Wingohocking Street to the south, Olney Avenue to the north, Broad Street to the east, and to 16th Street to the...
and into Olney and other communities. By 1986 up to 5,000 Koreans lived in Olney, and many Korean businesses were situated along North Fifth Street. Many Korean are aresidents referred to the area as "Koreatown
Koreatown
Koreatown is a term to describe a Korean ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area. Similar terms may include Little Seoul or Little Korea.-Beijing:There are more than 150,000 Koreans living in Beijing...
."
Today, Olney is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Philadelphia. The Olney station
Olney Transportation Center
The Olney Transportation Center is a SEPTA bus terminal and the last Broad Street Line subway station before the Fern Rock Transportation Center terminus. Trains in the other direction go to South Philadelphia...
of the Broad Street Subway, while no longer the terminal, is the second most used (next to City Hall). There are thriving business districts at 5th and Olney, Broad and Olney, and Front and Olney.
Public schools
Olney, as with all areas in Philadelphia, is zoned to the School District of PhiladelphiaSchool District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in the School District of Philadelphia Education Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation.The School...
.
Olney has six public elementary schools:
- Lowell
- Finletter
- Morrison
- Grover Washington, Jr.
- Marshall
- Olney
Olney has two general zoned public high schools. Toward the southern reaches of the neighborhood Olney High School is the prime school. Samuel Fels High School is now accepting students living in the northern reaches of the neighborhood after violence in Olney High School became too prevalent. Magnet public high schools in the neighborhood include Central High School and the Philadelphia High School for Girls
Philadelphia High School for Girls
The Philadelphia High School for Girls, also known as Girls' High, is a public university-preparatory magnet high school for girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. As its name suggests, the school's enrollment is all female....
. The Widener Memorial School is a special education center for ages K-12 in Olney.
Private schools
There are several private and parochial schools in Olney. Elementary schools include Incarnation Catholic School & Saint Helena and high schools include and International Christian High School, which formerly was Cedar Grove Christian Academy. Prior to its closing in 2010, Olney was the home of Cardinal Dougherty High SchoolCardinal Dougherty High School
Cardinal Dougherty High School was a private, Roman Catholic high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia...
which was once the largest Roman Catholic high school in the United States.
Demographics
Olney was originally settled by German AmericanGerman American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
s, and maintained an homogeneous population throughout the first half of the 20th century. Today, Olney is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Philadelphia, with large numbers of African Americans, Koreans, Sub-Saharan Africans
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
, West Indians, Hispanics, and Arab Americans, as well as other smaller groups representing other nationalities and ethnic groups.
As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, the racial makeup of Olney was 51.8% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 23.1% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
, 16.4% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 6.3% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, and roughly 2% Multiracial
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
.
After growing modestly during the 1990s, the population of Olney decreased by 2.3% between 2000 and 2010 (from 37,366 to 36,474). Olney is located in the 19120 postal zip code, which it shares with Feltonville
Feltonville, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feltonville is a neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia It is located east of Logan, Philadelphia, south of Olney, northeast of Hunting Park, west of Frankford, and northwest of Juniata...
and Lawncrest
Lawncrest, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lawncrest is a neighborhood in the "Near" Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The name is an amalgram of Lawndale and Crescentville, the two primary communities that make up the neighborhood....
. Its geographical coordinates are 40.034254 degrees North and 75.121256 degrees West.
In 2005, the median home sale price in the 19120 zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
was $79,950. This was an increase of 20% over the median price for 2004.
Groups
Boy Scout Troop 109Still active every Wednesday 7-9 at Saint Helena's School hall and they still camp once a month all year long. (except Aug)
Boy Scout Troop 125
Located at St Paul's Evangelical Church, 5900 N 5Th street. We meet every Thursday 6:30 - 8:00 PM. We have an active year long camping, community and outdoor program for boys ages of 11 - 17 years old.
Cub Scout Pack 125
Located at St Paul's Evangelical Church, 5900 N 5TH street. We meet every Thursday 6:30 - 8:00 PM. We are the sister Pack to the Boy Scout Troop 125. We are active Scouting Pack for boys 7-10 years old or grades 1-5.
For more information, www.beascout.org.
External links
- Broad and Olney in Philly.com
- Olney: Fifth St & Lindley Ave (Virtual Earth aerial perspective)
- Olney: Fifth St & Tabor Ave (Virtual Earth aerial perspective)
- Olney: odd-numbered side of 5500 N Fifth Street (Virtual Earth aerial perspective)
- Korean Community Development Services Center
- Historic Photographs of Olney, PhillyHistory.org