Port Kennedy, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Port Kennedy was an industrial village located where U.S. Route 422
(Pottstown Expressway) now crosses the Schuylkill River
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
, United States of America. Named for Alexander Kennedy, and located on the Schuylkill Canal
-- and, after 1849, on the Reading Railroad -- the village became an important center for the lime industry in the 19th century.
Beginning in 1871, a number of important fossils were unearthed at Port Kennedy. The location of the find was forgotten until 2006, when the Port Kennedy Bone Cave
was rediscovered.
Planning for U.S. Route 422
between the Schuylkill Expressway
(Interstate 76
) and Trooper Road began in 1964. Most of the village was demolished for construction of the superhighway and Betzwood Bridge, which opened to traffic in 1967. In 1978, the National Park Service
seized the land west of the superhighway through eminent domain to expand Valley Forge National Historical Park
.
Today, U.S. Route 422
separates the First Presbyterian Church of Port Kennedy (1845) from the Kennedy Mansion
(1852). They, along with two houses and the Reading Railroad station, are the only surviving landmarks of the town.
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...
(Pottstown Expressway) now crosses the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, United States of America. Named for Alexander Kennedy, and located on the Schuylkill Canal
Schuylkill Canal
Schuylkill Canal is the common, but technically inaccurate, name for the Schuylkill Navigation, a 19th-century commercial waterway in and along the Schuylkill River in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The "canal" was actually a system of interconnected man-made canals and slack-water pools in the...
-- and, after 1849, on the Reading Railroad -- the village became an important center for the lime industry in the 19th century.
Beginning in 1871, a number of important fossils were unearthed at Port Kennedy. The location of the find was forgotten until 2006, when the Port Kennedy Bone Cave
Port Kennedy Bone Cave
The Port Kennedy Bone Cave is a limestone cave in Port Kennedy, Pennsylvania, USA. The Bone Cave "contained one of the most important middle Pleistocene fossil deposits in North America"....
was rediscovered.
Planning for U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...
between the Schuylkill Expressway
Schuylkill Expressway
The Schuylkill Expressway , locally known as the Schuylkill, is a freeway through southwestern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia, and the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
(Interstate 76
Interstate 76 (east)
Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey....
) and Trooper Road began in 1964. Most of the village was demolished for construction of the superhighway and Betzwood Bridge, which opened to traffic in 1967. In 1978, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
seized the land west of the superhighway through eminent domain to expand Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site where the Continental Army spent the winter of 1777–1778 near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolutionary War. The National Historical Park preserves the site and interprets the history of the Valley Forge encampment. ...
.
Today, U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...
separates the First Presbyterian Church of Port Kennedy (1845) from the Kennedy Mansion
Kennedy Mansion (Valley Forge)
Kennedy Mansion , also known as Kennedy-Supplee Mansion, is an Italian-villa-style residence within Valley Forge National Historical Park. Now squeezed between PA Route 23 and U.S...
(1852). They, along with two houses and the Reading Railroad station, are the only surviving landmarks of the town.