Fishtown Two Site

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Fishtown 2

The Fishtown Two Site occupied the area beneath the I-95 overpass and an open area to the east. The site’s boundaries were defined by East Berks Street to the north, Delaware Avenue to the east, East Montgomery Avenue to the south, and a residential neighborhood to the west. Current Delaware Avenue occupies what was once historic Richmond Street.

At the start of the excavation, the site consisted of bare ground beneath the I-95 viaduct and grass-covered land to the south of the highway between Berks Street and Montgomery Avenue. With the exception of an abandoned trailer at the corner of Berks Street and Delaware Avenue, the space encompassing the Fishtown Two site was open and level. Prior to the construction of I-95, much of the site area consisted of undeveloped backyard and interior block space.

Site History Summary

Urban development on the Fishtown Two site did not really begin until the late colonial era, and even then, the area remained fairly rural. At the time, it formed the southwest corner of a large block bounded by the streets now known as Girard Avenue, Montgomery Avenue, Susquehanna Avenue, and Richmond Street. Fishermen and shipwrights occupied houses scattered along Richmond and Montgomery, while much of what became the Berks and Wildey Street properties was part of a nearly 2-acre plot of land owned by Philadelphia tailor Jacob Maag.

From the 1820s through the 1840s, the block saw a period of greater development, with most of the remaining large tracts of land being subdivided and Berks Street opened between Richmond and Wildey Streets. On the southwest side of the block, land that local fisherman Michael Collar had acquired at the beginning of the nineteenth century was divided among his children. On the northeast side, Philadelphia merchant Manuel Eyre sold off the land that Jacob Maag (and later, his daughter) had owned. In the center of the Richmond Street side of the block, fisherman Christian Faunce purchased a parcel of land and constructed four houses on the site, likely one for each of his sons, whose descendants occupied them well into the twentieth century.

A large majority of the residents during this time continued to be involved in maritime trades—with fishing and shipbuilding families such as the Faunces, Collars, Potes, Janneys, Rowens, and Bennets populating much of the block—but there was some occupational diversity. Numerous glassworkers employed at nearby glasshouses, such as Union Glass Works or Dyottville, also lived on the block, while other residents operated businesses essential to any neighborhood at the time: groceries, shoe stores, tobacco shops, and a succession of bakers.

After the Civil War, heavy industry moved into the area and the demographics of the block changed, with more of the inhabitants being employed in factories, iron foundries, and mills—though the shipbuilding industries and, to a lesser extent, the fishing industry remained active. The houses along Richmond Street were demolished around 1924, when Richmond Street was widened into Delaware Avenue. Over the next several decades, a majority of the homes on Berks Street and Montgomery Avenue fell victim to expanding industry.

What Did the Archaeological Excavation Reveal?

Phase I/II historic efforts began with the excavation of three strip blocks (D, E, and F), which were opened via machine; the modern overburden was removed to search for intact soils and historic features. These strip blocks were located beneath the northbound lane of the extant overpass and within the footprints of proposed highway support pillars. Each strip block measured approximately 30 x 40 feet.

Strip Block D was located in the southwest corner of Fishtown Two. This area contained 46 potential features. Strip Blocks E and F did not encounter any buried historic features. Although only Strip Block D contained historic features, a review of historic mapping indicated that much of Fishtown Two contained similar, potentially undisturbed backyard spaces. Therefore, the strip blocks were expanded both perpendicularly to the highway to encompass the entire right of way and widened in order to encompass the areas between the highway support pillars.

The expanded Strip Block D encompassed several backyards along both Montgomery and Richmond Streets. This expansion revealed 118 potential historic features: historic posts, wooden barrel privies, refuse pits, and wooden box privies. The expansion of Strip Block E also revealed many potential historic features—200 in total, including historic posts, refuse pits, wooden barrel privies, wooden box privies, and a brick-lined privy shaft. Strip Block E encompassed properties along both Richmond and East Montgomery Streets. The expanded Strip Block F encompassed the backyards of residences along East Berks Street and a portion of the Cummings’ shipping facility. The expansion revealed 152 potential historic features: historic posts, wooden barrel privies, wooden box privies, refuse pits, and a dog burial.

The results obtained from Strip Blocks D, E, and F indicated the potential for additional significant buried archaeological resources. It was determined that the areas adjacent to the three strip blocks contained wide expanses of backyard space that could contain further historic features. Therefore, the modern overburden was removed from these areas and they were designated Strip Blocks J, L, and M. Strip Block J covered residential backyards along both East Montgomery and Richmond Streets. One hundred and forty-two additional potential historic features were encountered, many of which were historic privies. Strip Block L encompassed a few small backyards associated with residences along East Berks Street. Due to disturbances caused by the construction of I-95 and its underground drainage system, very few potential historical features were encountered. Strip Block M consisted of a combination of an abandoned commercial property and open space; the opening of Strip Block M revealed 141 potential historic features. The majority of these potential features consisted of posts and wooden box privies.

The historic-period artifacts were mostly recovered from privies; barrel, box, and brick specimens were fully excavated. The content of these privies has yielded a trove of information about the glassblowing, fishing, and shipbuilding families that dominated Kensington-Fishtown since the arrival of Europeans and the explosion of these industries.