Northern Liberties 3

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Northern Liberties 3

The Northern Liberties 3 Site was uncovered during excavations for the I-95 Girard Interchange Improvement Project in an urban lot bounded by North Second Street to the west, Spring Garden Street to the north, and the southbound lanes of I-95 to the east. Three trenches were mechanically stripped and hand excavated in order to investigate the site’s stratigraphy and integrity. Within these trenches, structural remains of at least two houses were uncovered. Trenching also revealed the surface of the historic Dana Street.

One excavation unit was opened in order to investigate the construction of this street. Dana Street and the excavated foundations are visible on maps from the mid-nineteenth century into the twentieth century, but may date earlier.

Due to the presence of surviving structures in the northern portion of this site, the site boundary has been drawn to encompass the rest of the block, which represents the rear portions of properties along North Second Street. A GIS-based cut/fill analysis suggests that this area is intact under fill. Much of the eastern portion of this site boundary is currently beneath the highway berm for I-95.