Lombard Street African American History Walking Tour of Philadelphia

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Founded in 1793 by African American Bishop, Richard Allen the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Richard Allen was born a slave to a Quaker attorney. This church is an relic in remembrance to Richard Allen. The land on which the church was built was bought by Allen from his owner. Allen was a minister, "preeminent Black leader, and founder of the first permanent national association." Alongside serving as a stop in the underground railroad, the Mother Bethel AME Church also has been used by the African-American community as a place for social organizations to meet, being a proponent for racial equality and civil rights on the local and national level. A number of influential African Americans have been gust in the church as well, such leaders include Frederick Douglass, Lucretia Mott, Rosa Parks, and Colin Powell.

2. Free African Society Historical Marker

Founded in 1787 by preachers Rt. Rev. Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, The Free African Society was a cooperative organization which sought to provide mutual aid, religious services, and community for African-Americans in Philadelphia. It was the second mutual aid society for African-Americans in the United States. While it originally did not have a specific religious affiliation, the organization had ties to several churches and practiced some Quaker traditions; it was a forerunner of the African Methodist Episcopal (A. M. E.) Church, founded by Allen, though he had separated from The Free African Society by then. The society extended help not only to the Black community, but to the rest of the city as well, notably providing aid during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The Philadelphia Historical and Museum Commission place a historical marker here, by the Mother Bethel A. M. E. Church, to commemorate the society in 1991.

3. W.E.B. Du Bois Historical Marker

The Philadelphia Historical Commission erected this historical marker in 1995 to honor the life of one of the country's leading 20th century African American intellectuals and co-founder of the NAACP, W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963), who, from 1896-1897, lived in a house that once stood at this location. During that time he conducted research for his sociological study called "The Philadelphia Negro," which was published in 1899.

4. Liberty Hall at the Institute for Colored Youth

Liberty Hall was a building belonging to the Institute for Colored Youth.The building was used as the headquarters for the first all Black Philadelphia baseball club, the Pythians, in 1867. The team had meetings and planned events here.The building is no longer standing today. However, there is a plaque elsewhere in Philly, dedicated to the Institute for Colored Youth.

5. Octavius V. Catto Historical Marker

Pennsylvania state historical marker placed at the former residence of the great African American activist, educator and sportsman Octavius V. Catto (1839-71). In addition to co-founding the Pythians baseball club of Philadelphia, one of the most successful and historically significant all-Black teams of their time, Catto spearheaded the movement that led to the racial integration of streetcars in Philadelphia and worked to help African Americans gain the right to vote with the passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution in 1870. During a time of violent unrest shortly before the fall 1871 elections in Philadelphia, Catto was murdered in the street, a victim of a politically motivated assassination.

6. The Institute for Colored Youth (1837) and Samuel J. Randall School (1902)

This was the historic location of one of America’s most influential historic schools, The Institute for Colored Youth, predecessor to Cheyney University. In 1902, the Institute secured a new location at a farm in Cheyney and this building became home to the Samuel J. Randall School. The Institute was established by Quakers and became one of the first schools in the United States devoted to the education of Black youth. Many of the graduates of the Institute for Colored Youth became leaders in the fight to abolish slavery leading up to the Civil War. Later graduates led efforts to establish legal and political equality for African Americans in the 19th century.

7. William and Letitia Still Underground Railroad Way Station

The child of formerly enslaved parents, William Still (1821-1902) dedicated his life to the abolition of slavery and protection of fugitives from slavery. His house at 625 South Delhi Street (then called Ronaldson Street) in Philadelphia was a stop on the Underground Railroad from 1850 to 1855. As chair of the Philadelphia Anti-Slavery Society's Vigilance Committee, Still organized Underground Railroad efforts in the city and further afield. After the abolition of slavery, he wrote an extensive book on the Underground Railroad. In 2017-2018, preservationists positively identified the house as one of the places Still and his wife Letitia (1821-1906) had lived and sheltered those who had escaped slavery. The Keeping Society of Philadelphia nominated the site to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

8. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper House

This historic Philadelphia home is where poet, fiction writer, journalist, and activist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper spent her later years and the location where she passed away on February 22, 1911. Born in Baltimore in 1825, she was the only child of free African American parents. After growing up in difficult conditions, she embarked on a career as a traveling speaker on the abolitionist circuit. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper also helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad and wrote frequently for anti-slavery newspapers. As a journalist and activist, she worked with Frederick Douglass and other reformers, earning a reputation for her writing which led some to refer to her as the "mother" of African American journalism. The house has since been named a National Historic Landmark and is open to the public during special events.

9. Engine Company No. 11

From 1919 to 1953 existed Philadelphia's only all-Black segregated fire department. The brave men who served with Engine Company No. 11 were known to the public and company as the 'leather lungs'. Working alongside their white superiors, the leather lungs were more often than not, placed in the most dangerous of situations when fighting fires. On February 17, 1953, segregation had officially been ruled to end within the fire department due to overstaffing within Engine Company No. 11 and other surrounding departments. The desegregation prompted the creation of six new mixed fire departments in the area. Since the desegregation, the original Engine Company No. 11 fire station building and the brave men who worked for the station have been memorialized through murals, mosaic pieces, and a Pennsylvania landmark plaque.

10. Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield Historic Marker

Viewed as one of the greatest musicians of her time, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was an exceptional, well-known African American singer. Although Greenfield was born into slavery, she was emancipated not long after her birth. With the support of her former owner and dedicating her time to studying and learning, Greenfield excelled in her musical abilities. Once Greenfield gained popularity, she advocated for anti-slavery and equality laws through her voice and numerous performances.

11. Jacob C. White, Jr. Historical Marker

This historical marker is placed where the residence of prominent African American educator, businessman, and baseball player Jacob C. White, Jr. (1837-1902) once stood. In 1868, White, along with his lifelong friend Octavius Catto, founded the one of the city's most important all-Black baseball clubs, the Pythians, which became the best black team in the country. It was also the first to beat an all-white team.

12. Billie Holiday Historical Marker

Billie Holiday, also known as "Lady Day," is said to be one of the greatest American jazz singers of her time. She stood out in the jazz industry due to her unconventional music styles and improvisation. Although she was faced with many hardships throughout both her life and career, Holiday will always be remembered as a very influential figure in the jazz music industry. She was known to bring life to her music and always performed music the way she wanted to, even if others did not agree. She is best known for her songs "Lover Man" and "Strange Fruit" as well as her many collaborations with various famous jazz musicians. The historical marker located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania serves as a tribute to her accomplishments in the jazz industry.

13. Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church

Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church is a leading African-American church in Philadelphia founded in 1820. Its nickname is "Big Wesley" for the significant role it has played in improving the lives of the city's black residents throughout its history, from hosting anti-slavery meetings in the 1800s, to actively supporting the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and to fighting for social justice and economic equality today. Wesley belongs to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which is a Christian denomination established in 1821 (Wesley was originally called the First Colored Wesley Methodist Church of Philadelphia before changing its name to its current one in 1821). Architecturally, the church is an imposing Gothic stone structure built in 1926. It features a corner bell tower and several stained glass windows with tracery including a large one above the three main entrance doorways. Wesley was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

14. Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital

The Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital was founded by Dr. Nathan Francis Mossell, M.D. (1856-1946) in 1895. It was created to provide affordable/free healthcare for the city’s population, though it primarily catered towards African Americans who were frequently denied care by other hospital systems because their race. The hospital also served as a training center for Black nurses and interns who were denied teaching by other institutions. The Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital merged with Mercy Hospital, another African American serving hospital, in 1948 to form the Mercy-Douglass Hospital. The Mercy-Douglass Hospital was closed in 1973 due to financial issues.

15. Hotel Brotherhood USA and the Bainbridge Club

Black hotel workers in Philadelphia founded this benevolent organization in the early 1880s to provide health care and aid for workers in their industry. Hotel Brotherhood USA was one of the first trade organizations in the hotel industry, and it soon became one of the largest. The organization was also one of the earliest trade organizations representing Black workers, with members and officers working to address pay inequality and other forms of discrimination. In its early years, the organization operated as a benevolent and mutual aid society, and chapters of the group were founded in other US cities. The organization has been headquartered at this location since 1906, and its current clubhouse was completed in 1924 and was recently remodeled along with an upstairs ballroom that is available for rent.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Lombard Street African American History Walking Tour of Philadelphia

Created by Clio Admin on December 29th 2022, 7:38:50 pm.

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This relatively short walk along Lombard Street includes fifteen landmarks related to African American history, including topics ranging from abolition and early civil rights organizations to churches and historical markers commemorating the lives of influential Philadelphians from Billie Holiday to Octavius Cato. Be sure to also explore the African American Heritage Trail of Philadelphia in Clio which has many more entries beyond Lombard Street. You can also search for individual landmarks using the advanced search feature which includes tags for entries related to African American history and other topics..

Entries on This Tour

Lombard Street African American History Walking Tour of Philadelphia

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