Happy 200th Anniversary, Manayunk!
- Georgie Gould
- Jun 1, 2024
- 2 min read
In 2024, we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the naming of Manayunk and encourage you to explore some highlights in its history.
Founded in 1690, Roxborough Township was comprised of 11 tracts of land sold by William Penn to early settlers -- including the areas that would become Manayunk, Wissahickon, and a part of East Falls.(See the new map listed in this section.)
In May 1824, the Roxborough Township neighborhood known as "Flat Rock" decided to rebrand itself with a new name worthy of the growing river-front community. The committee settled on "Udoravia" (a Greek word meaning "by the river"). However, the next day after it was announced, the objection of residents lead to a second name change. This time the committee decided upon "Manayunk" (a modified spelling of the Lenape word "maniung" meaning "where we drink") which reflected the desire of many that the name should have a Native American origin.
On June 11, 1840, the neighborhood of Manayunk incorporated and became a borough within Roxborough Township. (See the new interactive Google Map in this section for the footprint in 1840.)
On March 31, 1847, Manayunk separated from Roxborough Township to stand as a borough within Philadelphia County.
On February 2, 1854, Manayunk -- along with Roxborough Township and all the other villages, boroughs, townships, and hamlets within Philadelphia County -- was consolidated into the City of Philadelphia. This consolidation reunited the pieces within the footprint of Roxborough Township in 1690 into the 21st Ward of Philadelphia.
In the ~170 years since Flat, many things in the 21st Ward have changed, but the neighborhood identities persist as does a great sense of resident pride. RMWHS celebrates this history and we hope you will explore the related items presented here.
Ridge Ave Roxborough Historic District - Learn about our area's geology, the Lenape, early settlers, the 11 tracts of land that William Penn sold and became Roxborough Township in 1690, & more. (Provides information and history of Manayunk before 1824)
1690 / 2024 Local Map - Check out an 1690 map overlaid on today's streets. This new RMWHS map shows the 11 tracts of land sold by William Penn to the early settlers including details on owners, tract size, and dates included. Download 2M PDF
1840 Borough of Manayunk Explore the boundaries on Google Maps (Interactive) Take a peek -- you might be surprised!
Main Street Manayunk Historic District Explore the evolution of Main Street including its architecture, mills, and social and economic changes.
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