Northern Liberties Township, Pennsylvania

Northern Liberties Township, Pennsylvania

Northern Liberties Township was a small area in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It used to be its own township but is now part of the City of Philadelphia. This change happened after a big law in 1854 called the Act of Consolidation. Today, people remember this area for its history and its role in Philadelphia's growth. To learn more about the nearby district, read about Northern Liberties, Philadelphia.

History

The Northern Liberties was a special area of land north and west of Philadelphia. William Penn, who founded the area, called these lands "the Liberties" because early buyers got some free land when they bought property there. Penn originally planned a large town but decided to split it into two parts.

Over time, the Liberties grew and changed. It included areas along several streams and roads, such as Cohocksink Creek, Wissinoming, Tacony, and Germantown. In 1854, the Northern Liberties area became part of the city of Philadelphia. Before this, many smaller districts like Spring Garden, Kensington, and Richmond had been created from the original township.

Resources

Here are some places where you can find more information about Northern Liberties Township:

• Chronology of the Political Subdivisions of the County of Philadelphia, 1683-1854 (Daly, John; Weinberg, Allen (October 1966). Genealogy of Philadelphia County Subdivisions. Philadelphia Dept. of Records.)
• Information courtesy of ushistory.org
• Incorporated District, Boroughs, and Townships in the County of Philadelphia, 1854 By Rudolph J. Walther - excerpted from the book at the ushistory.org website