Northern Liberties Township, Pennsylvania

Northern Liberties Township was a small area located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It was once a separate township but later became part of the City of Philadelphia. This change happened after a big law called the Act of Consolidation in 1854. Today, people often remember this area for its history and its place in the growth of Philadelphia. If you want to learn more about the nearby district, you can read about Northern Liberties, Philadelphia.

History

The Northern Liberties was a special area of land north and west of the city of Philadelphia. William Penn, who founded the area, called these lands "the Liberties" because early buyers got some free land when they purchased property here. Penn originally planned a large town of 10,000 acres but decided to split it into a city part and the Liberties part.

Over time, the Liberties grew and changed. It included areas along several streams and roads, such as Cohocksink Creek, Wissinoming, Tacony, and Germantown. By the time of the Act of Consolidation 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