In 1730, a man named Anthony Palmer purchased a land on the northern region of Philadelphia and named it Kensington. Kensington was once a self governed district from 1820–1854. Its City Hall was located between Frankford Ave and Master St. In 1854, Kensington lost its independence and was taken over by Philadelphia. The City Hall was demolished and turned into a Police District when Kensington became a part of Philadelphia and today is a residential living space.
In the late 19th century, there were a great amount of immigrations in the United States that were taking place- primarily people from countries such as Europe (Germans, Irish, Italians, etc.). These migrations created more jobs, especially in the region of Kensington, Philadelphia. Kensington became a place where most of the aspiring immigrants sought employment at many of Kensington’s factories and textile mills. Although these factories created working opportunity, they also led to overcrowding, leading to poverty (because the more employees a company has, the more work they get done and the less they have to pay their workers) and unemployment for many of Kensington’s residents. This was the start of Kensington’s downfall.
Making a Difference In Kensington:
A man named Andrew Ketchum had a great impact on Kensington’s people who, at this time in Kensington’s history and still today, was determined to change the living conditions and help people who were struggling in Kensington. Ketchum was very disturbed at seeing how Kensington’s residents began to change. “It seemed like poverty, drunkenness, crime and disease had taken over the town. Public welfare programs were sparse and compulsory education had not yet penetrated the city’s poor sections. Captain Ketchum and a few of his neighbors were moved with compassion for the thousands of poor people around them.” They set up an organization formerly known as the Richmond Soup Society where they provided food and clothes for many of their neighbors. This organization had a huge impact on Kensington’s people. It has been a great part of the neighborhood for over the past century. Even through the Great Depression, Ketchum and his team were still determined to help the people of Kensington rise above poverty.
The backyard of KNH filled with Kensington’s residents.
The Kensington Neighborhood House
Organizations Reaching Out to & Improving Kensington:
K & A Impact Services is an organization located on Kensington and Allegheny determined to help the unemployed people of Kensington obtain jobs. Impact services is helping over 1,800 people annually to get back on their feet. Unemployment is very common in the Kensington area, so the Impact Services is a great service to the community.
K & A Impact Services
The Kensington Neighborhood House has been around for about 138 years, helping the community of Kensington, especially those who unfortunately cannot support themselves and are unemployed. The KNH provides food and clothing to anyone in the community who needs help. In the 1900’s, KNH’s Mrs. Ketchum was very involved with Kensington families especially during holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years. They made huge dinners, serving hundreds of people and gave out gifts to less fortunate children.
Above is a photograph from 1928 showing a Christmas basket give away.
The Kensington Neighborhood House
“NKCDC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing the Kensington, Fishtown, and Port Richmond neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Our mission is to strengthen the physical, social, and economic fabric of the community by being a catalyst for sustainable development and community building.”
Kensington Community Service
The Greens Grow Philadelphia Project is a non-profit organization “...dedicated to promoting social entrepreneurship through the reuse of land once deemed useless.” The Greens Grow organization has a farm located in Kensington. The people of this organization strive daily to bring life to one of the most forgotten and abandoned parts of the city of Philadelphia.
Greens Grow Farm in Kensington, Philadelphia.
Greens Grow Philadelphia ProjectKensington’s Fame:
One thing Kensington is known for all over the United States is the birth place of Rocky Balboa- an American icon coming from one of the “oldest and poorest” places in the country with “increasingly desperate neighbourhoods.” The legend of Rocky Balboa may be one of the few things Kensington can be proud to call their own.
Kensington: Home of Rocky Balboa
Kensington’s Present-Day Demographics:
Kensington isn’t a very diverse community. Most of the families in the area are very similar, having the same income, the same type of homes, children attending the same schools, and coming from the same backgrounds. Kensington consists of mostly whites, blacks and Hispanics. Unfortunately, most of Kensington’s residents are “poor” compared to other people in the country and in other parts of Philadelphia. It’s not likely that you will find a family of an income of over $25,000 annually. Most people who were born and raised in the Kensington area don’t usually make it to college or grow up to have a nice career. Kensington is a community where most of it’s residents consists of families who’ve lived in the area for a long time. It would be rare for a Kensington resident to move into a better part of Philadelphia if their families all grew up and were raised in the area. As stated in the previous paragraphs, the unemployment and poverty rate in Kensington has always been at large. Which leads us to our next section, drug trade and crimes in Kensington.
Statistics: Kensington Census (19134)
Drug Trade & Crimes in Kensington:
The corners of Kensington Ave and Somerset St was named the top drug corner of Philadelphia in a Philadelphia Weekly article. I happen to live a few blocks down from this drug filled intersection, and I see this heavy drug problem on my way home and to school every day. It comes from the high rate of unemployment. The people of Kensington are desperate, and unfortunately, nothing is really being done that is effective to removing this problem from the community. The drug dealers on the corner are active each and every day, almost all the time. On occasions, there will be 1 or 2 cop cars parked on the corner, but shockingly this does not stop the drug dealers from doing their job. It’s an on going cycle that the people of Kensington might never be able to get rid of.
A Tour of Kensington: Drug Transactions Caught on Tape
Kensington Streets: Video Tape
Top Ten Drug Corners of Philly
Kensington’s Civic Association:
Contact Info-
2837 Amber St
Philadelphia, PA 19134
(215)739-0908
