Callowhill is a neighborhood in Center City Philadelphia. It is located in the area surrounding Callowhill Street, bound by Vine Street, Broad Street, Spring Garden Street, and 8th Street. Prior to the 1840s, Callowhill was mostly farmland. Following the construction of the Baldwin Locomotive Company factory in the 1830s, the area started to become industrialized. Soon afterward, families arrived to work in the factories and the area became a both an industrial and residential neighborhood. In 1897, Callowhill gained its defining feature: the Reading Viaduct, built as a commuter train trestle for the Reading Railroad. Starting in the 1960s, the population of the Callowhill neighborhood began to decline as its residents and businesses moved to other parts of the city and to the suburbs. In the 1990s, Callowhill’s population began to increase. Old factories were revitalized and neglected spaces turned into popular loft housing. Today the population of Callowhill is relatively small compared to other parts of the city. Founded in 2000, the Callowhill Civic Association promotes the community and assists development in the neighborhood through Neighborhood Cleanups, Block Captains, Litter Can Program, and a Town Watch Program.
RESOURCES
PhillyHistory Blog on Callowhill
PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future