Bridesburg, originally called “Kirkbridesburg”, is a neighborhood in the Bridesburg/Kensington/Richmond area of Philadelphia. Bordered to the south by Port Richmond, to the north by Wissinoming, to the west by Frankford Avenue, and to the east to by the Delaware River. The area was originally inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Indians, and up until 1609 no white man had set foot into the region. Henry Hudson was the first European to arrive in the region. But by 1638, the Swedes had established a settlement in the area called “New Sweden," in which the Swedish people lived in harmony with the native people of the region. It was not until the 1680s that William Penn and other Englishmen arrived to the region and developed this area. One of the new buildings that these men built was the Bridesburg Manufacturing Company, a factory that proved to be vital for producing muskets during the Civil War. As the inhabitants changed, the name of this area did too; it was first “New Sweden,” then it was “Point, No Point,” then “Kirkbridesburg,” and finally became “Bridesburg,” which remains its name today. Bridesburg's diverse culture can still be seen today in the dozens of churches established by each wave of immigrants. Today the area is as diverse as it ever was, continuing to bring in different traditions and beliefs to the community.

RESOURCES

Bridesburg Community Page

InBridesburg Community Portal

Bridesburg History