Much of the existing buildings in Spring Garden were built in the early 20th century, including the Wills Eye Hospital and what was then the Girls School of Philadelphia (Figure 1,2) . The architecture of the area reflects this history.
There is no unifying architectural style in the neighborhood, as many of the newly rich chose to employ new and eclectic styles— in contrast to the more unified and conservative styles of the Center City. In Spring Garden one can find buildings exemplifying the Italianate, Greek Revival, Renaissance Revival, Queen Anne, and Brownstone Gothic styles (as well as more modern architectural styles--see slideshow below).
Spring Garden, along with many other neighborhoods, experienced a burst of "white flight" during the mid-1900's (Figures 4,5). As many affluent residents left for the suburbs, the total population in the neighborhood declined, the level of education declined, and poverty and unemployment increased (Figures 6,7,8,9).
In the past two decades, the area has seen a strong period of growth attributable to gentrification. The percentage of white residents has increased while the immigrant population has decreased (Figure 5). The number of families in Spring Garden living below the poverty level has also decreased (Figure 8). Unemployment has experienced fluctuations due to the Financial Crisis of 2008 but overall educational attainment, income, and housing prices have all increased (Figures 7,10,11).
- [Image of 1906 Girls School Building]. Retrieved from http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/g/girlshigh/about-us/our-history.
- G.W. Bromley (Mapmaker). 1910. Philadelphia Atlas [Map], Retrieved from http://www.philageohistory.org/tiles/viewer/.
- Works Progress Administration. 1942. Land Use Map [Map], Retrieved from http://www.philageohistory.org/tiles/viewer/.
- Community College of Philadelphia "Historical Highlights". (n.d.). Retrieved from http://path.ccp.edu/site/about/historical.php.