Memorial Day Weekend, 2024. It's finally beginning to feel like summer. the Washington Avenue Pier is a great place to sample the coolness of the river and watch the wildlife return. But did you know that this site played a significant part in the military history of the United States? During colonial times the area just south of Columbus Boulevard on the river was a garrision, with cannon pointed downriver to keep away British ships. The Joshua Humphrey's Shipyard built and launched the nation's first frigate, the United States. The area between Washington Avenue and Reed Street along the River was the country's first Navy Yard. It was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1876 and became an immigration pier. During the American Civil War the Pier became an embarkation and de-embarkation place for Union soldiers. In 1865 returning military troops gathered there to regroup, recuperate, and to be sent by train back to their bases. Comfort stations were set up by local residents. At its height, thousands of meals were prepared and served each day.
Nothing remains of this today, except in historical accounts. The Washington Avenue Pier today is an oasis for hikers, bicyclists, dog walkers, kayakers, and fishermen. Unseen is the bustle of about a million immigrants and thousands of returning war veterans moving from the water into the streets of the city, and the coal and manufactured items moving outward, down the Delaware Bay, to Europe. |
After the Armistice in 1919,
In the mid-1920's, after World War 1, most European immigration was handled through Ellis Island. Pier 53 became a municipal pier for small freight lines. The larger ships were handled through ports to the south in Philadelphia. Durirng World War II, the Pier again became important militarily for shipping war materials down through the Delaware Bay and into European ports. |
The Pier 53 Project—a historical study of the immigrants who arrived at the Pier from 1876 to the 1920's, their stories, and the stories of their descendants. Each story is part of a mosaic that contributes to the history of Philadelphia and its waterfront, and ultimately to the history of immigration in the United States. Here's the link to the Pier 53 Project page on this site. Pier 53 Project. Susan McAninley will be giving a presentation in August, 2024 at the 44th International Conference on Jewish Geneology in Philadelphia, featuring stories of the many Jewish immigrants who arrived in America at Pier 53. Top, first column and third column photos by Susan McAninley. Middle column newspaper photo by the Philadelphia Inquirer; poster below is from the rotogravure section of the Philadelphia Public Ledger, June 8, 1919. |
