Pennypack Creek
Pennypack Creek is a 22.6-mile-long (36.4 km)[1] creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through lower Bucks County, eastern Montgomery County and the northeast section of Philadelphia, before emptying into the Delaware River.
Name
The creek draws its name from the
Course
The Pennypack creek was first surveyed by Thomas Holme in 1687. The creek begins in two branches, one in Horsham, the other in Warminster, joining in Bryn Athyn. The creek then flows through Lower Moreland, Abington and Northeast Philadelphia.
Early use as an industrial waterway
Pennypack Creek was once the site of several mills.
Conversion to parkland
With the development of
Segments of park trail help form the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000 mile long trail system connecting Maine to Florida.
Historic bridges
Several historic bridges cross Pennypack Creek and its tributaries.
- The Frankford Avenue Bridge, a triple-span stone-arch bridge built in 1697, carries Frankford Avenue. It is the oldest stone bridge in the United States still in use.[5]
- The Fetters Mill Road Bridge, a Pratt through-truss bridge built in 1883, is still in use.[6]
- The Krewstown Road Bridge, a stone arch bridge built in 1800 and rehabilitated 1907, is still in use.[7]
- The Holme Avenue Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge built in 1918, is still in use.[8]
- The Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge built in 1920, is still in use.[9]
- The Holme Avenue Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge across Wooden Bridge Run built in 1921, is still in use.[10]
- The Ryan Avenue Bridge, a closed-spandrel concrete arch bridge over Sandy Run built in 1929, is still in use.[11]
- The Rhawn Street Bridges, two closed-spandrel concrete arches bridge built in 1930, are still in use.[12][13]
See also
- List of Pennsylvania rivers
External links
- U.S. Geological Survey: PA stream gaging stations
- A picture of Pennypack Creek from Holmesburg, believed to be the oldest stone arch bridge in use in the United States.
- Pennypack Creek Watershed Study
- Friends of Pennypack Park
- Photographs - mostly of Pennypack Creek - from the Lincoln Cartledge Collection of the Historical Society of Frankford
- The Pennepack in Lower Dublin Township (now part of Philadelphia: see Act of Consolidation, 1854)
- Headquartered at 2955 Edgehill Road in Huntingdon Valley, the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust manages the 725-acre (2.93 km2) Pennypack Preserve which is open to the public and includes 10 miles (16 km) of pedestrian, equestrian, and bicycle trails.
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
- ^ Philly H2O, "Changes in the Names of Streams In and About Philadelphia." Public Ledger Almanac: 1879. Pages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, & 13. (Accessed 2008-08-18)
- ^ a b c Willits, I. Pearson (1911). "The Pennepack in Lower Dublin Township". The City History Society of Philadelphia. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Frenkford Avenue Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Fetters Mill Road Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Krewstown Road Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Holme Avenue Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Holme Avenue Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Ryan Avenue Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Rhawn Street Bridge at bridgehunter.com
- ^ Rhawn Street Bridge at bridgehunter.com
40°04′30″N 75°03′38″W / 40.07501°N 75.06056°W
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