Letter from the Northeast
Liddonfield, All rights reserved by PC Kidd
The fate of Liddonfield, the 32-acre former public housing tract in Upper Holmesburg, remains uncertain. Since the Philadelphia Housing Authority demolished the troubled 436-unit housing complex and cleared the land earlier this year the site has been transformed – temporarily at least – into an attractive park-like landscape of lawn and trees.
This is a far cry from the image the property presented in recent years. Built in the 1940s as a military barracks and converted to public housing in the 1950s, Liddonfield had long been in decline and, by all accounts, had come to represent the worst in public housing.
After years of discussion and planning, the Housing Authority moved the last residents out in late 2010 and demolished the complex in early 2011. Staff of the City Planning Commission’s Philadelphia2035, the city master plan, have drawn up preliminary guidelines for the for the site. These guidelines–for homeownership, greenspace, continuation of the grid–have not been finalized. But the possibilities have peaked a great deal of community interest. Attendance soars at local civic association meetings when the issue is on the agenda.
Liddonfield, All rights reserved by PC Kidd
Some fifty years ago, Northeast residents and planners were grappling with the remains of another another massive public housing development: Northeast Village. A sprawling complex on the east side of Roosevelt Boulevard between Red Lion and Comly Roads, Northeast Village was, like Liddonfield, originally built as housing for military veterans and their families following World War II. It was later converted to public housing. Constructed in 1946 and opened in January 1947, it had some 1,400 units spread over 239 acres. The homes were modest one-floor, wood-frame dwellings built in army barracks style.
Northeast Village was indeed a “village” unto itself, with its own stores, fire house, elementary school, and a network of some five miles of winding roads. The streets – with names like Atoll Road and Lagoon Road – were named for South Pacific locations that were familiar to many of the veteran residents. By all accounts, the community was close-knit and the residents civic-minded.
The project lasted only sixteen years. A number of the homes were removed in the early 1950s for expansion of the adjacent Northeast Philadelphia Airport and the rest were demolished in the early 1960s to make way for an industrial park. Now, the industrial park is mostly vacant, as the IRS abandoned its complex there when it moved recently to the old Post Office building at 30th and Market Streets.
Interestingly, both Liddonfield and Northeast Village have active, loyal groups of former residents. Rosemary Reeves, who lived in Liddonfield as a child in the 1960s, maintains a website, where she shares her public housing experience through narratives, photographs and videos. She is lobbying to have a state historical marker placed at the site. Former Northeast Village residents have a Facebook page, where they regularly share stories, photographs, and information, and where you can learn about upcoming reunions and see photos of former residents attempting to find the location of landmarks of their youth in the dramatically altered landscape.
This was a great article and good history of the NE Village. Wish there were photos to go along with it.
Thank you for including an article about Liddonfield and Northeast Village! It is time that public housing residents are recognized as part of the larger community instead of outsiders in their own city, hidden in plain sight.
It was not built in the 40’s for Military. It was built in the mid 50’s. I lived in Pennypack Woods at the time…
My family moved to the Northeast Village in 1951. I went to first grade there through 7A.
I remember my first teacher was Mrs. Moser . My 7A teacher was Mr. Celebrating
and my favorite teacher was Mr. Bill Campion and he drove a Nash .
I remember that because we used to see him leave school and that old car was so ugly ! It looked like a big water beetle !
Hi Sandra,
I just finished a project on Northeast Village. Lived there as an infant for a few years from 1947 to 1950. My parents left me photos that are neat. I did a lot of on line research and got quite a bit of material some of which I had to pay for but well worth it. Also fortunate enough to still have the road we lived on still there that being Dune road. A piece of Echelon also exists that joins Dune off of Norcom rd. Anyway trying to locate former child residents.
Any help and info would be appreciated.
Thanks
Rich
I was one of the last to move out . it was erie like a ghostown. I think of it often maybe im getting close to going back. I remember Nabisco being built.we were poor but didn’t know it. Only mom and knew ha had a wonderful childhood.
Hello —
I (and many others) are working on a project — see stevenmorse.org — preparing for the release of the 1950 census in 2022.
As a native Philadelphian, I’m working on the Philly details about the Enumeration Districts. 1619A, B, C, D, E are the areas that included NE Village, but the National Archives maps did not capture the detailed streets.
Might anybody have such a “map”? I’m at dgries@comcast.net or this could be added to the NE Village facebook site.
thanks
Hi Dennis:
I just finished a project on Northeast Village. My parents lived there from 1947 to 1950 circa. I was months old. Streets was the easiest to find. Charts, graphs, maps, satellite I got it. My parents left me about 20 photos from those days. I also am fortunate enough that the road we lived on has somewhat survived 70 years of history and can be seen in the vicinity off of Norcom road. That would be Dune road.
Need to get in contact with those former child residents as I would like to meet them. Any help and info will help…………..
Rich
Northeast Village Natives on FB. We now have 500 members!