Spruce Hill, Philadelphia

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox settlement | background_color =   | image_skyline = Dickens Statue.png | imagesize = | image_caption = Dickens and Little Nell Statue in Clark Park in Spruce Hill | image_flag = | name = Spruce Hill | settlement_type = [[List of Philadelphia neighborhoods|Neighborhood of Philadelphia]]  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{USA}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = [[Pennsylvania]] | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = [[Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] | subdivision_type3 = City | subdivision_name3 = [[Philadelphia]] | mapsize = 300px | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Philadelphia | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_mapsize = | coordinates = {{Coord|39.954|-75.210|format=dms}} | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_codes = [[Area codes 215, 267, and 445|215, 267 and 445]] }} __NOTOC__ '''Spruce Hill''' is a [[Neighbourhood|neighborhood]] in the [[University City, Philadelphia|University City]] section of [[West Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], United States. It is situated between 38th and 46th streets and stretches from [[Market Street (Philadelphia)|Market Street]] south to Woodland Avenue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SHCA {{!}} Spruce Hill Community Association |url=https://www.sprucehillca.org/About/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History== This neighborhood was built as a [[streetcar suburb]] for [[Center City, Philadelphia|Center City]] between 1850 and 1910.<ref>[[West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb Historic District]], [http://www.uchs.net/HistoricDistricts/wpsshd.html UCHS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604030607/http://www.uchs.net/HistoricDistricts/wpsshd.html |date=2007-06-04 }}</ref> Among its most prominent developers was financier [[Clarence Howard Clark Sr.]] (1833 – 1906), who built dozens of rowhouses, donated land for the Walnut Street West Branch of the [[Free Library of Philadelphia]], settled a tax assessment by founding the 9.1-acre [[Clark Park]], and established his mansion on the grassy block that today holds the Penn Alexander public elementary school.<ref name="Peniston">{{cite web | url=http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/01/whats-in-a-name-clark-park/ | title=What's In A Name: Clark Park | publisher=Hidden City Philadelphia | work=Hidden City Daily | date=January 16, 2014 | access-date=January 20, 2014 | author=Peniston, Bradley | archive-date=January 19, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119203833/http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/01/whats-in-a-name-clark-park/ | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Dickens and Little Nell (Elwell)|A statue of Charles Dickens]], cast in 1890 by [[Francis Edwin Elwell]], stands in Clark Park; it is one of just two known statues of [[Charles Dickens]].<ref name="aussiedickens">{{cite news|title= Rare Charles Dickens statue restored to Sydney park after 40 years missing|first= Bonnie|last= Malkin|newspaper= The Telegraph|date= 14 March 2011|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8308588/Rare-Charles-Dickens-statue-restored-to-Sydney-park-after-40-years-missing.html|access-date= 2011-03-14|archive-date= 2011-03-10|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110310054406/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8308588/Rare-Charles-Dickens-statue-restored-to-Sydney-park-after-40-years-missing.html|url-status= live}}</ref>

After the high-profile killing of a [[University of Pennsylvania]] research associate, Vladimir Sled, on October 31, 1996, at the 4300 block of Larchwood Avenue, community members advocated for more investment from the university in the neighborhood. The university's president at the time, [[Judith Rodin]], responded with the West Philadelphia Initiatives. The initiatives involved increased police presence, incentives for faculty buying homes in the neighborhood, and building a new school.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Sarah |title=Response to 1990s crime shaped today's campus |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2014/04/90s-high-crime-shaped-campus-today |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.thedp.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

In modern times, Spruce Hill is a racially and ethnically diverse part of the city, where multiple examples of historic architecture have been preserved, including a large number of [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] [[Terraced house|rowhouses]], many of which have been converted to multi-family apartments.<ref name="Blumgart">{{cite news |last=Blumgart |first=Jake |date=December 28, 2017 |title=Spruce Hill zoning remapping is backdoor historic preservation |url=https://whyy.org/articles/spruce-hill-zoning-remapping-is-backdoor-historic-preservation/ |accessdate=August 10, 2021 |publisher=WHYY}}</ref>

On July 12, 2024, the [[Philadelphia Register of Historic Places#Philadelphia Historical Commission|Philadelphia Historical Commission]] approved the creation of a [[historic district]] in the Southeast section of the neighborhood. The boundaries of the historic district runs roughly between 39th and 43rd streets from Spruce Street to Woodland Avenue.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-15 |title=Historical Commission approves Historic District in Spruce Hill |url=https://www.westphillylocal.com/2024/07/15/historical-commission-approves-historic-district-in-spruce-hill/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=West Philly Local}}</ref>

== Demographics == At the 2020 Census, 20,721 people lived in Spruce Hill. The racial composition of the neighborhood was 47.7% White alone, 27.3% Asian alone, 14.1% Black alone, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 2.8% some other race, and 7.8% multiracial. 7.6% of residents were Hispanic or Latino.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=redistricting&g=1000000US421010077001000,421010077001001,421010077001002,421010077001003,421010077001004,421010077001005,421010077001006,421010077001007,421010077001008,421010077001009,421010077002001,421010077002002,421010077002003,421010077002007,421010078001000,421010078001001,421010078005000,421010078005005,421010078005006,421010079001000,421010079001001,421010079001006,421010079001007,421010079002000,421010079002001,421010079002002,421010086012000,421010086012001,421010086012006,421010086012007,421010086012008,421010086012009,421010086012011,421010086012012,421010086012013,421010086021000,421010086021001,421010086021005,421010086021014,421010086021015,421010086021018,421010088011001,421010088011002,421010088011005,421010088011006,421010088011010,421010088011011_1400000US42101008701$1000000,42101008702$1000000,42101008802$1000000 |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=data.census.gov |archive-date=2024-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009160102/https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=redistricting&g=1000000US421010077001000,421010077001001,421010077001002,421010077001003,421010077001004,421010077001005,421010077001006,421010077001007,421010077001008,421010077001009,421010077002001,421010077002002,421010077002003,421010077002007,421010078001000,421010078001001,421010078005000,421010078005005,421010078005006,421010079001000,421010079001001,421010079001006,421010079001007,421010079002000,421010079002001,421010079002002,421010086012000,421010086012001,421010086012006,421010086012007,421010086012008,421010086012009,421010086012011,421010086012012,421010086012013,421010086021000,421010086021001,421010086021005,421010086021014,421010086021015,421010086021018,421010088011001,421010088011002,421010088011005,421010088011006,421010088011010,421010088011011_1400000US42101008701$1000000,42101008702$1000000,42101008802$1000000 |url-status=live }}</ref>

About 16.4% of Spruce Hill's population was living in college or university student housing.<ref name=":0" />

==Education== The [[School District of Philadelphia]] operates the [[Paul Robeson]] High School for Human Services as well as Penn Alexander School, a K-8 public school. The school was built in 2001 as a partnership between the school district and The University of Pennsylvania.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=About Us – Penn Alexander School |url=https://pennalexander.philasd.org/about-us/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |language=en-US}}</ref> The university contributes $1,330 per student annually to the school district to help keep the [[Student–teacher ratio|student-teacher ratio]] low.<ref name=":1" />

The University of Pennsylvania campus extends into Spruce Hill.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Map {{!}} University of Pennsylvania Facilities and Real Estate Services |url=https://facilities.upenn.edu/maps |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=facilities.upenn.edu |archive-date=2024-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009145036/https://facilities.upenn.edu/maps |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Saint Joseph's University]] has a 24-acre campus along Woodland Avenue,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Joseph's University Campus Map {{!}} Saint Joseph's University |url=https://www.sju.edu/location/campus-map |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.sju.edu |language=en |archive-date=2024-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009145037/https://www.sju.edu/location/campus-map |url-status=live }}</ref> obtained in its 2022 merger with the [[University of the Sciences]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Joseph's University Completes Transformative Merger, Acquiring University of the Sciences Academic Programs and University City Campus {{!}} Saint Joseph's University |url=https://www.sju.edu/news/saint-josephs-university-completes-transformative-merger-acquiring-university-sciences |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.sju.edu |language=en |archive-date=2024-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009145036/https://www.sju.edu/news/saint-josephs-university-completes-transformative-merger-acquiring-university-sciences |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Public libraries=== The [[Free Library of Philadelphia]] Walnut Street West Branch serves Spruce Hill.<ref>"[http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/branch.cfm?loc=WAL Walnut Street West Branch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020082307/http://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches/branch.cfm?loc=WAL |date=2012-10-20 }}." [[Free Library of Philadelphia]]. Retrieved on October 19, 2012.</ref>

== Public transit == [[SEPTA]] serves the neighborhood with multiple [[bus]] routes, [[T (SEPTA Metro)|subway–surface trolley lines]], and the [[Market–Frankford Line|Market-Frankford Line]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority {{!}} Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties |url=https://www.septa.org/schedules |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.septa.org |language=en |archive-date=2025-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213100818/https://www.septa.org/schedules |url-status=live }}</ref> There are two stops for the Market-Frankford Line in the neighborhood, one at [[40th Street station (Market–Frankford Line)|40th Street]] and one at [[46th Street station (SEPTA)|46th Street]]. The neighborhood is also home to SEPTA's [[40th Street Portal]], where four street-running trolley lines descend into a tunnel with its own right-of-way. When the tunnel is closed, diversion tracks run through Spruce Hill to shuttle passengers to 40th Street Station for transfer to the Market-Frankford Line.

=== Bus Routes === {{SEPTA bus link|21|30|40|42}}

=== Trolley Lines === [[SEPTA Route 11|Route 11]], [[SEPTA Route 13|Route 13]], [[SEPTA Route 34|Route 34]], [[SEPTA Route 36|Route 36]]

==See also== {{Portal|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania}}

*[[Cedar Park, Philadelphia]]

==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Chestnut Street Baptist Church.jpg|Chestnut Street Baptist Church File:SpruceHill.jpg|Ethnic restaurants on 42nd and Chestnut File:Phila FLP WalnutStreet02.jpg|Walnut Street's West Branch Library </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Spruce Hill, Philadelphia}} * [http://www.uchs.net/sprucehill/index.htm Spruce Hill Historic District] * [http://www.sprucehillca.org Spruce Hill Community Association] * [http://westphillydata.library.upenn.edu/infoR_Neigh_Sprucehill.htm West Philadelphia Data and Information Resources] - University of Pennsylvania

[[Category:Spruce Hill, Philadelphia| ]] [[Category:Neighborhoods in Philadelphia]] [[Category:Streetcar suburbs]]