Tacony Creek Park

Tacony Creek Park, a portion of the Tacony Creek watershed, was purchased by the City of Philadelphia by ordinance in 1915.  Tacony Creek Park is a narrow strip of land containing 302 acres, 152 of which are designated natural lands. The park connects at the northern section to the Tookany Park corridor in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County.  In the southern section, below what is now Juniata Park, the Tacony Creek joins buried tributaries to form the Frankford Creek. Most of the tributary system of Tacony Creek in the park has been converted into storm sewers.  The storm sewer outlet in Juniata Park now drains one-eighth of the city’s area.

The Tacony/Frankford Creek stream valley was very attractive to early Europeans who settled in this area.  The Frankford Creek flow into the Delaware River and, combined with cleared open lands, the valley was attractive for farming using tidewater for transportation.  Eventually, the creek’s waters were harnessed for power and dams were developed along the creek.  The mills of Tacony made gunpowder and textiles, fueling several industrial complexes, beginning in the Colonial period and ending in the latter part of the 19^th century.

Located between Whitaker and Wyoming avenues was the Spade and Shovel Works (Hexamer, 1954) and the 1889 Bromley Atlas shows an industrial complex with a large mill race at the bend in the creek.  This complex ran upstream from the Fisher’s Lane Bridge. Cedar Grove Mills was an active mill in 1895 and ran south from Olney Avenue. This mill consisted of six large buildings, numerous outbuildings, barns and millers’ houses all between the creek and Garland Avenue.  The mills at Cresentville bounded the upper reaches of the new park.  The dam is still in place and can be seen from Adams Avenue.

Today Tacony Creek Park is alive with activity.  As part of a NLREEP, natural lands restoration has begun.  The area of the park located between Rising Sun Avenue and the railroad has been the focal point for invasive species removal and native tree and shrub plantings.  Various local schools, colleges and businesses have donated time to participate in these exciting projects.