Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek Neighborhood

Cobbs Creek, a neighborhood located in West Philadelphia, is named after the creek that serves as the western boundary of the city. Its borders are generally defined as Market Street to the north, Baltimore Avenue to the south, 52nd Street to the east, and the Cobbs Creek border of Upper Darby to the west.

The Cobbs Creek Automobile Suburb Historic District was established in 1998, encompassing Cobbs Creek Parkway, Spruce Street, 52nd Street, and Angora Street as its borders. This area safeguards a total of 1049 structures, showcasing a variety of architectural styles such as Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, and Bungalow/Craftsman.

The 1985 bombing of the MOVE headquarters at 6221 Osage Avenue resulted in fires that affected 64 other buildings in the surrounding area. The city quickly rebuilt the destroyed homes, but they were eventually deemed unfit for habitation due to inadequate repairs and construction quality.

The National Register of Historic Places also includes the Holmes Junior High School and Walnut Park Plaza Hotel.

Education

Schools at the primary and secondary levels

The Philadelphia School District manages public schools in the city. One of these schools is Andrew Hamilton Elementary School, situated at the intersection of S.56th St. and Spruce St. Additionally, there is Sayre High School (formerly a middle school) located at the corner of S.58th St. and Walnut St., as well as West Philadelphia High School, which can be found at West Philadelphia High School.

In 2011, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia made the decision to shut down St. Cyprian Catholic School, citing a decrease in student enrollment.

Public libraries

The Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek Branch, located at the intersection of 59th Street and Baltimore Avenue, is operated by the Free Library of Philadelphia. It was established in 1925 and later renamed in 1990 in honor of a local activist.