Swampoodle in Philadelphia
Swampoodle is a historic community located in North Philadelphia. It was known as the area surrounding the intersection of three railway lines near Lehigh Avenue and 22nd Streets.
At 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue, in the neighborhood, stood Connie Mack Stadium, also known as Shibe Park. This stadium served as the home for both the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League (AL) and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League (NL). Homeowners living near the stadium would earn money by either parking cars or renting out their porch and roof space. Originally a predominantly Irish neighborhood, by 2012 it had become part of Allegheny West, a struggling African-American community that had been affected by post-industrial decline and disinvestment.
The origin of the name Swampoodle has been described in multiple ways. According to one account, the name comes from the frequent formation of puddles and swampy conditions near 22nd Street and Lehigh Avenue, similar to the explanation for the naming of the Swampoodle neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The term also refers to low-lying land and may have been chosen due to the presence of Cohocksink Creek in the area. However, some have argued that the area is actually elevated.
Swampoodle is described as the intersection of three railway lines near Lehigh Avenue and 22nd Streets. The time period in which this name is mentioned in the sources consulted by Finkel and his team is stated as “before 1926”. The Philadelphia Information Locator Service list, which has been expanded from Finkel’s 1995 list, has the same definition. However, the three railway junction they mention seems to be referring to the junction at North Philadelphia station, which has been located east of 22nd Street since at least the 1890s.
