Postindustrial Archaeology in the Workshop of the World: Philadelphia Industrial Sites, 1990-Present

Summary

Nearly all industrial archaeology is postindustrial. Physical and spatial organization of industry has historically changed rapidly enough that we seldom find industrial sites and structures in use by the same firms, for the same purposes, or even in the same industries, for more than a century. Once known as the "Workshop of the World," Philadelphia maintained a varied industrial base after the Civil War.  Physical decay, deferred maintenance, and the pressures of development all take their toll on the archaeological record. In 1990, in conjunction with the SIA meetings in the city, the Oliver Evans Chapter published a selective guidebook to Philadelphia industrial sites. An updated revision of the guidebook was published in 2007.  The guidebook and revision are organized by neighborhood, enabling comparison of the fates of industrial sites in different areas. The relationship between economic forces, property values, and the erosion of the city’s industrial heritage is clearly visible.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Post-industrial Landscapes, Communities, and Heritage   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 644