urban archives listing one

This posting is a list of items that can be found in Temple's Urban Archives. I should have provided enough information for you to locate these items, you can ask the attendant for help. You can also view this post which has the information as well.

Germantown Community Council

URB 39

Box 4

folder 1

This folder is about speciic incidents in Germantown (abandoned buildings, nuisances, development problems), about halfway through folder is a letter dated may 3, 1962 that describes development issues as they relate to historic sites, specifically Johnson House

Box 10

folder 9

Halfway through is a letter from Mrs. Phillips, in my opinion a racist landlord

Followed by those that disapprove at putting a library in prime retail space (think about the same for historic sites)

Folder 12

At the end of folder is a petition to stop the urban renewal projects in order to retool urban planning

Folder 15

2^nd document “What is the used house program” followed by its implications in Germantown—“used house” was a way to decentralize public housing

box 12

folder 1

2^nd document about the start of integration in Germantown

folder 14

halfway through a pamphlet for the “Consumer Party” a new 3^rd (mostly black) political party

also halfway through are documents about h creation of a “Black Caucus” of the Germantown Community Council and a defense of the school board after increased riots and tensions in Public Schools

folder 16

documents about what to do in case of riot

and a document marked “Confidential” about race issues within the Council itself

folder 18

a document describing the climate of “institutional racism” how to diagnose and combat it

box 13

folder 24

clippings about vandalism in mount airy and how to better use the police

also near front are questionnaires about crime and police in Germantown given to the leaders of various other community groups, there are even more in the form of typed interview transcripts in the center of folder labeled “Public Safety Committee”

folder 25

even more of the questionnaires, I suggest you randomly take a few and peruse

box 39 folder 129

a proposal for financial support of a summer volunteer program (including helping colonial Germantown) something to peruse for reference

the rest of the folder contains site reports of what was done at each site

Box 56

13 Germantown Historic buildings

17 Last document is letter about complaints against police

Box 60

3 GCC Research Files, Black Power and History

I suggest looking through the entire folder, but espically articles by Philadelphia CORE, Wister Community Soul Press,

Interesting files about Racism on a national and international level

14 GCC Research Files, Racism, Christianity
15 GCC Research Files, Racism, Communications and Speech
16 GCC Research Files, Racism, Economy
17 GCC Research Files, Racism, Education
18 GCC Research Files, Racism, Foreign Policy
19 GCC Research Files, Racism, Housing
20 GCC Research Files, Racism, Welfare

Pamphlets are organized slightly different than the Germantown Community Council Records

In brackets you see [box, folder]

On the form put “General Pamphlet Collection” box …

Box 364

BAD MONEY AFTER GOOD: Change in mortgage lending patterns in Lower Germantown, by Bill Callahan. 1975. 30 pp. [364-17]

What Red-lining exactly is and how it effects “lower germantown” (bounded by Wissahickon, Roberts, and Chelten Ave, Chestnut Hill East RR)

Box 320

CENTRAL GERMANTOWN URBAN RENEWAL AREA: Final Project Report, Part I. Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. December 1966. Revised August 1967. Variously paged. [320-4]

Pg. 212-3…6 Description of needs for “clearance” of blocks of Germantown and other parts of the renewal plan

Box 24

GERMANTOWN, A PLANNING STUDY. By Henry Churchill for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. 1956. 102 pp. Appendices and maps. [24-16]
Later section involves many interviews with leaders of different neighborhood groups—note time of piece is 1956 (in the middle of white flight)

Box 87
GERMANTOWN AND MOUNT AIRY, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: COMMUNITY SURVEY. Conducted and edited by Marvin H. Eckardt. Revised to September 1964. 20 pp. [87-5] The feelings of different community groups on how they feel the neighborhood should be changed, and also a response to the city’s urban renewal plans

Box 572
GERMANTOWN AND OLD PHILADELPHIA. No date. Unpaged. [572-4]

Tourism guidebook of “Olde Germantown” in the early 1900s.

GERMANTOWN, THE CITY WITHIN A CITY. No date. Unpaged. [572-5]

Year unknown document describes a booming Germantown at the time of massive highway construction in Philadelphia (good comparison to later pieces about what Germantown has become)

Box 116
GERMANTOWN HOUSING PROJECT. Philadelphia Housing Authority. ca. 1940. 5 pp. [437-10]

Housing and neighborhood conditions: opinions and attitudes of the residents. Department of Public Health of Philadelphia. 1955. 72 pp. [116-6]

Pg 45 onward Description of how people in Germantown like the neighborhood they live in, percentages of complaints etc.

Box 544
GERMANTOWN LEADERSHIP AREA PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT. Prepared by Germantown Settlement. 1956. 35 pp. [544-8]

Documents the formation of a council to help stop the blight of Germantown, note in 1950’s much of this would be white

Box 411
GERMANTOWN PICTORIAL. Fleu and Fetterolf, Inc. 1937. 48 pp. [411-10]

Pictures of Germantown from 1937, and a short history of the area

Homes and Community 411-7

Document describes the advantages of creating an integrated neighborhood

Box 520

[520-6] A MARKET ANALYSIS OF THE GERMANTOWN AREA. 1962.
Good analysis of the challenges facing Germantown development and how the locals want to change it

Box 538

THE NEGRO'S CHALLENGE TO THE PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY by Joseph T. Kirkland. 1963. 6 pp. [538-9]

Document explaining unfairness against the Negro in America

Box 465

A NEIGHBORHOOD ACTS: AN EXPERIMENT IN COOPERATIVE NEIGHBORHOOD REHABILITATION. Germantown Settlement. 1957. 16 pp. [465-3] Contents: Includes mimeo draft, 1956.

Look at how to encourage the people of Germantown to reengage themselves in their own community

Box 647
RETAIL TRADE. GERMANTOWN AVENUE. Prepared for National Urban Development Services by Hammer, Siler, George Associates. 1975. 19 pp. [647-13]

Box 290
THE SECOND BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN; in Greater Philadelphia Magazine , September, 1967. 10 pp. [290-2]

Magazine article about the battle over urban renewal (I have copy)

Box 152

THIS WE BELIEVE ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. A statement of principle adopted by The Church Community Relations Council (Pelham -Germantown). No date. 4 pp. [152-1]

Short blurb about how to use the integration of Germantown to the advantage of the area, prevent blockbusting, and keep the standard of living high