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    A Legacy of Old Maylandville

    The first version of Trinity Church was built in Maylandville in the 1850s. In 1881, as Maylandville declined, the church relocated to a new building at 42nd St. & Baltimore Ave. (pictured here), a central location for the area’s growing population. 

    St. James Catholic Church

    St. James, the first Catholic church west of the Schuylkill, was built on this site, the southeast corner of 38th and Chestnut streets, in 1852. The present church, shown here in its renovated, expanded form, was erected in 1887. The church’s current name, St. Agatha–St. James Catholic Church, signifies the merger of St. Agatha and St. James parishes. 

    Protestant Episcopal Church of the Savior

    The first church on this site, 23 S. 38th St., was built in 1855 and renovated in 1898. It was destroyed by a fire in 1902 and rebuilt in its present form in 1906. Today, it is the cathedral church (the seat) of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. 

    St. Mary’s, Hamilton Village, Episcopal Church

    Now part of the West Campus of the University of Pennsylvania, the neo-Gothic St. Mary’s, Hamilton Village, Episcopal Church has stood on this site on the 3900 block of Locust St. since 1873. The original St. Mary’s was built on the site in 1827. 

    Once a Schoolhouse

    Looking backward 130 years, this vacant lot on the northeast corner of Mt. Vernon and 37th St.,in Mantua, marks the former site of the Mantua Elementary School. 

    Color photo of Paul Robeson’s bedroom as it was during his final years. The floor is varnished hardwood. The bed, in the background, has dual bedposts above headboard and footboard, with a white coverlet and a single pillow. A white-painted radiator is under the window. A light brown rocking chair with an embroidered throw pillow is between radiator and bed. On the right wall is a dark-brown chest of drawers. A green lounge chair and two small tables are between the bed and three curtained rear windows.
    Final sojourn

    Paul Robeson’s bedroom on the second floor of Marian Robeson Forsythe’s home at 4951 Walnut St.

    A color photo of a historical marker plaque, yellow letters against dark blue, in front of the Paul Robeson House and Museum, near the intersection of 49TH and WALNUT ST. The plaque reads: PAUL ROBESON (1898-1976)/A Rutgers athlete and Columbia law graduate, Robeson won renown as a singer and actor. He was a noted interpreter of Negro spirituals. His career suffered because of his political activism, and he lived his last years here in retirement. - Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission 1991.
    Robeson historical marker in Philadelphia

    Paul Robeson’s historical marker, #991, at 4951 Walnut Street, was dedicated in 1991. The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission approves and installs short, concisely worded historical markers following a careful review of documents.

    Color photo of the two-story, restored row house at 4951 Walnut Street. The house flanks 49th Street, shown here with several parked cars and a background of row houses.
    Remembering Paul Robeson

    Paul Robeson lived the final decade of his remarkable life in this house at 4951 Walnut Street, where he was tended by his older sister, Marian Robeson Forsythe.

    A colorful poster advertises the 1935 film Sanders of the River, showing the film’s stars Paul Robeson and Leslie Banks in their costumes for the film, with bare-chested Robeson posing as a native African chief and Banks wearing a white and brown British pith helmet.
    Sanders of the River

    British-Hungarian director Zoltan Korda’s 1935 film Sanders of the River starred Paul Robeson as Bosambo, an educated tribal chief in colonial Nigeria; Bosambo is an ally of Sanders, the province’s colonial administrator, played by the British stage actor Leslie Banks. Contrary to Robeson’s expectations and to his chagrin, the final cut of the film played up African stereotypes.

    A colorful poster advertises the 1933 film Emperor Jones. The poster displays five images of Robeson at the various stages of his character’s rise as a corrupt dictator. Four of the images revolve around Robson dressed in a red and gold military uniform, with gold shoulder epaulettes evocative of the era of Napoleon Bonaparte.
    Emperor Jones

    Paul Robeson showcased his acting and singing talents in the 1933 film version of Eugene O’Neil’s stage play Emperor Jones. This was the O’Neil play best suited to Robeson’s artistry.

    Path of Cuthbert St.

    Looking west on the projected path of resurrected Cuthbert St., construction in progress July 2021, viewed from intersection with 37th St. This photo shows buildings of the University City Science Center (background left); Penn Medicine University City (far background left); temporary viewing stand (background center); Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (far background center & right).        

    New Look of Warren St. West of 37th

    This photo shows the progress of the back side of ANOVA at uCity Square residential construction along Warren St. west of 37th, as of June 2021.

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