Elfreth's Alley
Elfreth's Alley is a street located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dating back to 1702, it is popularly known as "Our nation's oldest residential street." Two colonial craftsmen, John Gilbert and Arthur Wells originally owned the land where the alley now sits. Each gave up a portion of his land in order to create an alleyway that would connect their smithies with second street, a major road that connected Philadelphia with towns north and west of the city. Numerous artisans and craftsmen resided on Elfreth's Alley during the 18th and 19th centuries. Its diverse population included English colonists who worshiped at nearby Christ Church, a Jewish merchant named Moses Mordecai who was leader of Mikveh Israel Synagogue and Cophie Douglass, a former slave. Today, the alley contains 32 houeses built between 1728 and 1836. They stand as a rare surviving glimpse of an 18th century working class cityscape. The area is a National Historic Landmark and hosts many festivities and reenactments.
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