McPherson Library / Needle Park

KENSINGTON - KENSINGTON PHILADELPHIA

Since the new Mayor of Philadelphia took office, there have been remarkable and dramatic positive changes in this section of Philadelphia. I drove through the area this morning (January 3, 2025) and observed about 95% less of the drug addicts that I would have normally observed under the previous administration. Kudos to the new administration and all those involved in cleaning it up in that area

Who reads books in this library?

The library first opened on July 5, 1898 in an old house known as the Webster Mansion. The mansion had been the home of three generations of the prominent Webster family from 1805 until 1891, when the home and grounds were sold to the City of Philadelphia for recreational purposes. The mansion was torn down in 1915 and the current library building opened on May 25, 1917. The building is over 100 years old.

John Hambleton Webster, Jr. (1861-1934) was a surveyor for the city of Philadelphia. He was born in Philadelphia into a Quaker family homestead located at Indiana and Kensington Avenue where the current library stands.

Throughout our Philadelphia history, Quakers?have been guided to a commitment to work for peace and nonviolence, to live simply and with integrity, and to treat each person with respect.

From the very beginnings of Quakerism in the 1650s to today, Quakers have felt called by God to work for peace and justice.? Quakers have engaged in work to end war and mitigate the effects of war, prison reform, racial and economic justice, and care for the earth and all its inhabitants.

The Founder of Philadelphia, William Penn Jr., was a Quaker. Prior to his life in Philadelphia Penn was busy spreading Quaker values all over Europe. His father was an Admiral in the British Navy and was killed in battle. England owed William Penn Jr. a sizable dowry.? To rid William Penn Jr. from his influence in Europe, the English government offered him land in the New World as payment for his father’s life of service and loss of life.

Penn Jr. wanted to name the land New Wales however they said NO and honored his father and named the new land as Pennsylvania.

Known as Stouton, or the Webster Mansion, the home was constructed as the country estate for Continental Army officer William McPherson. The Webster family inhabited and farmed the surrounding parkland, now known as McPherson Square, from 1805 until about 1891. The family farmed the land as the City of Philadelphia Built row homes and manufacturing around them. ?The Kensington section of Philadelphia became a manufacturing powerhouse in the first half of the 19th century.? People moved to this area from up and down the east coast looking for good jobs and affordable housing. The days of farming in Philadelphia were slowly withering away as time marched forward. Today, there is only one farm remaining in Philadelphia area.? This is known as the FOX CHASE FARM. It is located at 8500 Pine Road and is a beautiful reminder of simpler times and the sounds of cattle roaming its open fields.

McPherson Square Park is named for General William McPherson, who was the original owner of Webster Manson. General McPherson— - the son of Captain John McPherson, a famous Scottish sea captain. He joined the patriot forces in this country in 1776 in the battles for independence. General George Washington, the first President of the United States of America, was a close friend to McPherson and was often housed, fed and entertained in the mansion.

General McPherson died November 5, 1813 at the age of 58. He is buried in Old Saint Paul’s Church Burial Ground at or near 3rd Street below Walnut Street in Philadelphia.

His grave stone reads:

“To the Memory of William Macpherson formerly Brigadier General in the service of the United States who departed this life November 5 1813 Aged 58 years I am the Resurrection and the Life saith the Lord. He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

St. Paul's opened for services in 1762 and remained an active congregation throughout the nineteenth century. The Church's building still stands, now home to Episcopal Community Services.

In the park is a statue of Charles Allen Smith, the second American killed at Vera Cruz in 1914. Smith lived at 2168 Sergeant Street in the Kensington neighborhood, and the statue was paid for by a collection from neighbors, Philadelphia citizens and various Boy Scout Troops in the area.

Charles Allen Smith, a 20-year-old seaman from Kensington, was killed at Vera Cruz, Mexico, on April 22, 1914. His statue has stood in McPherson Square since June 29, 1917 (dedicated on August 4, 1917). His funeral at Independence Hall on May 13, 1914, was perhaps the grandest ever held in the city, yet today, he is barely a footnote in American history. He was an important piece of Philadelphia’s history.

According to various researches, Charles was born on January 11, 1894, the eldest child of Walter and Jennie Clark Smith of 2535 Lawrence Street (near 4th and West Huntingdon and West Cumberland Streets). He lived with his mother and sister at 2168 East Sergeant Street and at the age of 17 he joined the United States Navy. He was fixed as a Saylor on the USS New Hampshire. ?He became engaged to Miss Elizabeth Agnes Broadbent of 2153 E. Sergeant Street. They set the wedding date for October 1915, after his enlistment would be up. Unfortunately, Charles Allen Smith never made it home to marry the love of his life.

The Mexican Civil war was in full swing and the US sent several Navy vessels to the area of Tampico Mexico.? Several US Companies and politicians had many interests in Tampico Mexico as its wealth was mostly in oil fields. Woodrow Wilson was the President at this time.? Wilson demanded that the Mexican government raise an American flag in the town and the Mexicans denied this request. As a result the President of the United States ordered capture of one of Mexico’s most strategic military ports in Vera Cruz Mexico. When many of the sailors and Marine’s hit the shores of the town they were ambushed by Mexican snipers and Charles Allen Smith had lost his life as a result. A statue honoring his memory was erected in McPherson Square to honor him.

The McPherson Branch Library is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM most days except Friday when it closes at 5:00 PM. Its Physical address is 601 East Indiana Street. Kensington Avenue is just one block away. Kensington Avenue is ground zero for the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia. The concentration of addicts in this area is estimated to be 1000-3000 human souls.

Today, the library is situated in McPherson Square which is now dubbed with the nickname of “Needle Park” because of the high concentration of illegal intravenous drug use. The nickname of Needle Park has been around and talked about in the Philadelphia Newspapers since the 1980’s. ?Many addicts have adopted the park as their place to live and use narcotics. It is currently considered by many as a dangerous place however most of the occupants of the park are addicts who are active users. A few years ago, the area was known for heroin sales and use but today (2023) the drug of choice seems to be fentanyl and xylazine.

Despite this drug usage crisis, the human rights crisis, the civil rights crisis and elevated crime rates in the Kensington neighborhood at in the park, many residents, adults and children, frequent the library to read books, attend various community events and to escape reality of their drug infested neighborhood in exchange for a world of reading books, education and imagination. Addicts are not permitted inside the library as far as we can tell.

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. Kensington is just one of the neighborhoods. It is perfectly hidden due to its location.? Travelers driving on Interstate 95 or the Roosevelt Boulevard will never see the activities of this location. However, if you were to ride the elevated train owned and operated by the South Eastern Public Transportation System (SEPTA), as a rider, you will pass through Kensington and you will see some of the illegal activities from those upper levels.? We note that many of the addicts, dealers and criminals use the elevated train too.

Kensington has become, as of 2023, a total and utter tragedy in the United States. Many of our fellow citizens are overdosing and losing their lives daily on the sidewalks and in abandon buildings. Families are losing their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, husbands, wives and children due to this epidemic of mass proportion condensed into an area about one square mile of a city that has 23 square miles.

The drug of choice is no longer heroin but rather fentanyl and xylazine (Tranq). In this section of the city of Philadelphia many of the addicts are nicknamed as “ZOMBIES”.? Many have covered or exposed wounds on their body and many share similar body movements attributed to zombies in Hollywood movies. The addicted here in Kensington are suffering tremendously and bound by the chains for their addiction and addiction with draws. In addition, many of the homeless addicts suffer from various mental illness and poor health. People who drive through this area for the first time learn very quickly why it’s also known as “Hell on Earth”.

Since the new Mayor of Philadelphia took office, there have been remarkable and dramatic positive changes in this section of Philadelphia. I drove through the area this morning (January 3, 2025) and observed about 95% less of the drug addicts that I would have normally observed under the previous administration. Kudos to the new administration and all those involved in cleaning it up in that area.