Torresdale, also formerly known as Torrisdale, is a neighborhood in the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the Delaware River between Holmesburg and Bensalem Township in neighboring Bucks County.
Geography and Location
Torresdale lies approximately 13 miles northeast of Center City Philadelphia. The adjacent confluence of the Poquessing Creek with the Delaware River had been favored by William Penn's surveyor, Thomas Holme, as the site for the city that Penn planned to found. Although a more southerly site was finally selected, Holme and others acquired property there, and Holme is buried in the area. The neighborhood's ZIP code is 19114, and its area codes are 215, 267, and 445.
History
Torresdale was originally called Torrisdale and was named by Charles Macalester for his family's ancestral home in Scotland. Before the Act of Consolidation of 1854, Torresdale had been part of Delaware Township of Philadelphia County, and before 1853, part of Lower Dublin Township of the same county.
In 1894, Torresdale was the site of the regatta of the Rowing Association of American Colleges. Long before the existence of what is referred to today as the Philadelphia Main Line, Torresdale—along with Holmesburg to its south and Andalusia to its north—had been Philadelphia's posh suburban neighborhood, as evidenced by Glen Foerd on the Delaware, a luxurious riverside estate, and Andalusia, the Biddle estate.
Notable Sites
- Holy Family University — a Catholic university located in Torresdale.
- Nazareth Academy High School — a private Catholic high school.
- Union League Golf Club at Torresdale — a Donald Ross–designed golf course located at Frankford and Grant Avenues. In 2015, the Union League of Philadelphia undertook a complete restoration of the course and historic clubhouse.
- Frankford Avenue Bridge — the bridge over Poquessing Creek is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Glen Foerd on the Delaware — a historic estate established in 1850, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and listed on the Historic American Landscapes Survey.
- Baxter Water Treatment Plant — opened in 1909 as the Torresdale Water Treatment Plant.
- Camp Happy — a camp for underprivileged children that operated from 1920 to 1951.
- All Saints' Episcopal Church — established in 1772.
- Eden Hall Chapel — built in 1849 as part of the former Convent of the Sacred Heart, demolished in 2007.
Education
Residents are zoned to schools in the School District of Philadelphia, including Thomas Holme Elementary School, Austin Meehan Middle School, and Abraham Lincoln High School.
Notable People
- Gia Carangi (1960–1986), model
- Boake Carter (1903–1944), national news commentator
- Francis Anthony Drexel (1824–1885), banker and philanthropist
- Katharine Drexel (1858–1955), Roman Catholic saint
- Michael Driscoll (born 1960), Philadelphia City Councilmember
- Edwin Henry Fitler (1825–1896), businessman and 75th mayor of Philadelphia
- Robert H. Foerderer (1860–1903), U.S. Congressman and businessman
- Virginia Knauer (1915–2011), politician
- William J. Green III (born 1938), politician
- William J. Green Jr. (1910–1963), U.S. Congressman
