Location
The park is bordered by Washington Avenue and Federal Streets on the north and south and by 3rd and 4th Streets on the east and west. It is maintained by the City of Philadelphia Department of Recreation and the Friends of Jefferson Square Park.
Park’s History
Named after U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson Square is a Classic 19th Century American Strolling Park. It was originally constructed in the early 19th century when the area was part of the Village of Southwark. The village and the park became part of the City of Philadelphia during the Great Consolidation Act of 1854, when all counties, boroughs and towns within Philadelphia County merged to become the City as we know it today. During the Civil War the park was used by the Union Army as an encampment site. Afterwards the park was reconstructed using the Rittenhouse Square Park plans. The park’s granite retaining walls and pillars are identical to those installed at the same time in Rittenhouse Square.
Friends of Jefferson Square Park
The Friends foster a community awareness of the park, its history and its treasures. The Friends encourage positive use of the park and seek to make the park a common ground for the diverse community that surrounds it. The Friends host band concerts, outdoor movies, flea markets and volunteer clean-ups. The Friends have also provided new benches and wastebaskets, the restoration of water service to the park, the installation of 10 new trees, the removal of dead trees, landscaping, and the installation of cast iron urns on the corner entrance pillars. The Friends have alliances with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Queen Village Neighbors Association, the Pennsport Civic Association and the Southwark Development Corporation. The Friends are also active participants in the Philadelphia Parks Revitalization Project and Philadelphia Green.
For more information, or to join the Friends, contact Michael J. Toklish, President, at 215-592-3459 or via email.