NAMES OF STREETS. P. 492.—In 1854, Councils ordered finger-boards to be placed at the corners of Arch and Race streets with those names upon them instead of Mulberry and Sassafras, although Mulberry street was commonly called "the Arch street" as early as 1720; and ordered also the north and south streets to be designated numerically west of Broad street-Fifteenth street instead of Schuylkill Eighth street, and so on to Twenty-third street. Broad street, though actually Fourteenth, retains the old name. In 1856-57 a new arrangement was made by ordinance of Council for numbering houses-west of Front street, south side, as 100; west of Second street, 200; of Third street, 300; and so on to the Schuylkill, the odd numbers on the north side; intermediate numbers to correspond numerically; old numbers to be removed. Cable Lane, called so as early as 1701, from the ropewalk of Joseph Wilcox near by, is now called New Market street. King's street." At a meeting of Councils held at Philadelphia 7th of June, 1694, present His Excell. Benj. Fletcher, William Markham, Lt.-Gov., Andrew Robinson, Robt. Turner, William Clark, and William Solway, the petition of sundry inhabitants of Philadelphia, praying that the street upon the Bank in Philadelphia of 30 foot breadth, as the same is agreed upon by the inhabitants and possessors under hands and seals by indentures, may be laid out, and surveyed, and cleaned, and afterward held and reputed a street of the said town of Philadelphia, by the name of Delaware street; and it is ordered thereupon that the said street shall be laid out and surveyed forthwith, and afterward, as soon as possible, may be cleaned according to the said indentures and agreement, to be held, reputed, and taken as a common street of the town of Philadelphia, by the name of King's street." Eighth or Garden street.-Eighth street before 1802 was called Garden street north of Callowhill street; and as late as 1818 was Garden street, now Delaware Eighth street; and Spring Garden street was called Spring street. Hazle or Cherry street, in deeds of 1787. Sixth street, is called Sumach street, in Record A, 1, p. 11, at Harrisburg. Sugar alley, changed to Farmer street, Dec. 22, 1842, ran from Sixth to Seventh, between Arch and Market. Greenleaf's court, to Merchant street, Jan. 14, 1841. Relief alley, to Relief street. Blackhorse alley, Second above Chestnut street, was originally Ewer's (or Yower's) alley, after Robert Ewer. Carter's alley, the first street below Chestnut and Third streets, after William Carter. At a meeting of Councils in 1854 it was proposed to change the name to "Jayne" street, after Dr. David Jayne, who erected fine buildings on Chestnut and Dock streets, connected by a passage-way across and under Carter's alley. It was negatived out of regard to Carter, but the alley was dignified with the name of street. (This Carter was, I believe, the same who left a small legacy to be dealt out by the Guardians of the Poor one day in every year. He owned an adjoining lot on Second street.) It was opened from Exchange place to Third street within the present century. It originally only extended from Second street to Goforth alley, now Exchange place. Goforth alley, now Exchange place, running from Chestnut to Dock street, derived its name from Jeremiah Goforth, a silversmith, who lived adjoining on Chestnut street. About fifty years ago Goforth alley was built over on Chestnut street, from which it was entered through a dark arched passage. Jones's lane, or alley, was the first above High street, running from Front to Second, adjoining a lot of Griffith Jones. It was afterward called Pewter Platter alley, from a noted tavern with that sign, a real pewter dish of large size, that stood at the corner of Front street. It after that was again called Jones's alley, then Church alley, and now Church street. A slice was taken off Christ Church ground to widen it, and it now extends to Third street. Hudson's alley, or Whalebone alley, afterward Franklin place, in Chestnut street above Third, was ordered to be laid out by Samuel Hudson in his will dated February 11, 1724. He died in 1726. It was to adjoin his lot, where was already a four-foot alley between his ground and that of John Brientnall on the west, on which stood the house in which Anthony Benezet afterward lived. By Brientnall's will the alley was widened twelve feet. Though named Hudson's alley, it was popularly called Whalebone alley, from the fact that a large whalebone was fastened upon Brientnall's house. This bone was preserved by Arthur Howell, who kept a leather store there, and afterward by Andrew Scott, printer. William Hudson, the father of the above Samuel, came in 1682 from Reedness, Fogerbury Manor, Yorkshire. He was a tanner, and acquired considerable property on Third street at and below Chestnut street, and a whole square on Market street between Fifth and Sixth, and extending to Arch street, which was known as Hudson's Square. His tanyard was upon the end of a lot fifty feet wide extending from Chestnut street to Dock Creek, east of Third street. His house, a fine old-fashioned brick, stood back from the street near Chestnut street, and had some large buttonwood trees in the courtyard in front. In 1694 he added to his property the house and lot south-east corner of Third and Chestnut streets. He also owned the tanyard, afterward Ashburner's, on Third street from the Girard Bank to Harmony |