PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An excavation project in West Philadelphia is unearthing stories from the West Philadelphia neighborhood that was demolished to make way for what is now University City.
The archeological dig includes the excavation and geophysical survey of a parking lot behind 3500 Lancaster Avenue, now Community Education Center, an arts nonprofit in Powelton Village.
The dig, through the month of August, is part of community archaeology project Heritage West, a collaborative look back in time with the support of HopePHL (formerly the People's Emergency Center), Black Bottom Tribe, University City Arts League, Research Laboratories of Archaeology at UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Anthropology at University of Pennsylvania and Penn Museum.
“The neighborhood used to be called the Black Bottom, where a number of Black communities lived for a very long time before change happened in different ways,” said James Wright, with Hope PHL.
Seven homes were demolished on the Lancaster Avenue site in the 1960s — homes whose construction dated back to the late 1800s. Wright says they hope to unearth items from these homes.
According to Black Bottom Tribe, nearly 600 low-income and Black families (an estimated 2,653 individuals) were displaced as University City was carved out of West Philadelphia in the '60s. In doing so, they say, a thriving Black community was extinguished.
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The goal of the Heritage West archaeological investigation is to honor those displaced Black Bottom residents by telling their stories.
“West Philly is full of stories and legacy that is still being uncovered,” Wright said.
“We are open to all things. The idea is both a learning experience for community members and an opportunity to dig up that history that has been covered over and not explored.”
Any items found will be shared, along with their stories, at both the Community Education Center and the Penn Museum.
“It's fantastic. I really get excited by all that stuff. I think it will be a great dig,” said Jeff Barta, who lives in the neighborhood. “I’m off the charts excited about what they may find.”
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Dominique, who declined to give her last name, is also from the area and says she’s excited to see what they find.
“I am curious about how it would work. My family lives in West Philly. My grandma lived there and my aunt lives there now.”
Wright says community members are welcome to get involved in the project. There are two options: “One, to help out with the dig; two, to help with the items that might be found,” he said. “And also just to be a part of the process of telling the story.”
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