Based in Sydney, Australia, Foundry is a blog by Rebecca Thao. Her posts explore modern architecture through photos and quotes by influential architects, engineers, and artists.

Swarthmore’s path to the Lazaretto

Swarthmore’s path to the Lazaretto

Charles Cresson
To The Editor

To the Editor,

The Philadelphia Lazaretto in 1936. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

The Philadelphia Lazaretto in 1936. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

An interesting fact not mentioned in the recent article “Plantings at the Epicenter of Quarantines Past” (May 1) is that Swarthmore Avenue was previously known as the Lazaretto Road because it ran down to the Lazaretto, the quarantine station on the Delaware River. I don’t know exactly when the name was changed, but an 1893 map shows it by the older name. A plot plan of the old 20-acre Cresson property “Hedgleigh,” drawn by my great-uncle George W. Cresson in 1908, shows it as Swarthmore Avenue, as does a map dated 1909-1910.

Charles Cresson
Swarthmore

Kindness at noon

Kindness at noon
Parks are priceless: Don’t cut conservation funding

Parks are priceless: Don’t cut conservation funding