Thanks to the help of a Mr. Tim Garrity, of the Manayunk/Roxborough area, we were able to pinpoint the locations of these old photos as featured in an earlier post. As a follow up, we went out and took some “after” photos (on our own time of course) to see how things have changed and maybe even get an idea of when these old photos are. To recap, here are the locations: Google Maps.
Now here are the before and after photos:
Boone Street between Cotton Street and Roxborough Avenue
Since the original photo was taken, the mural has become obscured by trees and ivy (the original tree is still there), the cobblestone street has been paved over with asphalt, and the house with the mural on it has been cleaned and sealed by L&I. These changes still make the photo difficult to date.
Manayunk Canal at the old Schofield Mill between Lock and Rector Streets
The industrial buildings (most likely the old Schofield Mill) in the original photo have been demolished, the catwalks pulled down, and the Canal Towpath constructed. You can see the current construction of the Venice Island Underground Storage Basin in the “after” photo. The towpath was opened in 1979 and the last of the Schofield Mill was demolished in the 1970s according to a marker along the towpath.
Manayunk Canal Lock behind Manayunk Brewing Company
As you can see since the first picture was taken (and somehow taken magically hovering over the canal – perhaps a bridge that no longer exists?), the lock has deteriorated significantly.
Saint John the Baptist Church along Cresson Street
In this before and after of Saint John the Baptist Church we can see the dead tree has been removed and the young Spruce tree has grown to over 3 stories tall – about 30 to 40 years of growth.
Based on the clues provided by the before and after photos we estimate these photos to have been taken between 1965 and 1975. With further research we could determine when the mural on Boone Street was painted or when the cobblestone was paved over. But we’ve got important things to do here at the Planning Commission, so this will have to remain an unsolved mystery for now. Unless you have the answers!
