What was Columbus Boulevard known as before 1992?

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What was Columbus Boulevard known as before 1992?

2014-10-14 17:10

Answer: Delaware Avenue.

1992 marked the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. That year, the Italian American community of South Philadelphia lobbied to have one of the city's largest north-south roadways, Delaware Avenue, renamed in honor of Christopher Columbus. The request was quite controversial and some people living around the northern parts of Delaware Avenue protested it. A compromise was eventually reached in which only the portion of the road south of Spring Garden Street would be renamed. 

More images of Delaware Avenue are available in the HSP's print (#V89) and photograph (#V59) collections, as well as the Philadelphia Record photograph morgue (#V07). Our library also contains a number of resources on the history of the street and the Delaware River waterfront.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

I'd prefer original street names to remain unchanged. Columbus had nothing to do with Philadelphia.

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