Meet The Authors of "Philadelphia's Old Southwark District" This Sunday at DSP's Farmers' Market

Stella approves of the Farmers' Market

I know your Sunday ritual already includes a visit to the Farmers' Market at Dickinson Square Park. Be sure not to miss it this Sunday, September 14th, as fellow Pennsporter's Mehron Moqtaderi and Heather Gibson Moqtaderi will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to show off, sign and answer questions about their new book entitled "Philadelphia's Old Southwark District."

As you can tell by the title, the book highlights the South Philadelphia neighborhoods of Pennsport, Whitman, Queen Village and Dickinson Square West - an area formerly known simply as Southwark.

Here's what the book looks like

The Moqtaderi's, who hail from nearby Tasker Street, offer splendid sepia-toned images of a bygone era from our slice of Philadelphia that hand its hand in shaping the city. Some of these rare photos have never been published.

So stop by on Sunday. You can say hey to some neighbors, grab some awesome produce and get your hands on a wonderful book that visually tells the tale of our area's rich history along the Delaware River.

Can't make it on Sunday? You can easily purchase the book on Amazon.

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Here's more info from the press release:

Telling a story in pictures is Philadelphia's Old Southwark District, the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing's popular Images of America series. The book by local authors Heather Gibson Moqtaderi and Mehron Moqtaderi boasts 200 vintage images, many of which have never been published, and showcases memories of days gone by.

The area along the banks of the Delaware River originally known as Philadelphia's Southwark District encompasses the present-day neighborhoods of Queen Village, Pennsport, and Dickinson Square West. Southwark's deep history is tied to its relationship to the waterfront and the multitude of immigrant communities that settled its streets. The Washington Avenue Immigration Station, Southwark's counterpart to Ellis Island, was a testament to the waves of immigrants reaching America's shores in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the immigrants who stayed in Philadelphia found inexpensive housing in Southwark and employment along the waterfront.  

Today, the neighborhoods of old Southwark continue to embrace diversity. Many of the area's historic houses still stand alongside newly built homes. While the construction of high-volume roadways cut off the neighborhoods from the waterfront, new efforts are reconnecting Southwark to the river through improved access points and attractive waterfront recreation areas.

Highlights of Philadelphia's Old Southwark District include:  

• Numerous photos come from private collections and have never before been seen by the public. 

• The book provides views of several buildings that are no longer standing, such as the grand Southwark Commissioner's Hall that stood at Second and Christian Streets.

• A chapter is dedicated to the Pier 53 Washington Avenue Immigration Station, which was recently renovated to create a public park.

Mehron Moqtaderi and Heather Gibson Moqtaderi