Charles T. Mitchell, Jr. Park

Charles T. Mitchell, Jr. Park. Charles Seger Recreation Center. , In the early 1900s Philadelphia was a part of a movement to build play spaces in cities. Quality recreation spaces were viewed as a way to improve the lives of residents. This park was part of that initiative. When it opened in 1921, the park sat in the center of the Seventh Ward, the city's historic Black neighborhood. The construction and naming of the park reflects the racial, class, and political power struggles of the time., In 1916, the City purchased the block bounded by 10th, Rodman, 11th and Lombard streets. The plan was to tear down all the buildings and built a new playground. Equity Hall, a Black meeting hall, would remain at 1026 Lombard Street. This effort was led by Councilman Charles Seger., world war one stalled the construction of the park. The city-owned block gained the label "Hell's Half Acre." Some religious and political leaders decried the area's gambling, drugs, and prostitution., [Captions:] , This map shows Seger Playground soon after it opened in 1921. Equity Hall (the pink rectangle between the letters "EG" of "SEGER") was a Black meeting hall and the only building saved from demolition. It was later replaced by the Fanny Coppin Jackson Recreation Center building., Charles Seger was a longtime leader in city politics and the Jewish community. He died in 1919 and was succeeded by his friend and protégé Charles Hall., In 1920, Mayor J. Hampton Moore pushed for the demolition of the homes on the site and the completion of the park. This was partly an attempt to increase his power in the Black community. The Mayor proposed naming the park in honor of Phillis Wheatley of Boston, a former slave and the first Black poet to achieve international fame. This started a bitter battle with Councilman Hall. Hall had planned to name the park after Charles Seger, "the man who made it Happen.", Many in the Black community decried being used as pawns by the Mayor in his attempt to expand his power. Other Black political and community leaders made calculated moves to support Hall. this helped secure political support for Black Republican leaders., In the end, City Council overrode the Mayor and named the park after Seger. Later, Hall secured funding to replace Equity Hall with a new recreation center bearing the name of renowned Black educator Frances (Fanny) Jackson Coppin of Philadelphia., The Copping recreation building fell into disrepair and was replaced with a smaller building in 1974. A 1976 ordinance proposed renaming the entire site after Charles T. Mitchell, Jr., a beloved recreation and civic leader., Mitchell started working here in 1928. He became one of the recreation department's first Black supervisors. In 1947 he helped desegregate Philadelphia's hotels. In 1952 Mitchell developed new recreational activities for people with disabilities, serving on the boards of local, state, and national organizations for many years. Mitchell retired in 1971., Some in the community were reluctant to change the park's longstanding name. A 1977 ordinance created a compromise. The recreation building was named in honor of Charles Seger, and the park was officially renamed in honor of Charles T. Mitchell, Jr., [Captions:] , Above: , Fanny Jackson Coppin was the first Black principal of a school in the nation and ran a school that became Cheyney University., Phillis Wheatley was a former slave and the first published Black poet who achieved international fame in the late 1700s. Below: , Fanny Jackson Coppin Park Recreation Center, 1957