Grays Ferry in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Tasker Homes
| | Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area | |
Once completed in 1941 there were problems. The Department of Public Health criticized the development as unhealthy because of a nearby trash burning facility and an infestation of mosquitoes.
Strict rules and charges were also in place back then. Tenants were required to pay some repair costs:
Repair tub or sink .25
Toilet stoppage $1.00
Broken window .50
Locked out at night .25
Despite the strict rules which included no pets, there was a strong sense of community. Certificates of merit and other awards were handed out during the annual community and 4H Club meetings.
And while some people who lived several blocks away would park their cars at Tasker because the neighborhood was safe, others were more skeptical. "Wait and see! In a few years they'll be slums! You can't take people from blighted areas and expect them to develop respect for homes overnight."
It didn't happen overnight but during the 70's, 80's and 90's dwindling financial support pushed Tasker into a critical state of disrepair, infested by roaches, rats, crime and drugs. The development that was built as a slum clearance project
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It wasn't until a new PHA administration, led by Carl Greene, found public and private funds to revitalize the neighborhood by demolishing the project and building a new neighborhood, now called Greater Grays Ferry Estates.
Ironically in 1939 the vice chairman of PHA said, "What we are trying to do here is to revitalize dead areas in Philadelphia that are a heavy liability and threaten to drag the city into an economic bog." Words reflected in 2005 by executive director Carl Greene.
Tasker Homes stood as one of several landmarks of PHA's initial efforts to provide low-rent housing in Philadelphia. The project documented the history of defense housing for the Second World War and represented a pre-1945 public housing design that was driven by function and economy. Today PHA builds mixed income neighborhoods that blend in with the community and become an asset to the city.
Erected by
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Notable Buildings • Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.
Location. 39° 55.889′ N, 75° 11.701′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Grays Ferry. It is on South 30th Street near Moore Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1800 S 30th St, Philadelphia PA 19145, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Tasker Homes (here, next to this marker); Point Breeze (approx. 0.7 miles away); Schuylkill Arsenal (approx. Ύ mile away); Newkirk Viaduct Monument (approx. 0.8 miles away); Newkirk Viaduct (approx. 0.8 miles away); Generating Energy (approx. 0.9 miles away); Redeeming the Tidal Schuylkill (approx. 0.9 miles away); Ginkgo (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,516 times since then and 301 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 22, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
