Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

From Marsh to Solid Ground

Photographed By Bill Coughlin, November 10, 2013

1. From Marsh to Solid Ground Marker

Inscription. In 1771 the British army built Fort Mifflin on the southern tip of marshy Mud Island. The process of draining the island began with this construction. Over the next century the waterways between Mud and the other islands were gradually filled in by people and tidal silt.

Farms were established on higher ground. People dammed streams and drained meadows for fields and grazing. They built dikes to keep the tide from flooding their new pastures. The waterways filled in and became solid ground.

An Island of Green
As Philadelphia grew and prospered, it became the "world's workshop" in the 19th and 20th centuries. Industry eventually surrounded Fort Mifflin.

Today, the fort is an island of green in the midst of an urban industrial complex. Fort Mifflin forms a valuable link in a chain of green spaces along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers that is essential in supporting and nurturing the region's wildlife.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Environment • Forts and Castles • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1771.

Location. 39° 52.567′ N, 75° 12.733′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Fort Mifflin. Marker is on Fort

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Mifflin Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4800 Fort Mifflin Rd, Philadelphia PA 19153, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Mifflin (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Mifflin (Mud Fort) on Mud Island (within shouting distance of this marker); Artillery (within shouting distance of this marker); Casemates or Bombproofs (within shouting distance of this marker); Quartermaster’s Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Hospital & Mess Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Soldiers’ Barracks (within shouting distance of this marker); Officers’ Quarters (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.

Photographed By Nate Davidson, May 10, 2013

2. From Marsh to Solid Ground Marker

Fort Mifflin & Moat image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Nate Davidson, May 10, 2013

3. Fort Mifflin & Moat

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 11, 2013, by Nathan Davidson of Salisbury, Maryland. This page has been viewed 475 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 10, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 2, 3. submitted on May 11, 2013, by Nathan Davidson of Salisbury, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.