Early History of McPherson Square (Kensington)

     McPherson Square was the country estate of William MacPherson, an officer in the Continental Army. He often entertained George Washington there. In 1805 it passed into the hands of the Webster family where they operated a farm until 1891. The property was sold to the city of Philadelphia in 1893 for $74, 546. It was then developed into a public park named McPherson Square in 1895. As it was a predominately Irish Catholic neighborhood, they dropped the "a" from MacPherson's Scottish/Protestant last name. 

     The old mansion was opened as a library on July 1, 1898. On the first day more than 1000 children came to look at the 4000 books held there. The mansion was torn down in 1915 to make way for a new library that was donated by Andrew Carnegie and opened in 1917. On September 17, 1904 an organization of Civil War Veterans, The US Grant Circle #75 Brotherhood of the Union, held a parade and memorial flag raising at the Square. On August 4, 1917 the citizens of Kensington erected a statue of Charles Allen Smith in the Square. Smith lived at 2168 Sergeant Street and was the second American killed at Vera Cruz in 1914. The statue was rejected by The City of Philadelphia Art Jury on the grounds that it looked more mortuary than heroic but the defiant Kensingtonians erected the statue anyway. The Art Jury cried foul claiming that the Kensingtonians were "taking advantage of the patriotic emotion of the time" (we had just entered WWI). Ten thousand people filled the park to see the unveiling. Seaman Allen's mother broke down in tears and wailed all during the ceremony. The trees in the Square were planted in the Summer of 1919 as "Tribute Trees" in memory of fallen WW 1 soldiers. The city used to have an official municipal concert band who performed in the park every summer from 1897 until the 1930's. 

     In 1922 an "Underground Public Comfort Station" was built at McPherson Squares front entrance, where F st and E st meet ant Kensington Ave. It was filled in sometime after WWII but a cave-in during the late 70's allowed me a peek of this underground bathroom. I recall the walls were ceramic tile. It looked a lot like the old Broad Street subway stations. I wonder how many people know that there is an old bathroom under McPherson Square?