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Black Bottom

West Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania · Mid-Atlantic

Black Neighborhood

Urban Renewal

Categories: Urban Renewal & Highway Destruction · Communities Destroyed or Displaced by Government/Public Projects

What was built

Established or development period
1900s–1920s
Peak period
1930s–1950s
Who built the community
Black families, many from the Great Migration, in the blocks between roughly 32nd and 40th Streets in West Philadelphia.
Black population
Several thousand residents in the area cleared.
Businesses
Black-owned corner stores, barbershops, restaurants and small trades.
Financial institutions
Not yet documented
Churches
Neighborhood Black congregations, several demolished.
Schools
Not yet documented
Hospitals
Not yet documented
Newspapers
Not yet documented
Entertainment & cultural institutions
Not yet documented
Other community institutions
Not yet documented
Black land & property ownership
A mix of Black home ownership and rental tenancy in rowhouse blocks.
Economic significance
A dense Black working-class neighborhood adjacent to two major universities.

What happened

What happened?
The Unit 3 urban renewal project of the 1960s, undertaken with the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, cleared the neighborhood for the University City Science Center and institutional expansion, displacing thousands of residents.
Trigger or precipitating event
Designation of the area for redevelopment and university expansion.
Underlying historical context
University-led urban renewal, a nationwide pattern in which institutions used federal clearance funds to expand into Black neighborhoods.
Method of destruction / displacement
Urban Renewal · Eminent Domain · Government Acquisition
Date or period of destruction
1960s–1970s
Confirmed / documented deaths
Not yet documented
Estimated deaths
Not yet documented
People displaced
Roughly 2,600 to more than 5,000 residents. SOURCES DIFFER on the exact count.
Homes destroyed
Hundreds of rowhomes demolished.
Businesses destroyed
Not yet documented
Acres or property lost
Not yet documented

Afterward

What happened to the land?
The University City Science Center and university-affiliated development.
Was compensation paid?
Relocation payments were offered but widely documented as inadequate.
Was the community rebuilt?
No
What was rebuilt?
Not yet documented
Destroyed or displaced again?
Not yet documented
Second displacement date
Not yet documented
Second displacement cause
Not yet documented
What exists there today?
The University City Science Center campus and university facilities, with a Black Bottom historical marker and reunion tradition.
Descendant, reparation & restoration efforts
The Black Bottom Tribe Association and annual reunions, plus university reckoning initiatives.
Historical significance
A leading example of university-driven urban renewal displacing a Black neighborhood.

Sources

  • Source lookup

    Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, Unit 3 project records

    Find
  • Primary record

    University of Pennsylvania Archives and Records Center

    Find
  • Primary record

    Temple University Urban Archives

    Find
  • Book or scholarly work

    Harley F. Etienne, Pushing Back the Gates (Temple University Press, 2012)

    Find

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Last verified: 2026-09-20. This is a living historical collection. Additional communities and documentation will be added as research and verification continue.