Bridesburg is a neighborhood located in the northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is bounded by the Delaware River and the Frankford Creek. It was originally known as Kirkbridesburg after Joseph Kirkbride, a prominent citizen who owned much land in the area and operated a ferry across the Frankford Creek. The neighborhood's name was eventually shortened to Bridesburg. The community began to form around 1800, and industry moved into the area with the U.S. Arsenal on Frankford Creek (commonly known as the Frankford Arsenal) in 1812 and the Bridesburg Manufacturing Company in 1820. With these industries the community grew, and Bridesburg was incorporated as a borough in 1848. It became part of Philadelphia in the 1854 Act of Consolidation.
Bibliography:
Siegle, Frederick and Teresa Pyott. Images of America: Bridesburg . Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2004.
From the guide to the Bridesburg Historical Society local history collection, 1816-2012, (Bridesburg Historical Society)
