Philadelphia, PA (June 15, 2005)—On Wednesday, June 15, 2005, Wissahickon Boys & Girls Club will be recognized as a Historic Landmark of Philadelphia. The unveiling of the Historic Landmark Plaque on Wednesday will recognize Wissahickon Boys & Girls Club as the first Club in the nation founded to serve African-Americans.
Wissahickon Boys & Girls Club was founded immediately after the Civil War as the Pulaskitown Free Kindergarten to serve children of newly freed slaves and freemen who worked as domestics in the homes of wealthy merchants in Germantown. In 1906, the organization was one of 53 charter members of the Boys Club Federation, which is now Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Wissahickon’s original building was on the corner of Pulaski Avenue and Coulter Street in Germantown. Boys at Wissahickon participated in sports leagues, learned job skills, and received academic support from the Club. The building was sold in the early 1980s when the Club moved to its current location at 328 West Coulter Street.
Wissahickon Boys & Girls Club continues to serve children in the Germantown area. The Club joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia in 1974 to maximize its resources and to continue providing services for youths throughout the city. City officials, local community leaders, and alumni of Wissahickon will be attending the unveiling ceremony, at 4:30 pm in front of the Club. Members of the press are invited as well.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia has been serving children since 1887 and is a member agency of Boys & Girls Clubs of America as well as a Community Impact Affiliate of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Serving nearly 13,000 last year, Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia seeks to inspire and empower young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize and reach their fullest potential. There are currently Clubs in seven locations in Philadelphia: Bridesburg, Frankford, Germantown, Kensington, Nicetown, West Kensington, and Wissahickon. The Clubs deliver proven-effective programming after school and during the summer.
