Collection Summary

Title
Center City Residents Association (Philadelphia, Pa.) Records

Dates
1947-2016, bulk 1947-1974      

Collection ID
Acc. 326

Creator
Center City Residents Association (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Quantity
6 linear feet (6 boxes)

Repository
Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries

Language
Materials in English.
           
Detailed Collection Information


Historical Note
The Center City Resident's Association is a civic association representing the area of the city that lies between Market and South Streets, Broad Street and the Schuylkill River.
 
The Association was established in 1948 primarily as an overseer of Rittenhouse Square and to make Center City Philadelphia a better place in which to live, work and enjoy leisure activities.
The prime objective of the Center City Resident's Association has been serving and representing the community in such matters as beautification, cultural development, health and welfare, long- range planning, parking and traffic, public safety, recreation, redevelopment, schools and zoning.

For a number of years Rittenhouse Square has been the focal point of activities for the association. The historic Square laid out in 1682 as part of William Penn's Philadelphia has been the setting of numerous Center City events for many years. Two of the most important events held annually are the Flower Market, which has been taking place for sixty-six years, and the Clothesline Art Exhibit, which is nearly fifty years old.

Other events include the Summer Evening Series of drama and music, the Rittenhouse Historic Tour, the Center City House Tour, the lighting of the Christmas Tree, and the annual Easter parade.

Description of Collection
The collection includes minutes from the Board of Directors’ meeting (1955-1973) and the general membership (1948-1973); budget and financial reports (1947-1972); notes from the citizens Committee on Public Education in Philadelphia (1961-1968); correspondence of CCRA (1966-1970); and community organization notes (1965-1969). Information can also be found on various committees of CCRA (1951-1969); community complaints (1951-1969); Rittenhouse Square Flower Market (1950-1972); Center City House Tours (1959-1973); CCRA membership drive (1957-1966); nominating committee notes (1947-1969) and newspaper clippings (1946-1970)

The collection also includes program and publicity information on summer evenings in Rittenhouse Square (1967-1973); questionnaires on summer evenings (1973-1974); resolutions (1948-1953); Philadelphia Schools (1948-1967) and zoning materials included (1959-1967). Brochures, pamphlets, newsletters and magazines of Center City activities are included in addition to information on transportation, traffic safety and parking, youth services, sanitation, recreation, dances, health and welfare (1957-1969), long-range planning for the area, anniversary dinners, and beautification (1967-1971). This collection includes preserved versions of the organization’s website, available through Archive-It: https://archive-it.org/collections/4487

Patron Information

Other Finding Aids and Indices
A folder level inventory is available is the SCRC reading room. Please contact SCRC for more information.

Research Access
Collection is open for research.

Collections Stored Off-Site
This collection may be housed off-site at the Library Depository, and require up to two business days to retrieve. Please review the finding aid and be prepared to identify specific materials to be retrieved. Contact the Special Collections Research Center in advance of your visit, so that materials may be relocated to the reading room for research.

Accruals

Archive-It website capture accruals note: Additions to this collection are expected. Websites are captured using Archive-It periodically, and the latest additions may not yet be included in this finding aid. For information on material–physical and digital, including captured websites–that may have been added since the last finding aid update, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.

Publication and Copyright Information
The Center City Residents Association (Philadelphia, Pa.) Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Temple University holds literary rights only for material created by university employees and to material given to the university with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.

Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Center City Residents Association (Philadelphia, Pa.) Records, Acc. 326, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information
Donated by the Center City Residents Association, March 1978.    

Processing Information
Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in June 2015.
           
           
Index Terms

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in Temple University’s electronic catalog:

Corporate Names:
Center City Residents Association (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Subjects:
Community development -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
Community organization -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
Neighborhood planning -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
Urban renewal -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
Zoning -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

Places:
Philadelphia (Pa.)
Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphia, Pa.) 
 

Material Types:
Clippings
Correspondence
Ephemera
Financial records
Manuscripts
Minutes
Newsletters
Pamphlets
Web sites