Fox Ridge Historic District (Harrisburg)

The Fox Ridge Historic District (or Fox Ridge) is a municipal historic district and neighborhood within Midtown, Harrisburg recognized by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). The district was adopted by the PHMC in February 1983 and certified by the Secretary of the Interior in January 1985 as an addition to the larger Harrisburg Historic District.[1] The neighborhood district, sometimes called Old Fox Ridge, is between Third and 6th Streets and Forster and Herr Streets. It contains mostly 19th Century vernacular style homes, with some institutional buildings.[2] New Fox Ridge, a homeowners association, is one of the city's first modern town house developments, a collection of 63 brick town houses along North Third Street.[3]

Fox Ridge
Housing stock in Fox Ridge neighborhood along Grand St.
Housing stock in Fox Ridge neighborhood along Grand St.
Map
Country United States
StatePennsylvania
CountyDauphin County
CityHarrisburg
ZIP Code
17102
Area code(s)717 and 223

History

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The name Fox Ridge comes from John Fox, an early landowner in the area, and Ridge Avenue, the former name for North 6th Street based upon its topography.[4] Fox Ridge has gone through several alterations through the from late 1950's to the mid-1970s. The construction of New Fox Ridge and Cumberland Court apartments began in 1974 with the leveling and razing of multiple properties, and the elimination of Cumberland, Hay and Montgomery Streets from Fox Ridge.

During Mayor Stephen R. Reed's tenure, City money was spent to help revitalize the neighborhood.[5] Because of the neighborhood's historic Jackson Rooming House along Sixth Street, which hosted African-Americans (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong famously among them), it was proposed in 2004 to be the site of a National African American Cultural Center, which the city passed on.[6] Since then, retired NFL player LeSean McCoy purchased the properties for renovation as well as a new affordable housing senior living project.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "HDA Assoc Doc H155813_134374". PA-SHARE. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  2. ^ "2021 Harrisburg Historic District Design Guidelines". harrisburghistoricpreservation-cohbg.hub.arcgis.com. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  3. ^ Kitrell III, Irvin (2001-08-08). "Their united night // Residents step out against crime". The Patriot-News. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  4. ^ Stuart, Jeb (Spring 2023). "Juggling Harrisburg Neighborhood Names Points to Community Pride". Harrisburg Heritage. Historic Harrisburg Association.
  5. ^ Democrat, Tony May (July 19, 2015). "With festivals and a vibrant city, the money's source didn't matter". The Patriot-News. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  6. ^ Komenda, Ed (2012-01-20). "Endangered block". The Patriot-News. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  7. ^ "Block of N. 6th Street to become apartments, startup workspace for minority-owned businesses". TheBurg. 2022-02-22. Retrieved 2022-04-04.

40°16′05″N 76°53′09″W / 40.26806°N 76.88573°W / 40.26806; -76.88573