The #Yoasis: Madison Square
BY JILLY MacDOWELL | Have you been to Madison Square garden? In Philadelphia? It's not an arena, it's two east-west blocks in Fitler Square with a lush, well-tended garden betwixt (instead of a street).
The 25-foot wide two-story homes facing a gated garden were constructed in the 1870s for Naval officers and their families. Architecturally, they are “an almost Philadelphia-style adaptation of English Regency architectural forms featuring both Federal (fanlight) and Italianate (cornice) stylistic details,” as described in the fabulous Hidden City blog.
The intent of the design was to keep vehicular pollution away from residences; however, the “botanical party in front, no yard in back” style went on to literally no future utilization, as homeowners overwhelmingly prefer their outdoor space in the rear.
Madison Square was listed in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1971, and fell into some disrepair in the ensuing decades, as evidenced by this passage in the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia newsletter, circa 2004: “Rowhouses have been altered in ways inconsistent with their historic character and the central garden area neglected. Residents need assistance in making repairs and improving the landscape of the common garden area.” This would have been a few years after it was used as a location in M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout film The Sixth Sense.
Twenty years ago, Madison Square needed a facelift. Pic from Preservation Alliance.
Nearly 20 years later, the street is spiffy. Facades are preserved and maintained. The garden is an award-winning Eden, abundant with trees, flowers, fruits & vegetables, beautifully maintained by the residents. On a recent scorching hot day, it felt 10 degrees cooler walking these serene city blocks.
Find respite and get your steps in on the “MSG loop.” Stop and smell the roses, the lilies, the wild onions. I'm not saying you should have lunch at a courtyard bistro set that isn't yours, but I'm not saying I won't.
The #Yoasis is a series of posts on this site that seek to inform the reader of places in an increasingly bustling where one may encounter a sense of calm and tranquility. Philadelphia is full of Places We Can’t Understand, and we have written about those, too; as a counterpoint, a #yoasis is place in Philly that the body and spirit understands intuitively, and feels at peace. If you’ve got a #yoasis you feel comfortable sharing with us, please do by emailing us at tips[at]philebrity[dot]com.
