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What's Happening with the Lazaretto?Historic MarkerNew Historical Marker Recognizes the Lazaretto. The text on the marker will read, "Lazaretto Quarantine Station -- Delaware -- It is believed to be the last remaining quarantine station in the United States. For much of the 19th century, it was where many Europeans were first introduced to the United States." Full story. A Settlement Has Been ReachedA Final Agreement with the township [pdf] has been signed by all parties. A new nonprofit (Historic Lazaretto, Inc.) is in formation. Feasibility-study consultant, Stantec was selected (see RFP [pdf]). November 21, 2006: An out of court settlement has been reached [see newspaper report] to the dispute between the township and historic groups over the protection of the historic resources and the construction of a new firehouse complex on the site. Both sides have agreed to publicly release the terms of an agreement if, and when, a settlement is reached. A note of clarification: The parties to this settlement are the Township of Tinicum, The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Preservation Pennsylvania. The Lazaretto Task Force is not a party to this settlement, and individually and collectively the members of the Task Force may hold different points of view. More details will follow as they become publicly available.  Becky Sell gives a tour of the Lazaretto historic site. Here she is standing in front of the main building. See more LazarettoThe Lazaretto lies on the banks of the Delaware River just west of the Philadelphia Airport. It tells the story of quarantine and entry to America from 1643 to 1893. It also tells the story of early aviation. The Lazaretto Site spans the area from the Delaware River to Second Street (see picture below), and consists of the 18th century main building, several smaller buildings and the site of the historic burial grounds at the northeast corner. As David Barnes wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Some have called the Lazaretto Philadelphia's Ellis Island, but from a historical standpoint, it is even rarer and more precious than New York's famous immigrant inspection station. A century older than the Ellis Island facility, the original 1799 Lazaretto structure still stands as a silent monument to the first hundred years of our nation's conflicted history of immigration and public health. Unfortunately, the building is not only abandoned and closed to the public, it also is endangered by development. The bulldozers could be put to work as soon as this summer." [Full article.] Before it was a quarantine station, it was part of the 1643 Swedish settlement, the first permanent European settlement in Pennsylvania. It is also the story of the Lenni Lenape who lived here before the Swedes, and was later a seaplane base in the earliest days of aviation.  Philadelphia Free Library Print and Picture Department Aerial view of the Lazaretto c 1929. See full pictureBackgroundIn 1799, the Lazaretto Station was established in response to the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793. The complex included a large main building, several outbuildings, and a burial ground. Much of this site still remains today. Philadelphia-bound ships stopped here for cargo to be inspected and passengers to be screened. Infested cargoes were fumigated or destroyed completely. Ill passengers were brought ashore to the main building or hospital of the Lazaretto for quarantine to await recovery or death. By some estimates, as many as 1 out of 3 Americans today are descended from those whose first exposure to the New World was here. In the early part of the 20th century, this location took on a new life as as the first seaplane base in Pennsylvania and one of the first in the United States, an early chapter in aviation history. The flying school comprised a prestigious group, including Colonel Robert Edward Glendinning, George C. Thomas, Judge J. Willis Martin, A.J. Drexel Biddle, F.H. Maguire, Joseph N. Pew Jr., John B. Stetson Jr., Caleb Fox, Franklin Pepper, Samuel Eckert, Howard Pew, Stephen Noyes, Alexander Brown, Clark Thompson, and Mrs. Paul Denkla Mills. [See history resources for fuller history and a comprehensive report.] In this Website
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