Southwark Soup Society
Site of the Southwark Soup Society
Detail of Southwark Soup Society façade
Southwark Soup Society circular
Title page of Southwark Soup Society report
Founded in 1805 by Southwark resident James Ronaldson, the Southwark Soup Society was the first soup kitchen in Philadelphia. This building dates from the late 19th century. Ronaldson, a Scotsman who settled in Philadelphia in 1794, aimed to alleviate the most basic affliction of the overcrowded immigrant district — hunger. From January through March, the Southwark Soup Society aided "the deserving poor" of Southwark: primarily the European immigrants who made their way to Hancock Street shortly after arriving in America at the Washington Avenue docks, but also the native-born working poor of the neighborhood. Each winter the Southwark Soup Society distributed thousands of gallons of soup and hundreds of loaves of bread. The Society served its last soup in 1949, when it merged with the United Benevolent Association. Today the building is a restored private residence, but it retains its "Southwark Soup Society" plaque.
References
- Boonin, Harry D. The Jewish Quarter of Philadelphia: A History and Guide, 1881-1930. Philadelphia, PA: Jewish Walking Tours of Philadelphia, Inc, 1999.
- Hunt, Leslie. Southwark Soup Society Records, 1855-1949. Collection 3024. Finding aid at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 2003. Available at: http://www.hsp.org/files/findingaid3024southwarksoup.pdf
- Sitarski, Stephen M. "Philadelphia's First Neighborhood: Wiccaco/Southwark/South Philly/Queen Village." Unpublished walking tour script for the Queen Village Neighbors Association, May 2005.
Map
Map
Address
833 Hancock St.
![New mission nuilding [Sorrow's Circuit]. Image provided by Historical Society of Pennsylvania](https://www.philaplace.org/media/philaplace/images/1/96709_ca_object_representations_media_180_hsp1.jpg "New mission nuilding [Sorrow's Circuit]. Image provided by Historical Society of Pennsylvania")
![Title page [Sorrow's Circuit]. Image provided by Historical Society of Pennsylvania](https://www.philaplace.org/media/philaplace/images/1/20246_ca_object_representations_media_182_hsp1.jpg "Title page [Sorrow's Circuit]. Image provided by Historical Society of Pennsylvania")
