Editing Manayunk, Philadelphia (section)

=== Pre-industrial ===
Manayunk Borough was originally a community in [[Act of Consolidation, 1854#Roxborough.2C Township of|Roxborough Township]], [[Philadelphia County]], situated near the Schuylkill River, south of the [[Wissahickon Creek]]. The land that would become Manayunk was first bought from [[William Penn]] in 1685-1686 and then transferred to the family of Wigard Levering. A large part of that land was then sold to Levering's son, Jacob, in 1716. Soon, the younger Levering built the first house in Manayunk, on the north side of Green Lane, west of Silverwood Street. The growing town was known as Flat Rock in 1810, from a peculiar flat rock lying on the lower side of the bridge. This was subsequently called Flat Rock Bridge. The bridge was part of the Flat Rock Turnpike connecting Roxborough Township with [[Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania|Merion Township]]. The bridge was demolished in 1850.<ref name=WDL1>{{cite web|title=Manayunk near Philadelphia|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/9435/|work=[[The Library Company of Philadelphia]]|publisher=[[World Digital Library]]|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref>

The settlement got its nineteenth-century identity from the construction of the dam, canal, and locks by the [[Schuylkill Navigation Company]]. The Manayunk section was finished at the end of 1818. Since the power provided by the water was extensive, the Navigation Company sought lessees of the power for use in mills and factories. In 1819, Capt. John Towers opened the first mill that used the canal's water power. After that, purchases of water-power and the erection of mills and factories greatly increased. The area became important as a manufacturing village. It had a very large [[textile]] industry, which was built in the 1830s by Joseph Ripka.<ref name=WDL1/>

Inhabitants became dissatisfied with the name "Flat Rock" and held meetings on the topic of changing the name. On one such occasion in 1824, Greek revivalists wanted to call it Udoravia ("place by the water"), but this was later overturned in favor of the Lenape word for river ''mëneyung'' or ''manaiung'' ("where we go to drink").{{Citation needed|date=May 2007}} For ease of spelling the "i" was changed to a "y" and the "g" to a "k".{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The first Manayunk census was taken by the Rev. C. Vancleaf, pastor of the German Reformed Church, in March 1827. His count indicated 147 families; 550 males, 548 females; of which 244 were men, 306 women, 282 boys, and 266 girls, for a total of 1,098 inhabitants.<ref>Early History of the Falls of Schuylkill, Manayunk, Skuylkill and Lehigh Navigation Companies, Fairmount Waterworks, Etc., by Chaqrles V. Hagner, 1869.</ref>

On June 11, 1840, Manayunk was incorporated as a borough. It was no longer considered part of the "Township or Borough of Rocks" (Roxborough). The borough lasted only 13 years. Manayunk and the rest of the boroughs, townships, and districts composing Philadelphia County were disbanded and merged into the City of Philadelphia, through the [[Act of Consolidation, 1854]]. Although Manayunk was no longer a separate entity, the community maintained its identity as a self-contained neighborhood. The area continued to be one of the manufacturing centers of the Philadelphia area for the next century but during the 1980s, Manayunk suffered from the decline of manufacturing jobs. It had many empty storefronts along Main Street, its primary commercial district. In the 1990s, Manayunk's revitalization began with the opening of several upscale restaurants on Main Street, which were backed by developers who promoted the neighborhood as a place to visit.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Manayunk retained its small-town charm with its small two- and three-story row homes, cobblestone paving, and hilly streets. Many who visited decided to stay and renovate the small row homes characteristic of the area. Increasing demand for housing in the area has led to the conversion of former mills into loft apartments, and replacement of empty storefronts and [[mom-and-pop]] stores with upscale shops. In 2004, a new condominium tower was built on part of Venice Island. In 2005, there were plans to build more condominium towers to replace the closed soap and paper factories. It became a popular place of residence for local college students and young professionals. Main Street is best known for its bars and restaurants.
Main Street continues on to Umbria Street when heading north. Umbria Street was once known as Washington Street. The name was changed to reflect a large influx of Italian immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The Manayunk Main Street Historic District and [[James Dobson School]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="NRIS2010a">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>  The historic district has 91 contributing buildings, two contributing sites, and 12 contributing structures.<ref name="arch">{{cite web| url = https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| title = National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania| publisher = CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System| format = Searchable database| access-date = 2012-07-05| archive-date = 2005-09-14| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050914194407/https://www.dot7.state.pa.us/ce/SelectWelcome.asp| url-status = dead}} ''Note:'' This includes {{cite web| url = {{NRHP-PA|H000797_01H.pdf}}| title = National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Manayunk Main Street Historic District| access-date = 2012-07-03| author = Elizabeth Mintz and Kay Smith| format = PDF| year = 1982}}</ref> The district was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1982.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>