History: Pennsylvania and Local History

Elfreth's Alley — popularly known as "Our nation’s oldest residential street" – dates back to the first days of the eighteenth century. Twenty years after William Penn founded Pennsylvania and established Philadelphia as its capital, the town had grown into a thriving, prosperous mercantile center on the banks of the Delaware River.

Digital History Projects, online exhibits, media library and Philadelphia History Channel.

An overview, courtesy of the Pennsylvania state government.

The histories in ExplorePAhistory.com are built around Pennsylvania historical markers, well over 2,000 of which exist across the Commonwealth. Each story includes an overview, chapters with hyperlinks to marker essays, a timeline, historical documents, and an annotated bibliography. The stories also include more than 3,000 images - many of them here presented to the public for the first time - along with interactive features, image galleries, introductory videos, and historical audio recordings and film clips.