Abstract
ON THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 28, 1912, about thirty thousand spectators lined Orthodox Street and Frankford Avenue to watch an illuminated procession of trade vehicles and fl oats demonstrating modern machinery, evidence of Frankford’s role in making Philadelphia “the workshop of the world.” The celebration concluded a week later with a parade highlighting Frankford’s history. Representatives of the neighborhood’s civic organizations and churches, arranged by founding date, followed the historical tableaux. The New Jerusalem Church of Frankford (Swedenborgian), one of Frankford’s oldest congregations, chose to walk last to signify its “new era” of community service. The church had recently spearheaded the creation of an ecumenical social service cooperative designed to promote understanding among diverse community groups and provide healthy, engaging activities for neighborhood youth. Members of the New Jerusalem Sunday School, carrying an azure silk banner emblazoned with the church name and founding date, were greeted with hearty applause along the parade route.1