On September 27th, Alex Balloon will be presenting a virtual lecture titled Henry Disston and The Development of Tacony, for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. To see the presentation you can register online for $15, but residents of Tacony can contact the Preservation Alliance to receive free admission! Alex Balloon is the former Executive Director of the Tacony Community Development Corporation and worked towards the preservation of Tacony’s history and the revitalization of the neighborhood throughout his ten years with us.
The talk will trace the development of the Tacony neighborhood and focus on the impact of Henry Disston and his vision for a company town. Disston and his wife, Mary, slowly developed the land around his saw works into a village, complete with rowhomes, a school, a library, a bank, a park, and the original commercial corridor along Longshore Avenue. Today, we know that village as the Tacony neighborhood, where the impact of the Disstons is still evident wherever you look.
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia is a non-profit organization that is engaged in comprehensive advocacy for the preservation of historic resources. Their mission is to actively promote the appreciation, protection, appropriate use, and development of the Philadelphia region’s historic buildings, communities, and landscapes. This Fall, the Preservation Alliance will be hosting speakers in eight Philadelphia neighborhoods to present their stories of the history, architecture and culture of their communities.
For all of their events, residents of the neighborhoods can receive free admission by contacting vcheng@preservationalliance.com. To see a list of upcoming events, check out their website! We look forward to seeing Alex speak, and hope members of the community can come out and support him while learning a little more about Tacony’s roots.Gallery
