While not as famous as Ellis Island, Washington Avenue Immigration Station in Philadelphia used to be a place where immigrants were welcomed into the country, writes Michelle Myers for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The local immigration station opened 19 years before its New York counterpart, but it never achieved the same fame. It operated from 1873 to 1915, but was not the first place seen by new arrivals.
Travelers — sometimes ill from a long journey — docked at a hospital south of Philadelphia International Airport, and were then escorted to Lazaretto Quarantine Station for a health check. Anybody who was found ill got placed in quarantine, while any infected cargo was destroyed.
Those who were found healthy were allowed to go to the Washington Avenue Immigration Station in South Philadelphia. The site is commemorated by a historic marker on Christopher Columbus Boulevard.
“For many of them this was a chance at a brand new life and wherever they came from, whatever hardships they had, this was a choice to make their lives and their family lives better,” said Mike Flynn, executive vice president and chief operating Officer at Independence Seaport Museum.
Read more about Washington Avenue Immigration Station and just how many immigrants came to the region around that time in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in February 2025.
