Hell Town, Philadelphias Red Light District In the colonies, Philadelphia held the title of British Americas number one party town. By the early 1690s, taverns and bawdy houses are so large in number that, when the spaces to establish them became scarce due to the towns swiftness in growth, Philadelphians began carving them out of the caves along the Delaware River. One such public house was the Blue Anchor, and it was a favourite among locals and travelers alike. By the mid-18th century, Philadelphia surpassed Boston as British Americas largest and busiest port city, and it was also home to one of the most notorious night spots of its time - Hell Town, which was located north of what is today Arch Street. Though somewhat tolerated by town officials, the rowdiness and debauchery increased to such an alarming point that licenses were, for a time, only given to widows and older men of good character. Of course, this did not stop them from thriving. When all-out rebellion broke out in the colonies, Washington was reported to have had problems with some of his personal servants leaving in the middle of the night to visit the taverns and bawdy houses of Hell Town. Perhaps the toughest and most popular of these establishments was the Three Jolly Irishmen, and it was located at the corner of Race and Water streets. Here, the labourer, and the gentleman alike could drown their troubles in cider, rum, brandy, and wine. They could dull their senses with the delights of opiates, which could be bought quite cheaply and were in plenty. They could gamble, view waxwork shows, see exotic animals such as leopards and camels, or bet on cockfighting and boxing matches. And, of course, all of these delights could be spent with the charms of a lady of the night, who were also in plenty, though, like any establishment, all had their price. Of course, the very act of visiting these places also came at a price, for here, too frequented the rogue, the thief, the pirate, the bandit, and, perhaps the most feared of all, the press gang.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Oct 2014 05:31:12 +0000
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