Parkwood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Parkwood
Neighborhood of Philadelphia
Mechanicsville School in Parkwood, October 2010
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Philadelphia County
City	Philadelphia
Area code(s)	Area code 215

Parkwood is a neighborhood located in the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The neighborhood's boundaries include the Byberry East Industrial Park to the north and northwest, Poquessing Creek to the east, Knights Road to the southeast and Woodhaven Road to the southwest. The neighborhood was developed by in the late 1950s as a planned residential community. The predominant housing type is the brick row house. The Parkwood Shopping Center is a local shopping destination, while the Philadelphia Mills mall is a regional shopping destination on Knights Road to the east of Parkwood's residential area.

Before the first permanent European settlement of the area in the 17th century, Native American inhabited the area, including the Algonquian and Iroquois nations The dominant Algonquian group, the Lenni-Lenape, settled in this area because of the proximity to the Poquessing Creek, where fishing, hunting, and water resources were readily accessible. Despite their dependence on water, the Lenape created well established paths to major features in the region. Early explorers and European settlers, who arrived in the 17th century, utilized these paths, which became wagon trails and major highways such as Knights Road, Bristol Pike and Roosevelt Boulevard.

In 1645, Swedish settlers moved into the area and were soon followed by the English Quakers. Unofficial sources report the area was named "Byberry" after one of the first settler's hometown of Bibury, England. Others argue that William Penn suggested the name. In any case, the spelling varied for some time until the area officially became known as Byberry Township, PA in 1694. Just before the township was formally established, the Quakers built a Friends meeting house (1692) at the Southampton and Townsend Roads. By 1710 the Quaker Friends' School was built.