This summer the Elfreth’s Alley Association is lucky enough to have two interns working with us. I have asked them each to introduce themselves to you. First up, Joe Makuc, an Allen Davis Fellow at Temple University's Center for Public History! -TM
Ever wanted to know why Elfreth’s Alley is separate from Cherry Street? My name is Joe Makuc, and I’ll be answering that question about the Alley’s environment this summer!
Above: me with some houseplants I am taking care of in the background
I’ve taken a roundabout path to environmental history with the Elfreth’s Alley Museum. I grew up in Monterey, Massachusetts and earned a BA in History at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, I’ve worked as an early educator with the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks, and I’m also working as the Historical Meteorological Intern at the American Philosophical Society starting this summer. I’m also currently studying in Temple University’s Public History MA program, which brought me to Elfreth’s Alley. I appreciated the way the museum explores the relationship between historical Alley residents and their physical surroundings in Philadelphia.
As an intern for the Elfreth’s Alley Museum, I’ll be producing some of that environmental history this summer. In addition to unpacking the history of the Elfreth’s Alley name, I’ll be discussing topics like the 1960s struggle to preserve the Alley from I-95 and residents throwing watermelon rinds at each other in 1848. I hope to connect these specific stories of our little street to current conversations about urban land use. Check out my personal blog if you want my thoughts on other history, and I look forward to exploring the historical changes of this street with you all!