There’s a Story Behind Every Address

Tucked away in Philadelphia’s Old City, Elfreth’s Alley is widely recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the United States. At just a few hundred feet long, this narrow cobblestone lane offers something rare:

a clear, living example of how much history a single address can hold.

Homes on Elfreth’s Alley date back to the early 1700s. Over more than three centuries, they have been occupied, modified, repaired, and preserved—each change adding another layer to their story.