Adapted from text researched and written by former PPR Recreation History Researcher Laura Proctor

To celebrate the rich history of Philadelphia’s parks and recreational facilities, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) is highlighting historic structures located at parks and recreation sites throughout the city. The first structure to be highlighted in this new monthly series is the Fish Hatchery at Pleasant Hill Park, a 35-acre park along the Delaware River in the Torresdale section of Northeast Philadelphia. The history of the hatchery extends back to the early twentieth century, when a section of the park property was part of the Pennsylvania’s Department of Fisheries’ Torresdale Fish Hatchery. While the hatchery is no longer in operation today, visitors to Pleasant Hill Park can still participate in a variety of fishing programs at the park’s stocked hatchery ponds. 

During the first quarter of the twentieth century, the southwestern section of Pleasant Hill Park served as the Torresdale Fish Hatchery. In 1904, the Pennsylvania Department of Fisheries relocated its hatchery building from the Bristol Hatchery in Bucks County and began to lease ten acres of City-owned land in Torresdale along the Delaware River for $1 per year. With its natural springs and two ponds, the new site allowed the Department of Fisheries to expand its focus from exclusively cultivating shad to also cultivating other species of fish such as trout, black bass, catfish, and pickerel. [1]

During its first ten years in operation, the Torresdale Fish Hatchery used the former Bristol Hatchery building that had been moved from Bucks County. [2] Within a few years, it became evident that the old building could not meet the demands of an increasingly complicated and high-yield hatchery operation, which led the Department of Fisheries to replace the dilapidated building with a permanent, fireproof structure. [3]

In 1914, the new hatchery building was opened. The two-story brick structure was designed by Philadelphia architect James Carson Marshall Shirk and featured a tower adjacent to the entranceway, Spanish red roof tiles, and terracotta decorative details. The hatchery’s interior housed state of the art equipment, including three large hatching tanks. [4]

While the facility no longer functions as a hatchery, the hatchery ponds have been a popular spot for children to learn how to fish since the former Department of Recreation (now Philadelphia Parks & Recreation) assumed control of the hatchery in 1956. [5] In the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of children were bused to the ponds each year to fish in the ponds. [6]

(Recreation - Fish Ponds at Linden Avenue and the Delaware River, 06.18.1963. Collection: Philadelphia Office of the City Representative. From www.phillyhistory.org.)

The video clip below was excerpted from a film about the Philadelphia Department of Recreation produced by WFIL-TV in 1965. It shows children fishing at Pleasant Hill Park’s hatchery ponds during the 1960s.

(1965. WFIL Salutes the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. Courtesy of the Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives.)

In recent years, extensive improvements were made to Pleasant Hill Park through the Pleasant Hill Development Project, a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources-funded effort. Improvements included addressing stormwater and flooding issues, installing a riverfront pedestrian path, installing bioswales to prevent pollution from entering the river, rehabilitating the site’s fish ponds, adding new walkways, improving site fencing, and creating a new picnic area and shade pavilion.

PPR offers a variety of free programs at this historic riverfront site through which children can try out their fishing skills, participate in fun activities, and learn about watersheds and the importance of healthy waterways. These programs include Community Fishing Days throughout spring, summer, and early fall which are open to the public as well as summer programs where children from PPR day camps fish, do arts and crafts, play field games, learn how to canoe, and learn about watersheds.

Click here to learn more about fishing programs at Pleasant Hill Park, and follow the Friends of Pleasant Hill Park on Facebook for updates on fishing programs and events.

 Sources:

[1] Report of the Department of Fisheries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, from December 1, 1905 to November 30, 1906, Harrisburg: Harrisburg Publishing Co., State Printer, 1907, p. 11.

[2] Report of the Department of Fisheries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, from December 1, 1904 to November 30, 1905, Harrisburg: Harrisburg Publishing Co., State Printer, 1906, pp. 47-48.

[3] Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Report of the Department of Fisheries, from December 1, 1913 to November 30, 1914, Harrisburg: Wm. Stanley Ray, State Printer, 1915, p. 41.

[4] “Plan of the New Torresdale Hatchery: Large Hatchery Will Be Power in Conservation,” Philadelphia Inquirer.  Volume 170, Issue 88, page 1. 29 March 1914.

[5] “Annual Report: 1956,” Department of Recreation, City of Philadelphia, 1 Apr 1957, p. 5.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR) held a wide variety of free fishing programs this year at Pleasant Hill Park in the Torresdale section of Northeast Philadelphia. The park’s riverfront location and stocked ponds that were once part of a state fish hatchery at the site make it an ideal location for holding programs that teach children how to fish and get the community involved in fishing. Stocked last May with fish from Kurtz's Fish Hatchery in Elverson, Pennsylvania, the ponds contain species including large mouth bass, a sunfish and bluegills mix, catfish, and eels.

The highlights of this year’s fishing programs at Pleasant Hill Park are listed below.

21 Saturday Community Fishing Days were held this spring, summer and early fall, culminating in a final Community Fishing Day on October 8 where the Friends of Pleasant Hill passed out baked goods to celebrate their one-year anniversary as a Friends group. During the Community Fishing Days, which were held each Saturday from 10am-1pm, fishing rods, bait, and instruction were provided for free to all pond visitors. 728 fish were caught at the Community Fishing Days this year.

1,214 children from 32 different PPR day camps visited Pleasant Hill Park this summer for fishing, arts and crafts, field games, canoe tutorials, and watershed education. The summer campers caught 319 fish. PPR’s Deputy Commissioner of Operations Sue Buck found five canoes in a recreation center basement, and the fishing program staff put them to good use for obstacle courses, on land instruction, and some in-water paddling when camp sizes were small.

4 local teenagers from Northeast Philadelphia were employed over the summer as youth workers for summer camp programming. A big thanks goes out to Matt, Matt, Ray Ann, and Andrew for all of their help this summer!

The fishing programming at Pleasant Hill Park was such a success this year because of the hard work put in by a small team of dedicated staff. PPR Stewardship Coordinator Emma Schad played a huge role in implementing the fishing programs at Pleasant Hill.

"How ironic that our staffer with the last name of a fish was placed at the fish hatchery at  Pleasant Hill Park! Sounds fishy....but totally true,” said Director of Park Stewardship Patty-Pat Kozlowski. “Emma went above and beyond our goals for the fishing program at Pleasant Hill. She transformed Pleasant Hill Park into a destination for not only our day campers but for our park users.”

Another person who plays a significant role in carrying out the fishing programming is Rita Molchan, who since 2004 has been involved with programming at Pleasant Hill Park and is affectionately referred to as “the fish lady” by many returning campers. Rita has a wonderful way with children and has mastered the safety speech for fishing rod handling. Unlike the early days of the fishing programs, there are now more helping hands, so she has shifted her focus to directing the art component of each group’s visit, creating inventive and colorful fishing-themed crafts with the kids.

One of the new helping hands at Pleasant Hill Park is Nicholas Gonzalez, a Recreation Specialty Instructor on the Stewardship team who studies science at the Community College of Philadelphia. Nick’s love of wildlife and ability to stay calm with many fishing rods waving for attention makes him a great fit for the hatchery, and he has been invaluable in helping to run the Community Fishing Day program. Though the fishing programming at Pleasant Hill is coming to an end for the season, Nick and Rita will be involved in planning fun summer activities for next year.

(Nick and Rita at one of this year’s Community Fishing Days)

Follow the Friends of Pleasant Hill Park on Facebook to stay up-to-date on upcoming programs and events.