People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC) this week launched Westphillyhistory.com, a website that includes an interactive map which pinpoints sites of historic significance in the area ranging from the Lenape Indian settlements in the 1600s to Malcolm X and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960’s – up to the present day.

Visitors to the site can take a virtual tour, filter events by categories such as arts and culture or social movements, or walk through history using the timeline.

“West Philadelphia has often attracted national and international attention for its prominent role in our nation’s history. These neighborhoods west of the Schuylkill River have a rich cultural identity unique to the city of Philadelphia, making it a place of significance within a ‘city of firsts’,” reads a statement on the website. 

PEC, ICPIC, and local historian Scott Maits worked with community members from all walks of life to research events of note. Visitors to the site are welcome to share their stories and photographs. The site was developed by the team at Interactive Mechanics.

This project emerged from PEC’s most recent neighborhood planning process, which took place in 2012 and resulted in the creation of the Make Your Mark! Lower Lancaster Revitalization Plan. During this process neighbors expressed their desire for more programming that highlights West Philadelphia’s rich history and celebrates the community’s cultural identity.