The Bridesburg Historical Society was established in 1989 to gather and preserve the history of the neighborhood, making the stories of past generations available for today's and tomorrow's generations. Bridesburg is a neighborhood in lower Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bounded by the Delaware River and the Frankford Creek. It was originally known as Kirkbridesburg after Joseph Kirkbride, a prominent citizen who owned much land in the area and operated a ferry across the Frankford Creek, but the name was eventually shortened to Bridesburg. The community began to form around 1800, and industry moved into the area with the establishment of the U.S. Arsenal on Frankford Creek (commonly known as the Frankford Arsenal) in 1816 and the Bridesburg Manufacturing Company in 1820. With these industries the community grew, and Bridesburg was incorporated as a borough in 1848. It became part of the City of Philadelphia in the 1854 Act of Consolidation. The Bridesburg Historical Society’s collections contain materials relating to the history, culture, and industry of the neighborhood. The archival holdings total 10 linear feet of materials dating from 1816 to 2012.