Individual Film Price:

Higher Education Institutions & Government Agency DVD | $49.95
K-12 & Public Libraries DVD | $49.95
Home Video DVD License – Restrictions Apply | $5.95

Precious Places Compilation Price:

This video is available for purchase as part of a Precious Places Community History Project Vol.1 compilation DVD.
 
Higher Education Institutions & Government Agency DVD | $139.00
K-12 & Public Libraries DVD | $79.00
Home Video DVD License – Restrictions Apply | $20.00

Scribe Video Center Program:

The Precious Places Community History Project is a community oral history project inviting members of the Philadelphia region's many neighborhoods to document the buildings, public spaces, parks, landmarks and other sites that hold the memories of our communities and define where we live. Precious Places teaches the video production process to participating groups, fostering projects authored by those who intimately know the featured neighborhoods.

Production Consultant: Gretjen Clausing
Humanities Consultant: Sheri Sunderland McNamara 

Film Summary:

The Manayunk Club was a beloved social spot in Manayunk, a close-nit neighborhood in the Northwestern section of Philadelphia. Housed in an old mansion on a hill overlooking the neighborhood, the club was born in the 1920s as a drinking establishment during prohibition. Later, it became more family-oriented, hosting dances and community gatherings, and became a popular location for local weddings. Although some residents say the club went downhill in the late 1990s, the mansion continued to be well known in Manayunk and was added to Philadelphia's Register of Historic Places in 1999. The club's sudden demise by fire — some say arson — in 2001 symbolized a changing neighborhood. Owner-occupied housing in Manayunk declined precipitously, from 69% in 1980 to 47% in 2000, and the club's former site became the foundation of new townhouses. Philadelphia's housing boom had begun in earnest, contributing to a growing transience in the community. Featuring interviews with neighbors and utilizing historic photographs, The Manayunk Club depicts the history of the establishment, from the mansion's construction in 1870 to the aftermath of the fire. Despite the neighborhood's changes, residents still reminisce fondly about the Manayunk Club and the neighborhood that they continue to love.

Press:

March, 2004| “Remember the Manayunk Club?,” The Council Crier
August 22, 2011 | “Manayunk Club featured in latest Street Movies showing,” WHYY

Public Screenings, Broadcasts and Festivals: 

November 9, 2007 | Broadcast on WHYY-TV

Film Stills: