OUR HISTORY

The Legend of Indian Queen Lane

Indian Queen Lane has been on maps as far back as 1692 when it was the main trail from East Falls to Philadelphia. This former Native American path wound up from the river, past what is now the Queen Lane Reservoir.

A 1950s newspaper discovered in the Schuylkill Baptist Church down the road uncovered “lost moments” in East Falls history, including the legend of Indian Queen Lane.

“Originally an Indian trail, it was named for an Indian Queen who is supposed to have lived in the house at the bottom of the hill after she abandoned the wigwams of her forebears for the four-walled comforts of the white man.”

Today, Indian Queen Lane is the little part closest to the river. The old highway to Philly is now chopped up into Queen Lane, Abbotsford, and Germantown Avenues. 

Close-up of a newspaper article titled 'By Emma H. Maxwell.' The article discusses the history of Indian Queen Lane in East Falls, mentioning its original name, legends about an Indian Queen, and stories of Native Americans in the area.

From The Archives

A black and white photo of Queen Lane East Falls in Philadelphia, showing historic buildings, a large tree, hanging American flags, and a street empty of traffic.
A black and white collage of church-related images and a poem. It includes a photo of the interior of a church with an organ, a portrait of a man identified as Thomas B. Nelly, a photo of Falls Methodist Episcopal Church, and another photo of a street with a church and buildings. There is also a decorative emblem featuring a lion and a unicorn.
A black and white photograph of a group of children dressed in formal wedding attire, posed inside a church with a hanging light fixture and a hymn board, taken at the Falls M.E. Church on October 18th, 1946. The photograph is mounted on a piece of paper with handwritten notes, including the words 'Falls, Pictures, Tom Thumb Wedding, 1946, Box 3, Folder 13' at the top and 'Tom Thumb Wedding, Falls M.E. Church, Oct 18th, 1946' at the bottom.
Historical property deed document with handwritten details about land from Indian Queen Lane to S. W. side of trail, showing signatures and a decorative flourish.
Interior view of a church sanctuary with wooden pews, stained glass windows, and an organ at the front.
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Renovations

Interior of a building under renovation with exposed wooden framing, construction tools, a ladder, and ongoing structural work.
Room under renovation with wooden framing, ladders, and construction tools inside an old building with large windows and a decorative ceiling.
Room under construction with large arched window, ladder, ladder, and construction tools. A spherical paper lantern hangs from the ceiling. The floor is unfinished wood with paint splatters.
Interior of a building under construction with exposed wooden framing, scaffolding, and construction tools on the floor.
Interior of a building under renovation with unfinished wooden walls framing a central stage area, exposed wires, and an arched wall with peeling paint in the background.

Today

An old brick building with a staircase leading to the entrance, located near a street corner, with utility poles and wires nearby.
A vintage architectural drawing of a brick building, surrounded by a decorative floral border, with handwritten notes and signatures.
Historical map of East Falls, Pennsylvania, depicting notable locations, buildings, and figures, including Thomas Mifflin and the Lutheran Church of America, with handwritten notes and sketches.
Stone building with a red door, surrounded by white and red flowering bushes and potted plants on steps.