The Lazaretto Ballroom & The Annual ICCDV Wine Festival
Most people drive past Essington thinking only about the airport and John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. But tucked along the Delaware waterfront at 97 Wanamaker Avenue sits one of the most consequential buildings in American history. The Lazzaretto. America's oldest surviving quarantine station - sort of like Delco's own Ellis Island. And yes, it's in Delaware County!
Philadelphia in the 1790s was a city under siege. The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 killed somewhere between one-tenth and one-fifth of the city's population. Neighbors fled. Streets emptied. The federal government temporarily relocated. Philadelphia was desperate to make sure it never happened again. The answer was the Lazzaretto. Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Board of Health in 1799 and opened in 1801, the complex was a mandatory checkpoint for every ship, passenger, and cargo load entering the Port of Philadelphia. During quarantine season (June through October), vessels were detained and inspected. Any sign of contagion meant passengers and crew could be held in the facility's hospital for days or months. The hospital could accommodate 500 people. Suspect cargo was fumigated or destroyed.
The Lazzaretto's history isn't only about public health; it was about freedom. In the summer of 1800, the USS Ganges captured an illegal slave ship off Cuba and brought more than 135 captive African men, women, and children to the predecessor station at Province Island, just upstream. Many were treated for illness. To integrate and protect the newly freed individuals, the Pennsylvania Abolition Society arranged terms of indenture (apprenticeships) with primarily local Quaker families in Delaware, Chester, Bucks, and Philadelphia counties. Descendants of the Ganges Africans still live in Delaware County and the broader Philadelphia metropolitan area today. It's a chapter that rarely makes the history books.
For nearly a century, the Lazzaretto served as Philadelphia's frontline defense against infectious disease. It operated under the Philadelphia Board of Health until 1893, then briefly under the Commonwealth, before officially closing in 1895 when federal stations further down the Delaware River made it redundant. It had outlasted yellow fever, typhus, and a dozen other outbreaks. After closing as a medical facility, the Lazzaretto became the Orchard Club, a local recreation destination. Then in 1911 it became one of America's first seaplane bases, staying active through World War I and into 1937. A building that once quarantined ships was launching aircrafts.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and awarded a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission historic marker in 2008, the site today is managed by the Lazaretto Preservation Association of Tinicum Township. The restored main building has gallery and event space open to the public. Stop by, take a self-guided audio tour, and stand somewhere American history actually happened.
Drawing of the Lazzaretto Building by Frank H. Taylor, 1895. (https://www.loc.gov/)
Visit the Lazzaretto: Italian Wine, Live Music, and a Good Cause
Saturday, September 26, 2026, the Italian Cultural Center of Delaware Valley is hosting its Second Annual Wine Festival right on the grounds, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Expect wine, authentic Italian cuisine, curated vendors, live music, and a live winemaking demonstration, with great views of the Delaware River waterfront.
Admission is free. Parking is free. All ages are welcome (guests under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian). For more information, contact the Italian Cultural Center of Delaware Valley ICCDelVal.org.
It's a great way to spend a Saturday, and an even better reason to finally visit one of Delaware County's most hidden historic sites.
Sources
- Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia: philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/lazaretto
- Italian Cultural Center of Delaware Valley: ICCDelVal.org
- Lazaretto official site: lazaretto.site
- The Ganges Families History Project https://thegangesfamilies.com
The Lazzaretto is located at 97 Wanamaker Avenue, Essington, PA.