History of FOPP and Pennypack Park Park History Pennypack Park was established in 1905 by ordinance of the City of Philadelphia to insure the protection of Pennypack Creek and the preservation of the surrounding land. The park consists of 1,600 acres of woodlands, meadows, wetlands and fields. The rich history of Pennypack Park began with the Lenni-Lenape Indians who hunted and fished along the creek and from whom the park takes its name. In 1683 William Penn acquired the title to this land from the Lenni-Lenape people.
Many historic structures are still intact throughout the park.
In 1697 the Pennypack Bridge, one of the oldest stone bridges still in use in the United States, was built on King's Highway, now known as Frankford Avenue. The Pennypack Baptist Church another of the park's historic sites, was built in 1688. The Verree House on Verree Road was the site of a raid by British troops during the Revolutionary War. The Pennypack Valley was a center of industry throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with many mills and factories dotting its banks. The remains of this era are evidenced by the ruins that can still be located throughout the park with careful inspection.