Designate Fletcher Street as a historical site
Designate Fletcher Street as a historical site
The Issue
History doesn't only belong in museums. Sometimes, it rides through our streets.
For more than a century, the sound of horses has echoed through Fletcher Street.
Generation after generation, Black horsemen, riders, families, and young people helped start and carry forward a Philly tradition: a legacy rooted in resilience, community, craftsmanship, and freedom. Against extraordinary odds, that tradition still lives today.
Fletcher Street and Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club are some of the last living expressions of Black urban equestrian culture in the United States, a place where history is not simply remembered – it is lived every single day. Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club is not merely a physical space; it is a living testament to the determination and resilience of the Black cowboy culture, one that has been nurturing and empowering our youth by teaching them responsibility, leadership, and the art of horsemanship since the early 1900s. The club has served as a refuge from the violence and challenges of city life, providing the community and it's young people a space to find purpose, build discipline, and create deep community roots.
Yet while so many stories throughout our city are marked, protected, and celebrated, this extraordinary chapter of Philadelphia's history remains largely unrecognized and under the constant threat of gentrification and city changes. We believe it's time to change that.
By signing this petition, you are joining a citywide effort to permanently recognize Fletcher Street's Black equestrian legacy through official historic recognition and ensure this remarkable story is preserved -- ensuring that future generations know this history belongs to all of us.
Join us in the fight for recognition and preservation of our local heritage. Sign this petition to urge the City of Philadelphia to designate Fletcher Street and the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club as historical sites of national significance, ensuring their legacy is preserved for future generations to learn, explore, and be inspired by. Of all the things there are to be proud of in Philadelphia, Fletcher Street should be high on the list. Together, we can take a stand for Philly's history and pave the way to protect Fletcher Street from the erasures of time and urbanization.
Add your name. Help preserve one of Philadelphia's greatest living legacies.
312
The Issue
History doesn't only belong in museums. Sometimes, it rides through our streets.
For more than a century, the sound of horses has echoed through Fletcher Street.
Generation after generation, Black horsemen, riders, families, and young people helped start and carry forward a Philly tradition: a legacy rooted in resilience, community, craftsmanship, and freedom. Against extraordinary odds, that tradition still lives today.
Fletcher Street and Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club are some of the last living expressions of Black urban equestrian culture in the United States, a place where history is not simply remembered – it is lived every single day. Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club is not merely a physical space; it is a living testament to the determination and resilience of the Black cowboy culture, one that has been nurturing and empowering our youth by teaching them responsibility, leadership, and the art of horsemanship since the early 1900s. The club has served as a refuge from the violence and challenges of city life, providing the community and it's young people a space to find purpose, build discipline, and create deep community roots.
Yet while so many stories throughout our city are marked, protected, and celebrated, this extraordinary chapter of Philadelphia's history remains largely unrecognized and under the constant threat of gentrification and city changes. We believe it's time to change that.
By signing this petition, you are joining a citywide effort to permanently recognize Fletcher Street's Black equestrian legacy through official historic recognition and ensure this remarkable story is preserved -- ensuring that future generations know this history belongs to all of us.
Join us in the fight for recognition and preservation of our local heritage. Sign this petition to urge the City of Philadelphia to designate Fletcher Street and the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club as historical sites of national significance, ensuring their legacy is preserved for future generations to learn, explore, and be inspired by. Of all the things there are to be proud of in Philadelphia, Fletcher Street should be high on the list. Together, we can take a stand for Philly's history and pave the way to protect Fletcher Street from the erasures of time and urbanization.
Add your name. Help preserve one of Philadelphia's greatest living legacies.
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on July 31, 2026