Philadelphia Register of Historic Places

Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
Name	Philadelphia Register of Historic Places
Caption	Philadelphia City Hall, a common type on the register
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Built	Various
Architecture	Various
Governing body	Philadelphia Historical Commission

Philadelphia Register of Historic Places is the municipal list of buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts officially recognized for historic, architectural, cultural, or archaeological significance within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Register operates alongside National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmarks Program, and state-level initiatives such as the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to identify and protect resources associated with events, persons, and movements central to Philadelphia's development. It intersects with neighborhoods, institutions, and preservation organizations including the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, Independence National Historical Park, and university-affiliated conservation programs.

History

The Register emerged from mid-20th-century preservation responses to demolition and urban renewal projects that affected sites tied to the American Revolution, the Civil War, and industrial expansion around the Schuylkill River and Delaware River. Influences included national actions like the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and local advocacy by groups linked to Independence Hall, Carpenter Center, and civic leaders associated with the Philadelphia City Council and the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Early listings reflected colonial-era landmarks such as properties connected to Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and sites within the Old City and Society Hill. Subsequent decades expanded to include Victorian, Gilded Age mansions, industrial complexes tied to firms like Cramp & Sons and transportation nodes connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Administration and Legal Framework

Administration is carried out by the Philadelphia Historical Commission, established under municipal ordinance and staffed by professionals often affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and academic programs at University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Legal authority derives from the Philadelphia historic preservation ordinance enacted by Philadelphia City Council and interpreted through municipal courts and agencies like the Department of Licenses and Inspections. Designations may involve coordination with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and federal entities such as the National Park Service when properties overlap with National Register of Historic Places listings or National Historic Landmark status. Preservation easements, tax incentives, and grant programs often reference statutes such as the Tax Reform Act of 1976 and state preservation funding mechanisms.

Criteria and Designation Process

The Commission evaluates nominations against criteria influenced by paradigms used by the National Register of Historic Places, including association with significant persons like William Penn, architectural significance from architects such as Frank Furness, Robert Venturi, and Horace Trumbauer, or representation of movements tied to Industrial Revolution-era manufacturing and Great Migration-period community development. The process typically begins with a nomination prepared by property owners, preservationists from organizations like Preservation Pennsylvania, or civic groups representing neighborhoods such as Rittenhouse Square and Fishtown. Public hearings before the Philadelphia Historical Commission and notifications to stakeholders including Mayor of Philadelphia's office and affected Registered Community Organizations allow for review, appeals, and possible referral to Common Pleas Court of Philadelphia County in contested cases.

Types of Properties and Districts

Listed resources encompass residential types from rowhouses in Society Hill and brownstones near West Philadelphia to institutional complexes such as hospitals linked to Temple University Hospital and university campuses at University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University. Commercial corridors like South Street and industrial districts along the Philadelphia Waterfront are represented, as are religious properties including Old St. Joseph's Church and synagogues tied to the Jewish community of Philadelphia. Historic districts incorporate planned developments such as Logan Square and ethnically defined neighborhoods shaped by waves of immigration from Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe. Transportation-related entries include bridges over the Schuylkill River and depots associated with the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad.

Preservation and Protection Measures

Protections include certificates of appropriateness issued by the Philadelphia Historical Commission for exterior alterations, demolition review procedures enforced by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (Philadelphia), and incentives such as historic preservation tax credits administered in coordination with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and federal Internal Revenue Service. Preservation tools also involve conservation easements held by non-profits like the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and technical assistance from academic centers at University of Pennsylvania School of Design and professional organizations such as the American Institute of Architects Philadelphia chapter. Emergency stabilization after damage implicates agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency when disasters affect multiple registered properties.

Notable Listings

Representative entries include properties tied to national figures and movements: sites associated with Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross; civic monuments on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and at Philadelphia City Hall; industrial heritage sites like the Baldwin Locomotive Works remnants; and cultural institutions such as the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and historic theaters along Broad Street. Residential landmarks designed by Frank Furness, Horace Trumbauer, and Paul Cret appear alongside ethnic landmarks like the Eastern State Penitentiary and community hubs in South Philadelphia. Several entries overlap with the National Register of Historic Places listings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania.

Impact and Controversies

The Register has shaped development patterns, influencing projects by developers such as those involved with Penn's Landing and high-rise proposals near Center City. Conflicts have arisen over adaptive reuse of industrial sites, the fate of affordable housing in historic districts like Point Breeze, and competing priorities between preservation advocates including Preservation Pennsylvania and municipal economic development initiatives driven by the Commerce Department of the City of Philadelphia. Legal challenges have reached the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and local trial courts regarding demolition approvals and property rights. Debates continue over balancing protection of sites tied to figures such as William Penn and contested monuments linked to Civil War memory with inclusive recognition of contributions by African American, Latino, and immigrant communities.

Category:Historic sites in Philadelphia Category:Historic preservation in Pennsylvania