Understanding historic buildings and districts

The term “historic” can be confusing when describing buildings and neighborhoods. Is an historic building one that has reached a certain age? Or one where somebody famous lived? Or one designed by a famous architect? All of these can be true, but historic buildings and neighborhoods are not limited to these few categories. In Philadelphia the term “historic building” is usually used to refer to buildings that have been officially recognized by the Philadelphia Historical Commission and listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. “Historic districts” refer to areas that have also been officially recognized by the Commission and listed on the Philadelphia Register. Alterations or proposals for demolition of historic resources listed on the Philadelphia Register require the approval of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. Historic buildings and districts can also be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently, there are more than 450 individual buildings in Philadelphia listed on the National Register, 75 of which are designated as National Historic Landmarks. In addition, 90 areas of the city containing approximately 22,000 buildings are listed as or have been found eligible to be listed as a National Historic District. Philadelphia also recognizes “conservation districts” — areas that have a coherent architectural character but may not meet the standards to be designated historic districts. In addition, sites of historic events or locations associated with a prominent person can be acknowledged with a state historic marker. Identifying neighborhood historic resources and districts enables residents to become more aware of the historic significance of their neighborhood and may foster civic pride and preservation efforts. It will also contribute to the creation of a citywide preservation plan and the development of District Plans. The following is a brief description of historic resources and districts as they relate to the Philadelphia and National registers, to conservation districts and historic markers. (Sources of more detailed information can be found under Resources at the end of this chapter.)

The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places

Individual Buildings

The City’s preservation ordinance allows individual buildings, sites, objects and structures and the interior of buildings open or once open to the public all to be listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. To be eligible building for individual listing an historic resource must meet one of ten criteria listed in the ordinance. These criteria include such factors as being associated with an important historical event; designed by a noteworthy architect or designer; associated with the life of a person significant in the past; or representing a familiar visual feature of a neighborhood. There are currently 4,764 historic resources individually listed on the Philadelphia Register. Examples of such listings include Independence Hall, City Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, sitethe Laurel Hill Cemetery, the Eagle in the Wanamaker Building, the Henry Avenue Bridge and the City Council Chamber in City Hall. Although many historic resources in Philadelphia have already been recognized, there are many, particularly in neighborhoods outside of Center City that have not been identified. To be a significant historic resource and eligible for listing on the Philadelphia Register, a building, site, structure or object does not need to be a specific age or to de designed in a classical object architectural style. It can be anything that embodies the history of the neighborhood and helps define its unique character—a Gothic Revival church from the 1860s, a Beaux-Arts bank building from the 1890s, an Art Deco movie theater from the 1930s or a storefront such as the National Products Building in Old City from the 1950s.

Districts

The preservation ordinance also allows for the listing of historic districts. structureHistoric districts may consist of a few blocks or an entire neighborhood; the Greenbelt Knoll district contains only 18 properties while the Rittenhouse Fitler district contains over 2,000 properties. All properties in a district are listed on the Philadelphia Register and alterations and proposals for demolition require the approval of the Historical Commission. Historic districts must meet the same type of criteria as individual historic resources. There are currently 12 residential neighborhoods containing 9,737 historic resources listed on the Philadelphia Register: Awbury ArboretumPark Avenue Mall Diamond StreetParkside East Logan StreetRittenhouse-FitlerGirard EstateSociety HillGreenbelt KnollSpring GardenOld CityTudor East FallsNational Products Building

The National Register of Historic Places

Individual buildings and districts can also be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To be listed on the National Register individual historic resources or districts must also meet specified criteria including association with significant events or with the lives of significant persons; representative of an important architectural style or designed by a prominent architect. Both individual buildings and buildings in districts must be 50 years of age or older.Many buildings and districts listed on the Philadelphia Register are also listed on the National Register including Independence Hall, City Hall and such historic districts as Society Hill, Rittenhouse- Fitler and Parkside.Listing on the National Register does not require review of property changes by city, state or federal agencies. However, owners of investment properties (apartment buildings, hotels, commercial properties) listed on the National Register and in National Register Districts are eligible for a 20% tax credit against their federal taxes for the costs entailed in substantial rehabilitation of a listed property.

Conservation Districts

Some neighborhoods may not have the historic significance or architectural quality to qualify as an historic district but may have such a consistency of architectural character that they can be protected as Conservation Districts. Conservation Districts primarily regulate the character of new construction according to guidelines established by the neighborhood to ensure that new construction is compatible in scale and character with the existing character of the neighborhood. Conservation Districts are created by City Council based on the recommendation of the City Planning Commission, which administers the Conservation District’s guidelines. Thus far, Queen Village is the only conservation district in Philadelphia, but legislation exists to allow other neighborhoods to be so designated with design guidelines to protect the specific character of each neighborhood.

Historic Markers

Many neighborhoods have been the site of an historic event or a place where a prominent person once lived or worked. The locations of such events or places associated with people — even if the actual places no longer exist — can be noted by the placement of a state historical marker. Historical markers are designated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Historical markers in Philadelphia identify locations associated with a wide variety of people and events, including the house in which Marian Anderson lived in South Philadelphia, the location where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in 1968 in West Philadelphia and the former office of prominent Philadelphia architect Louis I. Kahn. The neighborhood analysis should attempt to identify historic resources that help tell the history of the neighborhood, areas that might be suitable for designation as historic districts and conservation districts, and places suitable for historic markers.