Author Archive

Rachel Hildebrandt

Rachel Hildebrandt, a recent graduate of PennDesign, is a native Philadelphian who is passionate about the changing city she inhabits. Before beginning her graduate studies in historic preservation with a focus on policy, Rachel obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and co-authored two books, The Philadelphia Area Architecture of Horace Trumbauer (2009) and Oak Lane, Olney, and Logan (2011). She currently works as a program associate at Partners for Sacred Places.

How To Spot A Theater

How To Spot A Theater

May 14, 2013  |  Vantage

Of the nearly 400 neighborhood theaters and movie palaces Philadelphia boasted, about 135 remain—as churches, as offices, sometimes even as theaters. Rachel Hildebrandt has categorized and mapped them all. Here's our guide to finding them and interpreting what you're seeing > more

It Wasn't Always The Avenue Of The Arts

It Wasn’t Always The Avenue Of The Arts

March 26, 2013  |  Vantage

Rachel Hildebrandt reminds us what South Broad Street was like before the major projects of the 2000s...not that long ago and yet seemingly erased from memory > more

At Broad And Dauphin, The Doll Museum Lives On

At Broad And Dauphin, The Doll Museum Lives On

March 1, 2013  |  Vantage

The Philadelphia Doll museum is the only cultural institution left in what was a center of cultural institutions in North Philly. Rachel Hildebrandt catches up with its founder and director Barbara Whiteman > more

Update: Church Of The Nativity Demo Underway

Update: Church Of The Nativity Demo Underway

October 8, 2012  |  Buzz

A church designed by Napoleon LeBrun, architect of the Academy of Music, is being torn down. The developer plans to build 12 townhouses on the property at 11th and Mt. Vernon Streets in the Poplar neighborhood > more

Update: Wynne Theater Demolition Imminent

Update: Wynne Theater Demolition Imminent

September 26, 2012  |  Buzz

The 1928 theater, deemed too ruined to save, will be torn down by the city. A mixed-use development for the site is being sought by Fourth District councilman Curtis Jones > more