At a brief meeting on October 11, the Philadelphia Historical Commission added one new property to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, approved new construction in a historic district, and gave an additional continuance to a nominated property.

The former The Provident Trust Company at 17th and Chestnut Street. | Photo: Michael Bixler

The Provident Trust Company building at 1628-36 Chestnut Street was constructed as a 12-story tower in 1928, with two two-story additions following in 1946 and 1987. The Historical Commission designated it based on its Georgian Revival style which was designed by the architectural firm of Rankin and Kellogg. The prominent Philadelphia firm designed commercial and institutional buildings such as the former Philadelphia Inquirer building on North Broad Street, the East Falls Public Library, and the U.S. Post Office at 30th and Market Streets.

4124-28 Parkside Avenue and the proposed addition. | Rendering: Living City Architecture

A proposal for a new three-story building of multi-unit housing was approved following several modifications at the recommendation of the Historical Commission’s Architectural Committee. The site is the side yard of the 1894 building at 4124-28 Parkside Avenue, a significant property in the Parkside Historic District.

The former Police Administration Building (aka the Roundhouse) at 750 Race Street was completed in 1962 and designed by Geddes, Brecher, Qualls and Cunningham. | Photo: Michael Bixler

The nomination of 708-34 Race Street, the former Police Administration Building, also known as the Roundhouse, received a fourth continuance and will now be reviewed at the Historical Commission’s November meeting. It was  submitted in December 2022 by Docomomo US/Greater Philadelphia and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and reviewed and recommended for designation by the Historical Commission’s Committee on Historic Designation in September 2023.

Also at this meeting, architectural historian Robert Thomas noted his completion of two four-year terms as Chair of the Historical Commission and solicited nominations for a new chair. New member Zachary Frankel was nominated and approved. A principal at Frankel Enterprises, he described himself as a developer “primarily of affordable housing.”