At its meeting on March 14, the Philadelphia Historical Commission added seven properties to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, including a 19th century German burial ground, the home of an undertaker for Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession, and the site of a historic visit by the head of the Baháʼí Faith in 1912.
The Historical Commission opened its 750th meeting, and the first in-person assembly since the beginning of the pandemic, with a brief recounting of its history by member and former chair Robert Thomas and Executive Director Jon Farnham. Established as an advisory committee by an ordinance in 1955 during the administration of Mayor Richardson Dilworth, it wasn’t until 1985, under Mayor Wilson Goode, that the Historical Commission was given actual power over designated properties.
The Edward S. Earley, Undertaker, House, and Business at 549-51 N. 10th Street. | Photo: Michael Bixler
The property at 549-51 N. 10th Street, the Edward S. Earley, Undertaker, House, and Business was designated, owing to its association with the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln. In addition to providing a special hearse, Earley oversaw the logistics of the ceremony. The journey by train of almost two weeks traveled from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, Illinois and was viewed by millions of Americans, marking the historic moment of the first assassination of a United States president.
The S.S. Kresge Store at 1520-22 Chestnut Street was built in 1934, designed by the influential Philadelphia architectural firm of Silverman and Levy, with the nomination citing that connection and its Art Deco style. Because the two-story building is zoned CMX-5, the owner expressed concern over potential limits on future development. In response, the Historical Commission restricted the designation to the front and back facades, limiting their purview of any other portions, current or future, to review and comment only.
The Logan Theater at 4732-42 N. Broad Street in 2022. | Photo: Michael Bixler
The Logan Theater at 4732-42 N. Broad Street was designated for its role as a fixture in the cultural and social heritage of the Logan neighborhood. A classic example of grand neighborhood movie theaters of the early decades of the 20th century, it was built in 1923 for the Stanley Company of America by the architectural firm the Hoffman-Henon Company, who designed many of Philadelphia’s theaters, including the Boyd Theatre at 1908 Chestnut Street, the Mastbaum Theatre at 20th and Market Streets, and the Stanley Theatre at 19th and Market Streets.
In West Philadelphia, the Reed-Hubley Residence at 3708-12 Chestnut Street, built around 1845, represents the era when transportation developments led to the creation of suburban-like neighborhoods beyond central Philadelphia. Today, it is one of the few remaining villas along this portion of Chestnut Street. The nominator also noted its role in the University of Pennsylvania’s efforts in fostering a diverse student body as the home of the Greenfield Intercultural Center for the past four decades.
A little-known event in the city’s religious history occurred at 1429 W. Mayfield Street in North Philadelphia. In the early 20th century, it was occupied by the Revell family, who were influential members of Philadelphia’s early Baha’i community and is significant for a visit there by the faith’s leader, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, during his travels in North America in 1912. The house was built in the early 1880s as a part of a workers housing development. The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Philadelphia purchased the house in 2003 and have restored the interior to recreate its original appearance.
Bethany Lutheran Cemetery at 376 Martin Street. | Photo: Google Street View
Another addition to the local register is the German Evangelical Lutheran Bethanien Burial Ground of Manayunk and Roxborough at 376 Martin Street. Founded in 1845, it contains around 100 grave markers or other structures, as well as nearly 1,000 burials, including Civil War soldiers and German-speaking Lutheran immigrants who were mill workers and mill owners that contributed to the development of Manayunk and Roxborough. There is the potential for archaeological assets, as the site formerly contained a German Lutheran Church that was demolished in 1873.
The final designation was for the Beneficial Savings Bank Kensington Branch at 820-26 E. Allegheny Avenue. Its original construction in 1924 and an enlargement 10 years later were designed in the Classical Revival Style by the firm of the influential architect Horace Trumbauer, and a second, Modernist style addition in 1952 was the work of Paul Monaghan, who was also known for Roman Catholic-related buildings in Philadelphia.
Beneficial Savings Bank at 820-26 E.Allegheny Avenue. | Photo: Michael Bixler
In addition to the seven designations, the Historical Commission approved the installation of a mural on the historic building at 1631-37 Arch Street. The 1915 building was designed by architect John Windrim for the Bell Telephone Company and placed on the local register in 2008. The one-story mural with a theme of Holocaust remembrance and education will be added to the east facade, overlooking the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza, the first public Holocaust monument in the United States. The request noted that the wall was originally a party wall, having been exposed in the early 1960s when the adjacent buildings were demolished.
The Historical Commission approved a request for a continuance for the nomination of Piers 38 and 40 at 775 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard, originally submitted in October 2021. It will now be reviewed at the July meeting of the Commission’s Committee on Historic Designation.
