Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published in the Summer 2025 issue of Extant, a publication of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

The former Trinity Reformed Church at 3601-07 N. Broad Street was built in 1912. It will reopen as a community impact and medical center in 2026. | Photo: Peter Woodall

Reverend Leon Sullivan Community Impact Center

Location: 3601-07 N. Broad Street

Built: 1912

In February, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction on the Reverend Leon H. Sullivan Community Impact Center, a transformative project revitalizing North Philadelphia’s Nicetown-Tioga community. The center will be housed in the historic Zion Annex, originally Trinity Reformed Church, a Gothic Revival structure designed by Carl P. Berger in 1912. When the congregation relocated in 1969, Zion Baptist Church and its pastor, Reverend Leon Sullivan, acquired the stone masonry and stained-glass building, renaming it the Zion Educational Annex and transforming it into a hub for education, social services, and job training.

A towering figure in the civil rights movement, Reverend Sullivan was a champion for Black economic empowerment and social justice. As the longtime pastor of Zion Baptist Church, he spearheaded initiatives like the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), which provides job training to marginalized communities. The annex reflected his mission, hosting after-school programs, flea markets, career training, and cultural events. Structural issues forced the annex to close in 2014. The once-vibrant building has since suffered water damage, vandalism, and theft.

Now, thanks to a public-private partnership that has secured more than $18 million, the 27,000-square-foot building will once again serve the community. Slated for completion in 2026, the revitalized building will feature a community arts center, café, and bookstore along with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Temple University, continuing Reverend Sullivan’s legacy of empowerment and opportunity.

Carriage Car Lofts at 4100-12 Haverford Avenue. Built in 1876. Revived with reuse in 2025. | Photo: Peter Woodall

Carriage Car Lofts

Location: 4100-12 Haverford Avenue

Built: 1876

The West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company (WPPRC) trolley car barn in Haverford North played a crucial role in the city’s streetcar industry, transforming West Philadelphia into a thriving streetcar suburb. The car barn served as an assembly and repair building at the western reaches of the line. Despite its utilitarian function, the building features ornate late-Victorian detailing, blending Queen Anne and Neo-Grec influences. Constructed entirely of red brick, its primary and side elevations are distinguished by polychromatic, patterned brickwork and decorative limestone belt courses.

The building ceased operations as a car barn in the 1920s and was then used as a garage, car wash, and storage. It symbolizes the technological and social advancements of late 19th-century Philadelphia as the last remaining structure of the once-extensive WPPRC complex. The building is listed on both the National Register and Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

After decades of neglect, structural deterioration, and vandalism, the car barn underwent a comprehensive historic tax credit rehabilitation project, transforming it into a mixed-use development known as Carriage Car Lofts. The project included the addition of two new interior floors, creating distinctive loft-style residences and dynamic commercial spaces on the ground floor. The developer, MM Partners, retained the original brickwork, industrial features, and historic roofline, ensuring the building remained a cornerstone of West Philadelphia’s identity. The car barn now serves as both a testament to Philadelphia’s transit history and a blueprint for future preservation efforts.