At its meeting on September 12, the Philadelphia Historical Commission commented on four Philadelphia nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, reviewed restorations and renovations to a historic Center City block, and approved the final event in the long and unhappy saga of Fishtown’s St. Laurentius Church.

In May, the Historical Commission approved the construction of eight three-story townhouses on the site where St. Laurentius Roman Catholic Church had stood at East Berks and Memphis Streets. The church was built in 1885 and designed by renowned ecclesiastical architect Edwin Forrest Durang. It was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 2015 in an effort to save the beloved neighborhood landmark as it deteriorated during a battle between neighbors and the developer who purchased the church from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Ultimately, the building was declared unsafe by the Department of Licenses and Inspections and demolished in 2022 by the developer who ignored the Historical Commission’s requirement to either retain the front facade or salvage historic elements for incorporation into a new building. As part of its approval of the townhouses, the Historical Commission required the creation of a public display commemorating the St. Laurentius church building.

St. Laurentius Roman Catholic Church in Fishtown was demolished in 2022. | Photo: Peter Woodall

The applicant proposed a commemorative display consisting of a bronze cast of the front section of the church building, to be fabricated from a scan taken before demolition and set on a masonry base, which would include a plaque and cornerstone salvaged from the church. It would be accompanied by a marker that resembled the blue metal plaques of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Both would be located in front of the St. Laurentius Catholic School at 1608 East Berks Street, adjacent to the site where the church building had stood at 1600-06 East Berks Street. Both would be financed and maintained by the church. After hearing concerns about securing the bronze cast and plaque from thieves, and what might become of the display if the Archdiocese divested itself of the school building, the Historical Commission approved the project.

Final approval was granted to restore the front facades and construct rear additions to eight rowhouses on the 100 block of North Mole Street. Built between 1835 and 1850, the entire block received individual designation in 1967. The applicant stated they own seven of the properties with options to buy more from a family trust that has held many of them since 1939.

The last item on the meeting’s agenda was to comment on nominations of Philadelphia properties to the National Register of Historic Places. These nominations are overseen by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which must solicit comments from the appropriate local government, which must also offer an opportunity for public comment. The Historical Commission speaks on behalf of the City of Philadelphia in historic preservation matters. Members commented favorably of all four nominations.

The Philadelphia Macaroni Company Factory at 11th and Catharine Streets. | Photo: Michael Bixler

The Philadelphia Macaroni Company Factory at 1101 Catharine Street was built in 1933 and designed by architect Isadore W. Levin. The industrial landmark is historically significant as the largest and most important manufacturer of macaroni and pasta in Philadelphia for much of the 20th century. The building still serves as the company’s corporate headquarters. It is not listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

The Morse Elevator Works Historic District includes several properties in Fishtown on Frankford Avenue, East Wildey Street, Shackamaxon Street, and Sarah Street. The location was home of one of the largest and most important elevator manufacturers in the United States during the late 19th century. Founded as Clem & Morse around 1877, the company played a major role in the development of early elevator technology. Several of the properties in the proposed district are listed on the local register: 1101-03, 1105-09, and 1111-13 Frankford Avenue and 1045-40 Sarah Street.

Morse Elevator Works at 1105-09 Frankford Avenue. | Photo: Michael Bixler

Another site related to historical industry, the BIOSIS Headquarters Building at 2100 Arch Street, was nominated for its association with the largest database publisher for the life sciences. Also known as Biological Abstracts, it was founded in 1926 and was significant in the abstracting and indexing of millions of scholarly articles focused on life sciences and biology in the United States, a process critical to the sharing of information among institutions and researchers.

Bethel Presbyterian Church at 1900 West York Street was also nominated. It was designed in the Late Gothic-Revival style by architect Charles W. Bolton. Its period of significance, beginning around 1947, reflects the social history of the neighborhood, as the church transitioned from the white congregation that built it in 1904 to a Black population. The church is not listed on the Philadelphia Register.