Editor’s Note: A version of this story was published in the Summer 2026 issue of Extant, a publication of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
Photo: Peter Woodall
Family Court Building
Location: 1701 Vine Street
Built: 1938-41
Threat: Vacancy
The former Family Court Building is a prominent landmark on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Designed by John T. Windrim and William Richard Morton Keast, the building is a monumental product of the New Deal-era Public Works Administration. Conceived as a “Palace of Justice,” its neoclassical design mirrors the adjacent Free Library of Philadelphia, together forming a rare and carefully composed ensemble modeled after Paris’ Place de la Concorde.
Since the Family Court relocated to 1501 Arch Street in 2014, the building has remained vacant despite multiple redevelopment efforts. In 2014, an out-of-town developer was awarded a contract to transform the site into a luxury hotel, but that plan was abandoned in 2020. A subsequent 2023 plan by a new development partnership, which paired hotel reuse with development of nearby parcels for a new home for the African American Museum in Philadelphia and residential towers, has also stalled. Today, no active development proposals or requests for proposals are in place, leaving the building in prolonged limbo.
This uncertainty threatens not only the structure’s physical condition, but also its architectural integrity. The Preservation Alliance for Great Philadelphia successfully secured interior protections in 2010 and designation of its WPA murals in 2011, underscoring the importance of preserving both the exterior and its richly detailed public spaces.
After more than a decade of false starts, the Family Court Building deserves a clear, public path forward. Rather than piecemeal or speculative redevelopment, the site calls for a transparent planning process that prioritizes preservation and meaningful use.
Photo: Peter Woodall
William Way LGBT Community Center
Location: 1315 Spruce Street
Built: Circa 1890s. Facade altered in 1929
Threat: Demolition
A century of architectural and social history in Washington Square West is at risk. Originally constructed as two 19th-century rowhouses, 1315 Spruce Street was unified in 1929 by the Engineers Club of Philadelphia, which introduced a Colonial Revival facade that continues to define its appearance today. This adaptation transformed earlier residential structures into a cohesive institutional building, contributing to the character of what is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Washington Square West Historic District.
For decades, the building has housed the William Way LGBT Community Center, serving as a vital gathering place, archive and cultural hub for Philadelphia’s LGBTQIA+ community. Within its walls, generations have found support, connection and visibility, while its archives have preserved stories that might otherwise be lost. The building’s significance is therefore both architectural and deeply personal, embodying the intersection of place and community identity.
In February, the center proposed demolishing the existing structure as part of a broader redevelopment plan, raising concerns about the loss of this historic site. While the organization’s need to grow and expand is clear, the building itself represents an irreplaceable link to both neighborhood evolution and the history of LGBTQIA+ life in Philadelphia.
As pressures for redevelopment intensify, this site presents an opportunity to demonstrate how preservation and progress can align. Retaining and adapting at least the front section of the existing structure would honor its architectural character and cultural legacy while allowing the center to better serve the community.
Photo: Michael Bixler
President’s House Exhibit
Location: Southeast corner of 6th and Market Streets
Built: 2010
Threat: Removal and censorship
The President’s House site is one of the most vulnerable historic places in the United States. It once was the site of the nation’s executive mansion, housing presidents George Washington and John Adams during Philadelphia’s decade as the temporary capital. Within its walls, foundational acts of governance took place, even as the Washingtons enslaved nine Black people whose labor sustained the household. The site is a powerful testament to the contradiction between liberty and slavery during the nation’s founding.
Top: Interpretive panel at the President’s House in 2020. Bottom: The same location after the interpretive panel was removed in January 2026. | Photos: Michael Bixler
Decades of advocacy and archaeological excavation culminated in a 2010 open-air memorial and exhibit that interpreted both the presidency and the lives of the enslaved. In January, however, the site’s core interpretive elements, panels, video monitors, and educational displays were abruptly removed by the National Park Service under the direction of a 2025 Presidential Executive Order. Today, the archaeological remains of the house are still visible, but largely devoid of explanatory content, leaving visitors without the context necessary to understand what occurred there.
Photo: Michael Bixler
This loss of interpretation effectively erases the site’s meaning, transforming it into an empty shell. Recognizing the urgency of this threat, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the site on its annual 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in May. A coalition of advocates, including the City of Philadelphia and the President’s House Site Slavery Memorial Alliance, is pursuing legal action and public advocacy to restore the exhibits. Reinstallation is essential to ensure that the full story of the nation’s founding remains accessible to the millions who pass through this site each year.
