historic preservation
A Historic Philly Library Gets a Facelift – And Then Some
Although the tax-supported free public library as we now know it didn’t come into existence until 1833, Philadelphia and its environs played a major role […]
Philly’s Rapid Redevelopment Is Putting Its Architectural Character at Risk
When the owners of Capogiro Gelato Artisans announced they were closing all locations in December, my social media feeds exploded. There was mass mourning; people […]
A First Look at Toll’s Second Jewelers Row Tower
“It’s better than last year’s.” That’s the best thing that can be said about SLCE Architects’ reworked condominium tower for Toll Brothers City Living, which […]
1911 Walnut to Be Mixed-Use, Mixed-Income Project
Southern Land Company appeared before the City Planning Commission today with a revised version of its proposed apartment tower on the last piece of open […]
The Gershman Y Wins Historic Protection
A prominent South Broad Street landmark that now serves two purposes has been added to Philadelphia’s historic register over the objections of its owner. Liz […]
Task Force to Revise City Preservation Policy
Mayor Jim Kenney has appointed a panel of developers, scholars, city officials and preservationists to recommend ways the city can better prevent its historic buildings […]
Another Upgrade In the Works for The Wissahickon
Another sign of the slow-motion transformation of the rental property market in Germantown is the just-concluded sale of The Wissahickon, a landmark apartment building at […]
Fishtown Church Will Live On As Live/Work Space
Preservation activist Oscar Beisert’s petition to add the Church of the Living Word in Fishtown, which began life as the Fifth Reformed Dutch Church, to […]
Toll Takes Wraps Off Jewelers Row Tower
Toll Brothers City Living finally revealed what the condo tower it plans to build in place of three structures on historic Jewelers Row will look […]
Council Members Push to Protect More of Philly’s Historic Architecture
A bill introduced in City Council on Thursday morning could end up nearly doubling the budget of the Philadelphia Historical Commission, a small department charged […]
Chinese Cultural Center Prepares for A New Future
A 185-year-old landmark in the heart of Chinatown is getting ready for a possible new lease on life once the legal hurdles are cleared. While […]
Will Threat to Jewelers Row Finally Unite Preservationists?
On one hand, it looks like a losing battle for preservationists. The five buildings on Jewelers Row that a developer wants to tear down and […]
University City Preservation Tragedy: When Density Begets Dullness
One of the positive aspects of the current development boom in Philly is that long-underutilized land is being put to better use. Denser development makes […]
A Midcentury Modern Apartment Complex Gets a 21st-Century Redo
I will confess it’s a little unsettling to report on a ribbon-cutting that includes the unveiling of a historic plaque on an apartment complex that was […]
Could Chester County Lose A Piece of Its History?
The once-grand estate of shirt-collar magnate William Lockwood, Loch Aerie, is now just a large house on a small plot of land with a Home […]