Your State Historic Preservation Office has been hard at work since our last Just Listed column appeared on this blog. Since that post , the National Park Service has approved over 30 Pennsylvania listings (!) for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
And, because several of those listings are districts, that’s many, many more buildings added to the Register that might be eligible for programs like the historic tax credit or the Keystone grants!
Let’s start in Philadelphia with the East Center City Commercial Historic District. This district was originally listed in the Register in 1984, and recently the boundary was revised and the period of significance lengthened. The increase added 28 new buildings and sites as contributing elements to the historic district.
According to the new nomination, “The East Center City Commercial Historic District was listed in 1984 for significance under Criterion A in the area of Commerce for its important role as the City’s commercial center in the 19th and 20th centuries, before the Bicentennial-motivated changes of the 1970s. The District was also listed for significance under Criterion C in the area of Architecture for containing an important collection of diverse building styles.”
The original boundary ended the period of significance at the standard 50-year guideline, which at the time was 1934. The new nomination notes that “multiple buildings in the district constructed after 1934 continue the significance of the district under Criterion C in the Area of Architecture, ranging from larger buildings designed by nationally significant practitioners as represented by the Rohm and Haas headquarters building, to the smaller and more vernacular, as represented by the smaller, mid-century banks found scattered through the district.”
Historic district boundary on street and 3D maps.
The Wilkinsburg Historic District, in Wilkinsburg Borough, Allegheny County, is located 6 miles east of Pittsburgh. The nomination of this district to the Register adds 161 contributing buildings in PA to the Register!! The district is primarily a commercial, mixed use area, with a period of significance between 1870, with the earliest dates of construction, through ca. 1960.
Wood Street from Ross Avenue, looking northeast, in the Wilkinsburg Historic District.
The district is listed in the Register under Criterion A, for the areas of Community Planning and Development and Commerce. Property owner John Kelly is largely responsible for the development of the community. He was responsible for not only bringing the Pennsylvania Railroad mail line through Wilkinsburg, but his extensive landholdings also allowed him to dictate the placement of the railroad station away from the downtown. His vision for the area was to be primarily residential. According to the nomination, “Kelly favored donating parcels of land to religious, educational, and civic organizations – the types of property owners that he felt would maintain a conservative and primarily residential village.”
The Palmerton Historic District, Palmerton, Carbon County, has been a long time in the making. And, it is the biggest historic district we have worked on in quite a while – this district adds over 1200 (!) contributing elements to the Register! This site plan shows the extent of the district.
Site plan for the Palmerton Historic District.
Listed under Criterion A in the area Community Planning and Development, the district was designed and laid out under the direction of Stephen Squires Palmer, President of the New Jersey Zinc Company. The town became a significant planned community built by the company to house its workers. The period of significance includes the earliest construction in 1890 and continues through ca. 1962.
Palmerton Historic District downtown.
According to the nomination, “Palmerton’s resources reflect how the company attempted to meet the needs of its workforce by providing services such as health care, sanitation, education, community programs and affordable home ownership. Taken as a whole, Palmerton exemplifies a “new” company town that was heavily influenced by a single industry and one that to this day retains the physical evidence of the leadership of NJZ.”
And one last district: Faithful blog readers will recall the Lawrence Park Historic District, in beautiful Erie County, featured on this blog. The Lawrence Park Historical Society received a Keystone Historic Preservation Grant to complete their National Register nomination. The nomination was approved by our State Historic Preservation Board in February, and by NPS in May. Congratulations!
National Register Listings since July 19, 2017
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Boys’ Club of Pittsburgh, 212 45th St., Pittsburgh, LISTED, 1/19/2018
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Wilkinsburg Historic District, Wilkinsburg Borough, LISTED, 5/14/2018
BERKS COUNTY, Hotel Abraham Lincoln, 100 N. 5th St., Reading, LISTED, 12/21/2017
BERKS COUNTY, Reading Country Club, 5311 Perkiomen Ave, Exeter Township, LISTED, 5/31/2018
BUCKS COUNTY, Delbar Products, Inc., 601 Spruce St., Perkasie, LISTED, 4/26/2018
CARBON COUNTY, Palmerton Historic District, Roughly bounded by Ave. A, Harvard Ave., 8th & Tomb Sts., Palmerton, LISTED, 1/19/2018
CENTRE COUNTY, William Henry & Clara Singer Beck Farm, (Agricultural Resources of Pennsylvania c1700-1960 MPS), 950 Snydertown Rd., Howard, LISTED, 8/31/17
CHESTER COUNTY, Twin Bridges Rural Historic District, Roughly bounded by Creek & Bullock Rds.,Beverly Farm, Big Bend & Hill Girt Farms Estates, Brandywine Cr., Pennsbury Township, LISTED, 9/18/2017
DELAWARE COUNTY, St. Joseph’s Parish Complex, 500 Woodlawn Ave, Collingdale, LISTED, 5/29/2018
DELAWARE COUNTY, Sellers Hall, NW corner Hampden Rd. & Walnut St., Upper Darby Township, LISTED, 4/18/2018
ERIE COUNTY, Lawrence Park Historic District, Lawrence Park Borough, LISTED, 5/14/2018
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Knapp, Joseph, Hotel and Store, 15285 PA 28, Clover Township, LISTED, 4/26/2018
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, U.S. Post Office and Court House, 235 N Washington Ave., Scranton, LISTED, 1/4/2018
LANCASTER COUNTY, David M. Mayer House, 1580 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster, LISTED, 8/31/2017
LUZERNE COUNTY, Memorial Presbyterian Church, LISTED, 9/18/2017
LYCOMING COUNTY, Lycoming Rubber Company, 1307 Park Ave., Williamsport, LISTED, 12/21/2017
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Boyertown Burial Casket Company, 401 W. 4th St., East Greenville, LISTED, 12/21/2017
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Meyerhoff, Son and Company Bldg., 300 Cherry St., Pottstown, LISTED, 12/21/2017
WARREN COUNTY, Cornplanter Grant, Address Restricted, Elk Township vicinity, LISTED, 5/14/2018
PHILADELPHIA County
First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry Armory, (Pennsylvania National Guard Armories MPS), 22 S. 23rd St., Philadelphia, LISTED, 7/24/2017
Penn Wynn House, 2201 Bryn Mawr Ave., Philadelphia, LISTED, 8/31/2017
Howell and Brothers Paper Hangings Manufactory, 2101 Washington Ave., Philadelphia, LISTED, 12/21/2017
Frankford Arsenal (Boundary Decrease), Roughly bounded by Baird St., Frankfort Cr., Delaware R., Dietz & Watson plants and wall along Tacony St., Philadelphia, BOUNDARY DECREASE APPROVED, 12/28/2017
Franklin Carpet Mill, 2141-2145 E. Huntingdon St., Philadelphia, LISTED, 4/17/2018
Gotham Silk Hosiery Company, 2000-2034 N 2nd St., Philadelphia, LISTED, 4/17/2018
Waverly Garage, (Textile Industry in the Kensington Neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MPS), 414-422 S 16th St., Philadelphia, LISTED, 4/17/2018
West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb Historic District, (Boundary Increase), 14-36 S 40th St., 4001 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, BOUNDARY INCREASE APPROVED, 4/17/2018
Buick Motor Company Building, 2917-2937 N. 16 St., Philadelphia, LISTED, 4/26/2018
International Harvester Company Building–Philadelphia Branch House, 2903-2909 N. 16th St., Philadelphia, LISTED, 4/26/2018
East Center City Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase and Decrease), Roughly bounded by S 6th, Locust, Juniper, Market & Arch Sts, Philadelphia, BOUNDARY REVISION APPROVED, 5/24/2018
A SHPO reminder!
Are you interested in helping nominate Pennsylvania properties to the National Register? Remember – we are hiring! This Historic Preservation Specialist position will work between divisions in our office and will include work on our National Register program. Online applications will be accepted through June 22, so hurry! Come join us at the SHPO.
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