Perhaps no architectural style has been more cruelly reinterpreted in the modern era than the classy and distinctive French Second Empire style (also called the Mansard style).
Category Archives: Philadelphia
Hazard Mitigation in a Historic Context: Update on Historic At-Risk Properties Initiative
Historic resources inform citizens of their unique local heritage, cultural identity, and the origins of their community. They are the corner stones of our built environment and they provide a “sense of place”. In the aftermath of a disaster, these … Continue reading
The Keystone Grant and the Mystery of the Missing Piazza
Ever wonder just how much scholarship of construction chronology is behind your visit to a historic property in Pennsylvania? Or how that research is funded? Woodford is one of Fairmount Park’s most carefully documented and researched buildings because of its … Continue reading
Rethinking the Row House
What could be simpler than understanding the design of the row house? I had a chance to take a walk through two of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods – Society Hill and South Philadelphia – and I started thinking about some of the changes … Continue reading
Just Listed!
It is time to highlight some of Pennsylvania’s recently listed historic properties! Since our last post ( Just Listed!) in May, 2016, 20 nominations have been approved by the National Park Service in the Commonwealth. Because several of these are … Continue reading
2017’s Newly Approved Markers
I am happy to announce that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission recently approved 18 new historical markers! As you’ll see from the list below, over half of the approved subjects are for markers in Philadelphia County. The Marker Program … Continue reading
Preservation People & Places Worth Celebrating
As many of you already know, May is national Historic Preservation Month. What better way to kick-start our month-long celebration of historic preservation than with this year’s winners of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia’s 2017 Preservation Achievement Awards. If … Continue reading
Mill-Rae: A Monument of Women’s History Hidden in Plain Sight
High on a hill overlooking the Somerton neighborhood of Philadelphia stands Cranaleith Spiritual Center, a beautiful Shingle style house that overlooks ten acres of gardens, groves of trees, a pond, and a sensitively-designed modern retreat facility. It’s a lovely place … Continue reading
November’s SHPO Shout Out!
Tis the season to be thankful – after all, Thanksgiving was just last week and more holidays are just around the corner – and I for one have been rattling off a list of all the great places in Pennsylvania that I am … Continue reading
Artifacts from PennDOT Dig Shine at Wheaton
There’s a scene in the 1960 classic, The Time Machine, where Rod Taylor escapes the imminent nuclear war by throwing his machine fast into the future. Quickly, the ground rises all around him and for what appears to be an … Continue reading