The Keeping Society of Philadelphia (501c3 non-profit) is the city’s most active protector of endangered (undesignated) historic properties, a distinction the project has earned by filing a record number of nominations over the last few years. The work of the organization is achieved by volunteers like Oscar Beisert, Architectural Historian, and J.M. Duffin, Historian. The following successful nominations were authored or sponsored by the Keeping Society and its volunteers:
Nomination: The Chestnuts also known as Leighton Place (Erected 1865-69, 1870-71. Enlarged 1898) – The Country Seat of David Scull, Jr. – Addison Hutton, Architect – Eugène A. Baumann, Landscape Gardener
Address: 5848 City Avenue, Overbrook, West Philadelphia
Nomination: Germantown High Schoool (1914-15)
Address: 5915-41 Germantown Avenue, Germantown
Nomination: E.A. Wright Bank Note Company (1913)
Address: 2527-37 N. Broad Street
This nomination was sponsored by a generous friend of the Keeping Society.
Nomination: The Tacony Worsted Mills (1886)
Address: 5250 Unruh Avenue, Tacony
Sponsored by the Tacony CDC.
Nomination: The Jacob Souder Frame Dwelling (1810)
Address: 1132 Marlborough Street, Fishtown
Nomination: The Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage Co. (1891)
Address: 500 N. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
Nomination: The Penn Asylum for Indigent Widows & Single Women
1858 – 2020 – Formerly Known as West Hill, ca. 1769Address: 1401 E. Susquehanna Avenue, Fishtown
Nomination: The Clifton Mills (1852-63)
Address: 1813-53 N. Howard Street, Kensington
Nomination: Mitchell, Fletcher & Co., Inc. aka The Channon House (1818/1898)
Address: 5708 Germantown Avenue, Germantown
Nomination: Building 10: Boiler & Engine House (1904)
The Otis Elevator Works
Address: 1045-49 Sarah Street, Fishtown
Nomination: North Sixth Street Farmers’ Market House & Hall (1886-87)
Address: 527-37 Girard Avenue
Nomination: The Stock Brokerage House of Hano, Wasserman & Co. (1929)
Address: 1513 Walnut Street
Nomination: Bradlee & Co.’s Empire Chain Works of Philadelphia (1905-10)
Address: 1615-31 N. Delaware Avenue, Fishtown
Nomination: The Decorating Plant of Gillinder & Sons’ Franklin Flint Glassworks (1876)
Address: 1700-06 N. Howard Street, KENSINGTON
Nomination: The Star Carpet Mills (1882)
Address: 1801-03 N. Howard Street, KENSINGTON
Nomination: The Clifton Mills – Building 4 (Built c1852-63, Rebuilt 1878)
Address: 1809-11 N. Howard Street, KENSINGTON
Nomination: The Thirteenth & Fifteenth St. Passenger Railway Co. Depot, Car House, & Stables (1876)
Address: 2501-61 N. Fifteenth Street
Nomination: The Julia Blodget Britton Frame Twin (1850-53)
Address: 3412 & 3414 Haverford Avenue, Mantua, West Philadelphia
Nomination: Peter Woll & Sons, Curled Hair & Bristles (1886)
Address: 173 W. Berks Street, Kensington
Nomination: The Conklin-Armstrong HouseAddress: 2224 & 2226 Tioga Street
Address: 6626 Germantown Avenue
Mt. Airy
Nomination: 711, 713, and 715 N. 6th StreetAddress: Northern Liberties
This nomination was authored by Arielle Harris, Architectural Historian, for the Keeping Society.
Nomination: Woodward-Wanger Company (1929-30)Address: 1106-1114 Spring Garden Street
Nomination: Glenn & Co. Perfumery (1855-56)
Address: 726 Chestnut Street
DECLINED TO DESIGNATE
Nomination: Residence & Restaurant of Henry Minton
Address: 204 S. 12th Street
Nomination: The Alexander Henry House (1853-58)
Address: 3460 West School House Lane, East Falls/Germantown
Nomination: 405 & 407 S. 42nd StreetWest Philadelphia
Sponsored by Citizens for Progressive Planning and Preservation of West Philadelphia and the University City Historical Society.
Nomination: Green Hill Market House (1861)Address: 1632 W. Poplar Street
Nomination: Western Savings Fund Society (1916-17) Architect: Furness Evans. Address: 1805-07 E. York Street, Kensington
Nomination: North Philadelphia Office of the Western Savings Fund Society (1925)Address: 3549 Germantown Avenue
North Philadelphia
Nomination: Nichols-Goehring House (1902)Address: 6625 Lincoln Drive
Mt. Airy
Nomination: Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company Car House & Stable (1866-67)
Address: 4100 Chestnut Street, West Philadelphia
This nomination was sponsored by the University City Historical Society.
Nomination: Columbia Works (1866-67)
Address: 155-59 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Kensington
Nomination: West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company Depot (1876)
Address: 4100 Haverford Avenue, West Philadelphia
Nomination: R.C.C. of the Immaculate Conception (1870-71)
Address: 1018-20 & 1032 N. Front Street, Northern Liberties
Nomination: John Crompton Adelphia Corp. Manufacturing Building, Paper Boxes (1930)
Address: 155-59 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Kensington
Nomination: Camac Baths (1929)
Address: 204 S. 12th Street, S. Camac & Chancellor Streets
Staff Report: Camac Baths (1929)
Owner’s Report:
Nomination: St. Laurentius Roman Catholic Church
Address: 1600-06 E. Berks Street, Fishtown, Kensington
Nomination: Little Wakefield, the Fisher Estate
Address: 1701 Lindley Avenue, Germantown
Nomination/Address: 81-95 Fairmount Avenue (8 Buildings)
Nomination: The Wachsmuth-Henry House
Address: 4908 Germantown Avenue, Germantown
Nomination: The Edward Corner Warehouse
Address: 1100-02 N. Delaware Avenue, Fishtown, Kensington
Nomination: “Woodside:” the Dorfeuille-Hacker Country Seat
Address: 339 E. Wister Street, Germantow
Nomination: The Francis Strawbridge House
Address: Wissahickon Avenue, Germantown (2 Buildings)
Nomination: The Frederick J. Rapp House, c. 1786
The Oldest House in Fishtown
Address: 1003 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, Philadelphia
Nomination: 10th District Patrol House & Stable
Address: 1416-22 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown
Nomination: “Greenville”–the Estate of Samuel & Rebecca Smith Blodget
also The Pennsylvania Working Home for Blind Men (4 Buildings)
Address: 3514-30 Lancaster Avenue, West Philadelphia
Site: The Morse Elevator Company
Nomination/Address: 1101-03 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, Kensington
Nomination/Address: 1105-09 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, Kensington
Nomination/Address: 1111-17 Frankford Avenue , Fishtown, Kensington
Site: Satterlee Heights Development
Nomination/Address: 4300-02 Osage Avenue
Nomination/Address: 4304-06 Osage Avenue
Nomination: Satterlee Heights Historic District
Addresses: 4300-02, 4304-06, 4324-26, & 4328-30 Osage Avenue
Nomination: The King Green House
Address: 5112-14 Germantown Avenue, Germantown
Nomination: Methodist Episcopal Church of the Advocate
Address: 5250 Wayne Avenue, Germantown
Nomination: Engine Company No. 16
Address: 1026-28 Belmont Avenue, West Philadelphia
Site: Thomas Powers Development
Nomination/Address: 4050 Chestnut street, West Philadelphia
Nomination/Address: 4052 Chestnut Street, West Philadelphia
Nomination/Address: 4054 Chestnut Street, West Philadelphia
Nomination/Address: 4056 Chestnut Street, West Philadelphia
Nomination/Address: 3600-30 Lancaster Avenue, West Philadelphia (16 Buildings)
Nomination: The Jonathan Graham House
Address: 5356 Chew Avenue, Germantown
Nomination: St. James Methodist Episcopal Church
Address: 111-201 E. Tabor Road, Olney
Nomination: First Mennonite Church of Philadelphia
Address: 509-13 Diamond Street, North Philadelphia
Nomination: Frankford Avenue Baptist Church
Address: 2437-39 Frankford Avenue, Kensington
Nomination: Monumental Baptist Church
Address: 4101-05 Ludlow Street, West Philadelphia
Nomination: Harbisons’ Dairies
Address: 2041-55 Coral Street, Kensington
DESIGNATED
Nomination: Weisbrod & Hess’ Loading Room, Condenser & Storage/Boiler/Wash House
Address: 2117 E. York Street, Kensington
Nomination: The Samuel Harting House, Office & Stable
Address: 18-20 E. Johnson, Germantown
Nomination: The Musical Art Club
Address: 1821-27 Ranstead Street
Nomination: The Joseph Paxson Frame Store & Dwelling
Address: 1250 E. Palmer Street, Fishtown, Kensington
Nomination: Esslingers’ Inc.
(including the Dallett Chandlery)
Address: 401-29 N. 10th Street, Callowhill
Nomination: National Security Bank
Address: 714-16 W. Girard Avenue
Nomination: St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Germantown
Address: 6671 Germantown Avenue, Beggarstown, Mt. Airy
Building No. 1: Bonded Warehouse of J.A. Dougherty’s Sons Distillery
1132-40 North Front Street, Northern Liberties
Nomination: Second Associate Presbyterian Church
Address: 1523-25 North Front Street
Nomination: John and Mary Sloan House
Address: 1527 North Front Street
Nomination: First African Baptist
Address: 1600-06 Christian Street, South Philadelphia
Nomination: Union Baptist Church
Address: 1910 Fitzwater Street, South Philadelphia
Nomination: St. Jakobus Evangelical Lutheran Church
Address: 1647-57 North 3rd Street
Nomination: the William & Letitia Still House
Address: 625 S. Delhi Street
Nomination: The Lutheran Theological Seminary Historic District (22 Buildings), Mt. Airy
Nomination: Rieger & Gretz’s Tivoli Brewery (aka Rieger & Gretz Brewing Company)
Address: 1524-38 Germantown Avenue
Nomination: The Leibert House, c. 1800-08
Address: 6950 Germantown Avenue (formerly 6926 Germantown Avenue)
Nomination: 2301-03 North Broad Street
Nomination: 2305-07 North Broad Street
VOTED DOWN
(BY THE PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION)
(Determined Eligible and Significant by the Committee on Historic Designation)
Nomination: St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, c. 1910
Address (church/school): 801-15 North 4th Street
Address (rectory) 319 Brown Street
Nomination: 200 S. 12th Street
Nomination: Camac Baths
Address: 204 S. 12th Street
WITHDRAWN
(Alternate Agreement to Preserve)
Nomination: The Otis Elevator Company
Address: 1115-27 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, Kensington
Preservationist Oscar Beisert, Developer Roland Kassis, and the Fishtown Neighbors Association agreed to withdraw the nomination to execute an agreement to preserve the façade to allow for a more flexible reuse of the building.
WITHDRAWN
(Alternate Agreement to Preserve)
Nomination: “Genteel Two-Story Stone Dwelling,” c. Late 1700s
Address: 6369 Germantown Avenue, Germantown
Nomination: The Store and Residence of Richard & Sophia Thewlis Bew
Address: 6365-67 Germantown Avenue
WITHDRAWN
(Alternate Agreement to Preserve)
Nomination: The Germantown Boys’ Club
Address: 23 W. Penn Street, Germantown
The agreement between the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, the Penn Knox Neighborhood Association, and Oscar Beisert was signed on October 9, 2018.
WITHDRAWN
(Alternate Agreement to Preserve)
Nomination: Tabor Chapel, 1856-57
Address: 1640 Fitzwater Street
Designed by Samuel Sloan
DECLINED TO DESIGNATE
Determined Eligible and Significant by the Committee on Historic Designation and the Philadelphia Historical Commission, but Declined To Designate Due to Special Circumstances.
Nomination: The Jacob Deal Half-Gambrel Frame House (1833)
228 E. Richmond Street, Fishtown, Kensington
Nomination: The Jacob Deal Frame Dwelling (1833)
227 E. Allen Street, Fishtown, Kensington
Nomination: Armour & Company’s Stock Depot
Address: 909-31 Noble Street, Callowhill
VOTED DOWN
(BY THE PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION)
(Determined Eligible and Significant by the Committee on Historic Designation)
Nomination: Francis Kelly Waste & Shoddy Manufactory
Address: 1722-40 N. Hancock Street, Kensington
Nomination: Protestant Episcopal Italian Mission & Church of L’Emmanuello
Address: 1020-24 Christian Street
INCOMPLETE and INCORRECT
Nomination: The Malcolm X House
Address: 2503 W. Oxford Street
Nomination: Fifth Dutch Reformed Church, Fishtown, c. 1863
Address: 2345-49 Susquehanna Avenue
WITHDRAWN
(DEMOLITION)
Nomination: Union Baptist Church (1889)
“The Largest African Baptist Church in America”
“The Girlhood Church of Marian Anderson–Where She Learned to Sing.”
Address: 709 S. 12th Street
Note: Demolished for low rise new construction.
WITHDRAWN
(Neighborhood Opposition)
Nomination: P.E. Church of the Messiah
Address: 2640-42 Huntington Street, Port Richmond
DEMOLISHED
Nomination: Lycoming
Address: 3005 School House Lane
