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: Peter Woll & Sons, Curled Hair & Bristles (1886)

Address: 173 W. Berks Street, Kensington

 

Nomination: The Conklin-Armstrong HouseAddress: 2224 & 2226 Tioga Street

 

Nomination: Pelham Pharmacy (1904)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 & Co.                                                                  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 Church

Address: 1600-06 Christian Street

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

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