The Frederick J. Rapp House, C. 1786
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NOMINATION OF HISTORIC BUILDING, STRUCTURE, SITE, OR OBJECT PHILADELPHIA REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION SUBMIT ALL ATTACHED MATERIALS ON PAPER AND IN ELECTRONIC FORM ON CD (MS WORD FORMAT) 1. ADDRESS OF HISTORIC RESOURCE (must comply with an Office of Property Assessment address) Street address:______________________1003 Frankford Avenue ____________________________________________ @@@@ Postal code:______________19125 Councilmanic District:__________________________SE 2. NAME OF HISTORIC RESOURCE Historic Name:_________________________The Frederick J. Rapp House_________________________________________ Common Name:_______________________1003 Frankford Avenue __________________________________________ 3. TYPE OF HISTORIC RESOURCE X Building Structure Site Object 4. PROPERTY INFORMATION Condition: excellent good X fair poor ruins Occupancy: X o ccupied ;under construction unknown Current use:_________________________________________________________________ 5. BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION Please attach a plot plan and written description of the boundary. 6. DESCRIPTION Please attach a description of the historic resource and supplement with current photographs. 7. SIGNIFICANCE Please attach the Statement of Significance. Period of Significance (from year to year): from _________1785 to _________1793 Date(s) of construction and/or alteration:______________________________________________Constructed 1785-1787 Architect, engineer, and/or designer:_________________________________________________Unknown Builder, contractor, and/or artisan:___________________________________________________Unknown Original owner:_____________________Frederick J. Rapp _____________________________________________ Othersignificant persons:_________________________________________________________NA CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION: The historic resource satisfies the following criteria for designation (check all that apply): 9 (a) Has significant character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the City, Commonwealth or Nation or is associated with the life of a person significant in the past; or, (b) Is associated with an event of importance to the history of the City, Commonwealth or Nation; or, 9 (c) Reflects the environment in an era characterized by a distinctive architectural style; or, (d) Embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or engineering specimen; or, (e) Is the work of a designer, architect, landscape architect or designer, or engineer whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, economic, social, or cultural development of the City, Commonwealth or Nation; or, (f) Contains elements of design, detail, materials or craftsmanship which represent a significant innovation; or, (g) Is part of or related to a square, park or other distinctive area which should be preserved according to an historic, cultural or architectural motif; or, (h) Owing to its unique location or singular physical characteristic, represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood, community or City; or, (i) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in pre-history or history; or 9 (j) Exemplifies the cultural, political, economic, social or historical heritage of the community. 8. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Please attach a bibliography. 9. NOMINATOR Name with Title___________________________________Oscar Beisert, Architectural Historian & [email protected] Organization______________________________________Date________________________________J.M. Duffin, Archivist October 6, 2015 Street Address_____________Rochelle Avenue_______________________Telephone____________________________717.602.5002 City, State, and Postal Code______________________________________________________________Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 Nominator is X is not the property owner. PHC USE ONLY Date of Receipt:_______________________________________________________________________ Correct-Complete Incorrect-Incomplete Date:_________________________________ Date of Notice Issuance:_________________________________________________________________ Property Owner at Time of Notice Name:_________________________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ City:_______________________________________ State:____ Postal Code:_________ Date(s) Reviewed by the Committee on Historic Designation:____________________________________ Date(s) Reviewed by the Historical Commission:______________________________________________ Date of Final Action:____________________________________________________________________ Designated Rejected 4/11/13 Proposed for Historic Designation in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places The Frederick Rapp House, Fishtown. Courtesy the City of Philadelphia. The Frederick J. Rapp House 1003 Frankford Avenue Fishtown, Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Frederick J. Rapp House, 1003 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, Kensington, Philadelphia, Pa. Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, Fall 2015 – Page 1 5. BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION All that certain lot or piece of ground with the buildings and improvement thereon erected, situate on the east side of Frankford Avenue, beginning at the distance of 26 feet 9 inches Northward from the North side of Richmond Street, thence extending Eastward on a line at right angles to Frankford Avenue 31 feet 3 inches to a point, thence North 67 degrees 2 minutes East 13 feet 4 inches to a point, thence South 85 degrees 24 minutes East 5 feet 9.25 inches to a point, thence South 21 degrees 24 minutes East 6 feet 10 inches to the North side of Richmond Street, thence along the same North 65 degrees 13 minutes East 2 feet 3 inches to a point, thence North 21 degrees 24 minutes West 6 feet to a point, thence North 1 degree 36 minutes East 5 feet 3.25 inches to a point, thence North 88 degrees East 2 feet 9.25 inches to a point, thence North 16 degrees East 10 feet 10 inches to a point, thence North 88 degrees 24 minutes West on a line at right angles to the said Frankford Avenue 54 feet to the East side of said Frankford Avenue, thence South along the same 21 feet 9 inches to the place of beginning. The property is known as 1003 Frankford Avenue, Parcel No. 017N03-0142, Office of Property Assessment Account No. 181001200. The Frederick J. Rapp House, 1003 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, Kensington, Philadelphia, Pa. Nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, Fall 2015 – Page 2 6. Building Description Constructed between 1785 and 1787, the Rapp House is a two-and-one-half story brick dwelling, measuring roughly twenty-one feet, nine inches (21’-9‖) front with a maximum depth of thirty-one feet, three inches (31’-3‖). The building is located at 1003 Frankford Avenue just north of the intersection of Richmond Street in what is now the Fishtown section of the larger Kensington neighborhood. Despite it originally having been built as a fully detached house, the unprotected historic property is now situated as a row house upon an irregular lot. As stated, the Rapp House stands two-and-one-half stories, featuring a side-gabled roof. The simple façade is characteristic of a vernacular Georgian plan, which features design elements that suggest that it once had an entirely symmetrical fenestration. The primary elevation of the building, facing southwest, is of load bearing masonry construction. The red brick of the façade is laid in a Flemish bond, in which the headers and stretchers alternate in each course. The headers are distinctive in that a wood other than Oak was likely used to fire the bricks, resulting in glazed black headers—a Philadelphia distinction. This allows for the illusion of an understated diaper pattern within the two floor façade. The building features water table base coursing along its façade. The three bay façade at the ground floor has been altered to accommodate one large three-part mullion window and a doorway. The façade, no doubt, originally included a symmetrical fenestration in concert with the second floor. The doorway has been partly filled with redbrick in an entirely unsympathetic manner to accommodate a smaller, replacement door. Two slightly projecting courses, two courses apart, form horizontal belts between the second and third floors. The second floor retains a symmetrical fenestration of three windows, which feature low-grade replacement windows. The architraves are obscured by insensitive metal flashing. The roof is of a pitch that could be described as being of moderate to steep. Penetrating this elevation at the center is an enlarged gable-fronted dormer that features a two part mullion window, the entirety of which is sheathed in unsympathetic, low-grade faux materials. From Richmond Street there is access to the rear of the building through a narrow pedestrian passage, which is now surrounded at the southeast, northeast and northwest by other parcels, buildings. The rear of the main block is visible from Richmond Street and features a shed dormer, which is likely period. The rear walls of the building are covered in ―pizza shop‖ stucco, which is highly insensitive to the character of the building. The rear ell is also sheathed in the same stucco. The Frederick J. Rapp House, 1003 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, Kensington, Philadelphia,