SPECIAL ISSUE PRESERVATION MATTERS The Newsletter of The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia Seventh Annual Endangered Properties List Vacant Church Properties ◆ Sidney Hillman Medical Center ◆ Divine Lorraine ◆ William Penn High School Historic Windows ◆ Cast-Iron Subway Entrances of Philadelphia ◆ Cruiser Olympia Pennhurst State School and Hospital ◆ Deshong Mansion and Gallery Building Vacant Church Church of the Assumption Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church 1123-1133 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia 1001-1007 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia Properties The Church of the Assumption was constructed The Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church was Citywide by the Catholic Church in 1848-1849. The completed in 1869 to serve a German and Ger- SIGNIFICANCE Philadelphia’s neighborhoods church is the oldest surviving structure designed man-speaking population in what is now known are graced by hundreds of beautiful and historic by prominent architect Patrick Charles Keely as the Queen Village neighborhood of South churches and other religious buildings. These (1816-1896), who designed more than 600 Philadelphia. The church was built in the modern structures help define community character and churches in North America. It was the first Roman style, with a base of brown stone and a often serve as important neighborhood land- Catholic church in Philadelphia to feature twin brick edifice. Its 187-foot-tall wooden steeple marks. spires, an effort to differentiate Catholic ecclesi- quickly became a landmark for ships in the astical architecture from Protestant. Delaware River. THREAT With a shrinking city population and The church has been vacant since the Archdio- The Emanuel Lutheran congregation thrived ever-shifting demographics, not all of the city’s cese of Philadelphia closed it in 1995. Siloam, a in its early decades, but in recent years, the now- historic religious structures have congregations nonprofit organization that provides mind/body small congregation found it impossible to main- to watch over them. Some historic church build- /spirit services to people living with HIV/AIDS, tain the large building. In 2008, it merged with a ings have been demolished, some have been sold purchased the property in 2006. After exploring nearby church. for other uses, and many congregations are being options, Siloam planned to demolish the church, The church was added to the Philadelphia forced to consider leaving their historic buildings but neighborhood residents persuaded the His- Register of Historic Places in 1963, and therefore for smaller or more easily maintained spaces. torical Commission to add the church to the cannot be altered or demolished without the ap- Examples of currently endangered church Philadelphia Register in May 2009. Siloam has proval of the Historical Commission. But the properties include: said it cannot afford to renovate the building. (continued on page 2) Christ Memorial Church 4233-4257 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church was constructed in 1887 and designed by archi- tect Isaac Pursell (1853-1910), one of the city’s most prolific church designers. Built on a knoll, the structure dominated the skyline for blocks around. In 2004, the church was struck by lightning, and the 170-foot-tall steeple collapsed, badly damaging the sanctuary. After a two-year court battle with its insurance company, the congrega- tion could not afford the high cost of rebuilding, and the property was sold to a local developer. The church is listed as a contributing property in the West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb Na- tional Register Historic District, but that desig- nation does not protect the building from being altered or demolished unless the developer plans to use federal funds. Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church Photo courtesy of Al Dorof WWW.PRESERVATIONALLIANCE.COM winter 2010 Preservation matters 1 (continued from page 1) tect Edwin Forrest Durang (1829-1911) designed closed in 2005. The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsyl- church is in disrepair, and the Evangelical the permanent stone church, constructed in vania is interested in selling St. Peter’s, and re- Lutheran Church in America and its Southeast- 1894, as well as the attached four-story parish moved and sold stained glass windows by ern Pennsylvania Synod will decide its fate. house fronting on N. Hutchinson Street that was prominent local artist Violet Oakley to the Penn- constructed the same year. sylvania Academy of Fine Arts. St. Boniface Church The Archdiocese of Philadelphia closed St. St. Peter’s Church was added to the Philadelphia 142-174 Diamond Street, Philadelphia Bonaventure Church in 1993 due to dwindling Register of Historic Places in 1965, and the Na- numbers in its congregation and the cost of tional Register of Historic Places in 1985. St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church was con- maintaining the building. In 1997, the New Life structed from 1868-1872 to serve the growing Evangelistic Church purchased the church, but RECOMMENDATION Each of these churches Catholic population in the vicinity of Norris the buildings are now deteriorating through neg- is an example of a growing problem in many Square in North Philadelphia. The brownstone lect. The main sanctuary is not in use, and nu- neighborhoods of the city. Partners for Sacred church, as well as its adjacent brick school build- merous broken windows allow birds, rain and Places has developed an outstanding program to ing, faces the square. snow to enter. assist congregations that are still active and trying In 2006, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and to maintain their property. But neither Partners the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for Sacred Places nor any other organization cur- closed St. Boniface Church and its school. The of Germantown rently has the capacity to offer technical assis- Norris Square Civic Association purchased the tance to explore ways to save and adapt vacant or vacant building in 2007, but has not indicated a 6008 Wayne Avenue, Philadelphia underused religious properties for other func- firm plan for the structure. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church of Germantown was tions. Religious buildings have been converted to constructed from 1873-1883, and designed by other uses, including housing. St. Bonaventure Catholic Church noted Philadelphia architects Frank Furness Philadelphia foundations should provide 2842-2846 N. 9th Street, Philadelphia (1839-1912) and George Hewitt (1841-1916), funding for a pilot program, led by Partners for St. Bonaventure Catholic Church was founded with a later addition designed by T. P. Chandler Sacred Places, to explore the feasibility of pre- on this site in 1889, where the congregation ini- (1845-1928). serving and adapting vacant religious buildings tially met in a three-story brick building. Archi- The property has stood vacant since the church for other community needs. Sidney Hillman Medical Center 2116 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia SIGNIFICANCE The Sidney Hillman Medical Center was built in 1950 by the Male Apparel In- dustry Union to provide free medical care to its members and is considered to be the first facility of its kind in the U.S. It served as the model for seven similar medical centers around the country, all named in honor of Sydney Hillman, an impor- tant labor leader. Designed by Louis Magaziner (1878-1956) and Herman Polss (1901-1964), the building is a dis- tinctive example of mid-century Modernist archi- tecture. The orange, limestone-covered façade angles away from Chestnut Street, while a reddish- Hillman Medical Center J. Randall Cotton brown, polished-granite base and end wall follow the street line. The diagonal organization of the fice facilities for the medical center fronting on sist financing. PHMC, like the Preservation Al- plan allowed additional wall surfaces for a larger Sansom Street. liance, states that the proposed high-rise develop- number of windows to provide natural light. Although both its Architectural Committee and ment will have an adverse impact on both the The building is listed as a contributing property Financial Hardship Committee recommended historic building and on the surrounding historic in the city’s Rittenhouse Fitler Historic District, that the application for demolition be denied, in properties. and therefore cannot be altered or demolished June 2009 the Philadelphia Historical Commission without the approval of the Historical Commis- approved the application to demolish the build- RECOMMENDATION Center City can benefit sion. In addition, the Pennsylvania Historical and ing by reason of financial hardship. The Preserva- from additional residential development, which Museum Commission (PHMC) declared the Sid- tion Alliance appealed that decision. Sub sequ ently, would also create badly needed jobs for the con- ney Hillman Medical Center eligible for individual the Zoning Board of Adjustment approved zon- struction industry. However, the area has many listing on the National Register of Historic Places. ing variances for the project to allow for a building parking lots and undeveloped sites suitable for of a height far exceeding current zoning of the site. new residential development that do not require THREAT The building owner and joint venture The Preservation Alliance appealed the zoning de- the demolition of historic buildings or impose ad- partner, the John Buck Company, have proposed cision. verse impacts on historic districts. complete demolition of the Hillman Medical Cen- PHMC’s decision that the property