Celebrating National Historic Preservation Month
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May is National Historic Preservation Month.
To celebrate, the Preservation Alliance asked 31 historic preservation leaders in Philadelphia to name a building that has inspired them and why. We invite you to watch this space daily and hear from leaders in the local preservation movement as they reveal the historic buildings that have inspired them.
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Kayla Anthony
Powel House
244 South Third Street, Philadelphia
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The Powel House at 244 S. 3rd Street in Society Hill is the last on the street to retain its “original character.” Built in 1765 for Scottish merchant Charles Stedman with later alterations by carpenter Robert Smith, the house’s most prominent owners were Samuel Powel, the last mayor of Philadelphia under the British crown and the first mayor of Philadelphia in the new Republic, and his wife Elizabeth Willing Powel. The Powels entertained many of the budding nation’s elite at their Third Street home — George and Martha Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams — to name a few. Shortly after Samuel’s death of yellow fever, Elizabeth Willing Powel sold the house to her nephew-in-law William Bingham in 1798. The house changed hands many times during the 19th century. As the neighborhood experienced the Industrial Revolution, its final owner, Wolf Klebansky (a Russian Jewish immigrant) purchased the house in 1904 for use as a horse hair and bristle factory.
Under the threat of demolition to become an open air garage, preservation pioneer Frances Anne Wister stepped in and created the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks to raise money to save the Powel House in 1931. She and her fellow compatriots raised $30,000 at the height of the Great Depression to save the house and the adjacent 19th century property. The Powel House was later restored and opened as a museum dedicated to the Colonial Revival, and played an integral role in the redevelopment of Society Hill into one of the nation’s premier heritage neighborhoods.
Of course the Powel House’s impressive history and early preservation story would pique the interest of any “old house enthusiast,” but when I first crossed the threshold of the Powel House, I never dreamed I would find a home and a community there. I remember feeling inspired by the 18th century history of the house, the grandiose Georgian architecture, and the general energy of the old house. Feeling completely enamored after a month of working on a production in the Powel House, I recognized this newly awakened passion in me and uncharacteristically asked a former employee “how do I stay? how do I get involved?” Five months later, I was brought in to work part-time as the Membership Assistant. I excitedly said “Yes, I’ll do anything!” followed by a very awkward happy dance. I knew I had finally found an opportunity to apply my unique skills to benefit Powel and our other three historic sites.
Now, as executive director, it’s truly rewarding to know that our work directly impacts the preservation and lasting legacy of this important colonial treasure. I am delighted to follow in the footsteps of Frances Anne Wister and the many others who have gravitated towards the Powel House at just the right time. I’ve often said that it feels like the house chooses you.
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Kayla Anthony
Executive Director, Landmarks Philadelphia
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NEW VIRTUAL LECTURES
Watch from the safety and
comfort of your own home!
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Tuesday, May 5, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Olympia, Icon of the Navy
Presented by John Brady
During thirty-three years as an active naval vessel
Olympia
came to symbolize both the glories of nationalism and their price.
Olympia
played a part in many of the events that came to define the 20
th
century, the battle of Manila Bay, WWI, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the introduction of radio to the Navy to name a few. The wide variety of roles she played made her a symbol of the Navy itself and now makes her one of the most important historic sites in the country with lessons to teach us on subjects ranging from guerilla conflicts to pandemics.
John Brady is President and CEO of the Independence Seaport Museum, the stewards of
Olympia
, and will lead us through a discussion of why this ship matters now, 125 years after her first commissioning.
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Wednesday, May 6, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Yesterday's Aftermath: Philadelphia's Epidemics and the Built Environment
Presented by The Carpenter's Company of the City and County of Philadelphia and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
Join us for this FREE event as Inga Saffron moderates a discussion on the impact of Philadelphia's epidemics on the built environment.
The Carpenters' Company and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia present Inga Saffron in discussion with David Barnes, Jane E. Boyd and George Wohlreich on the history of Philadelphia's epidemics.
Inga Saffron writes architectural criticism for The Philadelphia Inquirer. This panel is inspired by her March column "Philadelphia Has Endured Plagues Before. It Adapted and Became a Better Place." Saffron has maintained her column in the Inquirer's "Home and Design" section since 1999 and has written for the Inquirer since 1984.
- David Barnes, PhD, is Associate Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Jane E. Boyd, PhD, is an independent exhibit developer and was the historical curator for the M¨¨ütter Museum's recent exhibit "Spit Spreads Death: The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 in Philadelphia."
- George Wohlreich, MD, MA, is President and CEO of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
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Tuesday, May 12, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Boathouse Row: Untold Stories of a Philadelphia Icon
Presented by Dotty Brown
Digging into 150 years of archives for her book,
Boathouse Row, Waves of Change in the Birthplace of American Rowing
, Dotty Brown, a former editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, discovered quirky and fascinating stories behind the façade of these 19
th
century houses. She will reveal some of them, including: how one of Philadelphia’s best known architects came to build on Boathouse Row; its ties with two of the city’s 19
th
century firehouses; why Thomas Eakins’ early work focused on rowers; and the battle women fought for a house of their own in the all-male venue. Dotty blogs about the Row and its history on her website:
www.BoathouseRowTheBook.com
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Tuesday, May 19, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Art Deco in Philadelphia
Presented by Dr. David Brownlee
,
Frances Shapiro-Weitzenhoffer Professor of 19th Century European Art,
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia contributed an exhilarating chapter to the history of "Art Deco," the colorful, invented modern style that offered an exciting alternative to the austere functionalism in the 1920s and 30s. The quintessential style of the Jazz Age, Art Deco brought brilliant color to the decoration of the Art Museum, introduced exotic motifs (including Mayan and Spanish Colonial) to the city's new skyscrapers, and contributed zig-zagging ornament to our radio stations and "automat" restaurants. It was also one of the components of the brilliant stylistic synthesis created by George Howe and William Lescaze in the era's greatest landmark, the PSFS Building.
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We invite you to go for a walk . . .
down lower Germantown Avenue
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While it is vital to practice social distancing right now, it's still important to get outside for fresh air and exercise.
If you enjoy the tour, please take a photo or two and tag us on Facebook @preservationalliance or Instagram @presalliancephl.
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